Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband
Chapter 81: Had He Cared...

Chapter 81: Had He Cared...

Evander’s POV

I entered the café, scanning the cozy space until my eyes landed on Claire. She was sitting by the window, her head resting on the table as though the weight of the world had finally caught up to her. The sight stirred concern within me.

I walked over and quietly took a seat across from her.

"Claire, how are you?" I asked, my voice steady but laced with a hint of worry. Though, as usual, my expression remained cold and unreadable.

Her head stayed down as she groaned, her voice muffled but sharp. "I am damn exhausted!" she snapped, sounding more frustrated with herself than me.

She lifted her head to look at who was speaking, but the moment her eyes met mine, she froze. Her exhaustion melted into shock, and she bolted upright, her hands slamming against the table.

"Wh... What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice laced with disbelief.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms with a calm that I knew irritated her. "Why do you think I can’t be here?" I replied, raising a brow. "If Gloria— that wicked woman— can come see you, then why can’t I?"

Her face twisted in anger, her hands balling into fists. "Is that so?" she said, glaring at me. "For your information, it wasn’t me who wanted to see her! It was your dear mother who came to threaten me!"

The fire in her eyes sparked something deep inside me, but I kept my face neutral, leaning forward slightly. "What did she say to you?" My voice was softer now, though I was still containing my fury as Gloria dared to play with Claire.

Claire crossed her arms and looked away, as though debating whether or not to answer. "What do you think?" she spat. "She told me I wasn’t good enough for you, that I was a distraction." Her voice wavered slightly, but she quickly masked it with defiance. "Not that I care what she thinks, but it’s exhausting being dragged into your family’s games, Evander."

Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. "I didn’t know she had gone to see you," I said after a long pause. My tone softened, almost apologetic, but my face remained stoic.

Claire sighed heavily and sank back into her chair, rubbing her temples. "I am not even surprised at this point," she muttered. "Your family has a way of showing up and making everything worse."

I stayed quiet for a moment, watching her. The way her guard was up, yet she still allowed a glimpse of vulnerability—it made me want to say something, do something. But what? I wasn’t sure how to fix this, or if I even could since Gloria was the person who hated me most in this world.

"You don’t have to deal with them alone," I said finally, my voice low but firm.

She looked at me, her eyes narrowing as if trying to read my intentions. "I have been dealing with them alone for a while now," she said. "Why should this time be any different?"

****

Claire’s POV

I was entirely taken aback by Evander’s sudden appearance. Seeing him here, of all places, felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. And the way he asked me if I was fine— his voice steady but laced with concern that made my heart skip a beat.

But I couldn’t let him see that. No, not him. I straightened in my seat and shot him a sharp glare, masking the storm of emotions brewing inside me.

If only you had asked me this in the past, I thought bitterly, clenching my fists under the table. Maybe things would have been different.

He didn’t look away, his calm demeanor betraying his cold look on his face, but I could see it in his eyes— he wanted answers. He wanted to know what Gloria and I had talked about. I told him part of it, sure, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him everything.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to. I could have. But Gloria was his mother, and I knew how much that relationship meant tp him, even if he never admitted it. How could I tell him the venomous words she had spat at me, the way she had belittled me and tried to push me away and threatened me to the point where I wanted to end my life?

Would he even believe me if I told him? Or would he side with her? He would surely take her words as truth, dismissing mine without a second thought.

That certainty felt bitter to me, and so I chose silence.

"If you want to know so much," I finally said, my voice sharp and unyielding, "why don’t you ask your dear mother about what I said?" My glare deepened as I pushed back my chair. "Anyway... I would like to leave now. Enjoy your day, Mr. Kensington," I added, my tone dripping with sarcasm as I stood and turned to leave.

But before I could take a single step, I felt his hand wrap around my wrist, unyielding. The sudden contact sent a jolt through me, and I froze.

"Claire," he said, his voice low and deadly, rising slowly from his seat. His piercing gaze locked onto mine, and I could feel the suffocating air between us raising.

"Who?" He demanded, his tone so cold and dangerous it sent a chill down my spine. "Who did this to you?"

His words reverberated through the air, sharp and heavy that if I wouldn’t answer him right away, he would destroy the whole world. The way he looked at me—his eyes dark, filled with an almost possessive fury which left me breathless.

I shivered under his gaze, my entire body trembling as his grip on my wrist tightened, not enough to hurt but enough to make it clear that he wasn’t letting go. His presence felt suffocating, an overwhelming mix of anger, concern, and something else I couldn’t quite place.

"Evander..." I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. I didn’t know how to answer him as I didn’t know what he was asking!"

"Tell me," he pressed as he inhaled deeply, his voice was a bit softer but no less commanding than before. "Who hurt you, Claire?"

I swallowed hard, my heart racing as I tried to pull myself together. But his eyes bore into mine, leaving me no room to hide. His grip was possessive, almost protective, as though he was silently vowing to never let go.

And in that moment, I realized something. No matter how cold and distant Evander tried to appear, there was a fire in him—a fire that burned only for me.

I scoffed in the end. I knew he was asking genuinely, but I couldn’t ignore the irony. He must have been talking about the bruises on my neck. But where was this concern before?

Had he noticed the pain I endured in the past? Had he seen how I was tormented and how I struggled to hold myself together? If he had, maybe things would have been different. Maybe I wouldn’t be so broken now.

The thought of Gloria still sent a shiver through me, a deep fear that I couldn’t shake. Even now, just remembering her words made my soul tremble.