Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband
Chapter 25: Let The Dawn Break!

Chapter 25: Let The Dawn Break!

Claire’s POV

"Excuse me?" I blurted out, confused by what he was implying.

Damian glanced at Evander, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Can’t you hear him? He is murmuring her name," he said softly. "Evander never introduced her to us, you know. Said she’d feel uncomfortable around his friends... He always protected her and kept her away from all the chaos. But in the end..." Damian’s voice trailed off, a bitter note creeping in. "Who knows what happened? She left him, and now look at him... broken."

I stared at Damian, his words hitting harder than I expected. I glanced at Evander, his face pale and drenched in sweat, his lips moving slightly as he murmured something in his fevered state.

He protected me? I scoffed inwardly, my chest tightening with the weight of unspoken frustration. That sounded like the joke of the century! If Evander had truly protected me, where was he when I was suffering in silence, when I needed him the most?

I swallowed hard, bitter memories flooding back. Did he ever really care about me, or was he always wrapped up in his own world, too busy to see what was right in front of him? Damian’s words echoed in my mind—burying himself in work—as if that was something new. When wasn’t he buried? He’d always been that way.

Lonely days, empty, cold nights. That’s all he ever gave me. I spent countless evenings waiting for him, hoping he’d come home, only to be met with silence. It was like living in the shadow of a man who was always just out of reach. I tried to be understanding and tried to support him, but in the end, it felt like I was invisible.

And now here he was, sick and broken, the consequences of his choices finally catching up to him. Yet somehow, Damian painted him as the one who was hurt, as if Evander was the only one who had lost something. But what about me?

I clenched my jaw, fighting the rising tide of emotions. I’d been the one left to pick up the pieces of a life that had never really been mine to begin with.

He protected me? The thought twisted inside me like a cruel joke. If only he had—maybe things wouldn’t have fallen apart the way they did.

As those thoughts crept up on me, tightening their grip around my chest, I felt suffocated being there. The room, once a place of concern, now felt stifling, the air too heavy to breathe. I needed to leave, but the thought of leaving Eliam alone tugged at my heart. I glanced at his sleeping form, unsure of what to do next, when suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Crap! I realized with a jolt. I’d left the hotel without even telling Sissy! Quickly, I placed Eliam carefully on the nearest couch, his little body curling up instinctively, and stepped out into the hallway to take the call.

"Gurl! Where the hell are you!?" Sissy’s voice blared through the speaker, and even over the phone, I could tell she was slurring her words. She sounded drunk—again.

"Sissy! Did you drink again?" I snapped, trying to keep my voice low but firm.

"What can I say? A girl’s gotta survive!" she replied with a slurred laugh. "I had a ton of meetings today. Important ones! Since you are starting a new life here, I need to make connections, right?"

I rubbed my temples, frustration building. "Sissy, you promised me you’d cut back. Drinking isn’t going to help with meetings— or with anything for that matter."

"Relax, babe! I am handling it," Sissy said, her voice turning playful but still carrying that unmistakable drunken edge. "Besides, all the big shots here love a good party. I am just... mingling."

I sighed, glancing back toward the room where Eliam and Evander were. This conversation was the last thing I needed right now. "Sissy, this isn’t about partying. You need to be careful. I can’t keep worrying about you."

"Worry about me? Please! I am a grown woman. You are the one I am worried about. Running off without telling me? You better not be getting yourself into trouble with that Kensington guy."

I winced at her words, her carefree attitude clashing with the storm of emotions swirling inside me. "I am fine. I am... just dealing with something," I muttered, unsure of how much I wanted to tell her.

Sissy scoffed. "Dealing with something? Babe, you just got here. Don’t go diving into drama already. You are supposed to be starting fresh, remember?"

I couldn’t help but feel she was right. I was supposed to be starting a new life, leaving all the baggage behind. But here I was, right in the middle of Evander’s mess, with emotions I hadn’t sorted through and a little boy depending on me.

"I know," I whispered, more to myself than to Sissy. "I didn’t plan on this."

"Yeah, well, just don’t let that guy drag you into his wreck of a life," Sissy added, her voice now a little sharper. "I don’t care how hot or rich he is. You have had enough heartache."

Her words stung, not because they weren’t true, but because they hit too close to the pain I was trying to ignore. I stayed silent, trying to keep my emotions in check. I couldn’t afford to break down.

I stayed quiet for a moment, letting Sissy’s words sink in. My heart raced as I looked around the dimly lit hallway. Finally, I found my voice.

"I’ll be back soon," I said quietly at first. "Let the dawn break, Sissy, and with it, I’ll leave everything behind."

My words hung in the air, but the decision was already made. "I am done carrying the past with me. When the sun comes up, this Chapter is over. All of it."

Sissy was quiet on the other end, as if my words had sobered her up. "You sure, babe? You sound... different," she said, her voice soft now, almost cautious.

"I am sure..."

= = = =

What do you think? Will Claire really be able to move on and start a new? Read ahead to know more!