After the divorce he begged novel Chapter 268

Chapter 268

“Of course, if you don’t want to, I won’t force you,” Amelia said, putting the choice in Rebecca’s hands. “I just want you to remember–you can have Richard in your life too.

“Alright.” Rebecca said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel there was a wall in her heart, keeping her distant.

But Rebecca knew she’d be thinking about her mom’s words, maybe more than she’d like to admit.

“Get some rest,” Amelia said, gently ruffling Rebecca’s hair like she was still a kid. “Soon, you won’t have much free time left.”

Rebecca leaned in and hugged her, nuzzling her cheek against Amelia’s neck. “Mom, I love you.”

Amelia smiled softly. “I love you too.”

By the time Rebecca finished washing up and got back to her room, it was already past ten.

Sitting on her bed, she pulled out her phone and shot Samuel a quick text, still feeling a bit concerned about him. “Hey, are you asleep yet, babe?”

Samuel sprang out of bed as soon as he saw the message.

He didn’t even bother putting on shoes–just rushed straight to the study and flung the door open. There was Jeffrey, sitting alone by the big window, all wrapped up in an air of loneliness, staring out into the dark like he was searching for someone.

“Mr. Hanson,” Samuel said softly.

Jeffrey snapped back to reality at the sound of Samuel’s voice.

Seeing Samuel’s bare feet, Jeffrey immediately picked him up in his arms. “Why did you come without shoes?”

Samuel didn’t answer Jeffrey. Instead, he sent Rebecca a quick text: [Nope, not asleep yet. Mommy, wanna video chat?]

Just as he hit send, Rebecca called him.

The video call came in from Rebecca.

Samuel, still nestled in Jeffrey’s arms, answered with a sweet, “Mommy!”

Jeffrey paused while searching for Samuel’s shoes, catching sight of Rebecca on Samuel’s little screen. For that brief second, some warmth seemed to return to his heart after all that emptiness.

But just a moment later, Jeffrey was reminded of what Rebecca had said to him–she didn’t want him showing up in her view.

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Chapter 268

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Her words echoed in his mind: “Don’t let her see you.”

‘I shouldn’t be here now,‘ he told himself.

While Samuel waved his smartwatch and moved around, Jeffrey lifted him onto the couch. “I’ll go find your shoes,” he said gently.

Not bothering with Samuel’s response, Jeffrey swiftly stepped out of the study, purposely giving him the privacy he needed.

Samuel was like, “Huh? What’s going on here?”

Samuel could tell something was off.

‘No point stirring things up with Mom right now,‘ Samuel thought. ‘I’ll wait till the call’s over, then have a proper talk with Dad.‘

“You don’t have your shoes on?” Rebecca asked, catching what Jeffrey said in the background.

“I ran over too fast and totally forgot!” Samuel replied, his voice soft and sweet, cheeks all puffed and cute. “But it’s okay, Mommy! Your little guy takes good care of himself–no way I’m getting sick!”

Jeffrey stood outside the study, listening in on their conversation.

In that moment, the hollow feeling in his chest somehow grew even deeper, like someone had taken another piece out of his heart.

Twenty minutes after Samuel finished his call with Rebecca, he opened the door barefoot and found Dad leaning against the wall. No beating around the bush, he called him out directly, “Why’d you bail just now?”

“Bail?” Jeffrey instantly put his poker face back on, acting like he hadn’t just made a quick exit.

“You dipped out as soon as you heard Mommy’s voice,” Samuel pointed out, eyes landing on Jeffrey’s empty hands. “Weren’t you supposed to be getting my shoes? So, where are they?”

Jeffrey, thinking on his feet, replied, “They’re in your room.”

Samuel walked right up to him, looking up at Jeffrey with a serious expression. “Come on, what’s really going on between you and Mommy?”

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow and teased, “Didn’t you figure it out already?” Then he picked Samuel up so his little feet wouldn’t be touching the cold floor.

Samuel kept his eyes locked on him, not letting up.

Jeffrey stayed calm, completely unmoved.

“So just because you guys are divorced, you have to dodge every time she calls?” Samuel wasn’t sugarcoating it, his face totally serious. “If you won’t tell me, I’m gonna tell Mom everything you’ve been up to over here.”

Jeffrey didn’t care at all. “Be my guest.”

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Chapter 268

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Samuel puffed up his cheeks and teased, “I’m gonna tell Mommy that you just zone out all the time, staring at things like the dining table, the window in your study, the back seat of the car, and basically every single corner in Rebecca’s Manor. That’s all you do–day in and day out!”

Jeffrey set him down on the bed, replying with a casual, “Sure, whatever you want.”

Samuel frowned, his tone tinged with annoyance. “Dad!”

Jeffrey froze for a moment.

“If you don’t tell me, I’m seriously gonna get angry!” Samuel insisted, throwing a fit–which was rare for him.

Over the past couple days, Samuel kept catching Dad lost in thought. Even when Dad tried his best to act normal, Samuel could always spot those moments when he zoned out.

He could see that Dad always had Mommy on his mind.

Deep down, Samuel knew Dad still cared about Mommy.

‘But if he likes her so much, why can’t he just come out and say it?‘ Samuel wondered, getting a little frustrated. ‘Why can’t he just go apologize and make things right with Mommy?‘

“I’m just trying to sort some things out,” Jeffrey said, noticing how intent Samuel was. “When I’ve figured it out, I’ll let you know.”

Samuel’s eyes went wide, innocence written all over his face. “Really?”

Jeffrey nodded. “Yeah.”

Samuel pouted, “If you lie, you’re a puppy!”

Jeffrey didn’t even blink. “Whatever you say.”

“Alright, since you’re being so honest with me, I’ll let it slide this time,” Samuel said, pulling the blanket over himself. He gazed up at Jeffrey with his big, round eyes and added, “I get a little scared sleeping by myself. Can you stay with me?”

Jeffrey paused, realizing Samuel was just worried about him.

‘What kind of dad lets his kid worry about him?‘ Jeffrey thought, feeling a twinge of guilt.

“Say ‘Dad‘ and maybe I’ll think about staying,” Jeffrey teased, messing around with him like always.

Samuel pulled the blanket over his head and mumbled, “Like I even care if you stay or not.”

“Keep the bed warm for me. I’ll be back after I finish up,” Jeffrey said, gently pulling the blanket down. Even though Samuel’s care brought a flicker of warmth to Jeffrey’s heart, that hollow feeling stubbornly lingered.

The hole in his heart could only be filled by Rebecca.

No one else could help–not even Samuel himself.

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Chapter 268

That night, Samuel ended up sleeping in the same bed with Jeffrey.

He knew Jeffrey was just giving him the runaround, but he let it slide.

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