My Cold-Hearted Husband Wants Me Back
Chapter 36: The Puppet

Chapter 36: The Puppet

Regina pushed a file towards Lunara. "Here, the contract."

"Contract?" Lunara who clearly did not get the meaning raised an eyebrow.

Lunara hesitantly picked up the file, flipping it open. Her eyes scanned the pages, but the legal jargon made her head spin.

"What contract?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Regina.

Regina leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs gracefully. "The contract for our company model campaign, although you refused, I strongly believed that you are the best face for our new line of cosmetics this time."

Lunara hesitated, her fingers hovering over the file. "Did you... know that I was the one who married your son two years ago?" Her voice was careful, almost unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

Regina’s expression didn’t change. "Of course, I knew." She said it so simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lunara’s grip on the edge of the file tightened. "Then why...?"

Regina let out a soft sigh, leaning back in her chair. "If I wanted to use you against Eryx, I would have done so long ago. This isn’t about him, it’s about you. You’re the perfect fit for this campaign, and I don’t make business decisions based on personal history."

Lunara swallowed. "So... it’s just business?"

Regina tilted her head slightly. "Mostly."

Naomi, who had been silently observing, narrowed her eyes. "Mostly?"

Regina’s lips curled into a faint smile. "I won’t deny that part of me was curious to see what would happen if you two met again. But that wasn’t the reason I chose you."

Lunara lowered her gaze to the contract, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on her. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this, ready to be anywhere near Eryx again. But at the same time, this opportunity... it was something she had never even dared to dream about.

"Are you sure I can do this?" There was a slight excitement in Lunara’s eyes. She couldn’t hide it. Her whole teenage years had been spent following her mother to the flower shop, helping, covering for her, and, when her mother fell into a coma, taking over the shop. She had cared for her mother and carried the burden all by herself.

Regina studied Lunara’s expression carefully, noticing the flicker of excitement she tried to suppress. "You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure," she said smoothly. "You have the look, the presence. This campaign needs someone who has a fresh look, not just another polished model with a rehearsed smile."

Lunara bit her lip. The offer was tempting, but doubt still lingered. "I’ve never done anything like this before," she admitted. "What if I mess up?"

Regina’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "Then you’ll learn. Everyone starts somewhere, Lunara. You’re strong, you adapt. And besides," she leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering, "wouldn’t it be nice to have something for yourself? Something that isn’t tied to anyone else?"

Lunara swallowed hard. The words hit deeper than she expected. For so long, her life had revolved around others , her mother, her responsibilities and that bad father. A part of her wanted to say yes, to take this opportunity and prove to herself that she could be more.

But another part of her hesitated. "I just... I need to think about it," she said finally.

Regina didn’t seem surprised. "Take your—"

Her words were cut off when the door to her study slammed open.

"What are you trying to do now?" Eryx strode in, his eyes cold with anger.

Regina leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You should learn some manners from your wife."

Eryx scoffed. "You really are something, Mom. What more do you want from my life? Isn’t it enough that you control everything? Isn’t it enough that because of you, I lost my brother? Isn’t it enough that for thirty fucking years, everything has gone your way?!

Lunara tensed, watching the exchange with wide eyes. Looking down on the floor, all she could do at that moment was stay silent.

Regina, however, remained unfazed. She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "So dramatic," she mused. "You speak as if I forced you into a life you didn’t want."

Eryx clenched his fists. "You did." His voice was dangerously low. "And now, you’re dragging her into it too? I should’ve known from the start that you already knew who I got married to."

Regina let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "Oh, Eryx, do you really think I’d let something as important as my own son’s marriage slip past me?"

Lunara stiffened at her words, her fingers tightening around the contract.

Clenching his jaw, Eryx stepped closer to Lunara. "What’s your plan? Ruining her too? Adding more puppets to your show?"

Regina’s eyes twitched slightly. "Have I ever made a decision that was bad for you?"

"You seriously asked me that question?" Eryx let out a bitter laugh. "You’re unbelievable. Our lives were never ours and you asked me if you ever made a bad decision for us?"

Regina sighed, as if exhausted by his accusations. "I did what was necessary. For you, for this family."

Eryx’s expression darkened. "No. You did what was necessary for yourself. You never cared about what I wanted, what he wanted—" His voice broke slightly, but he quickly masked it with a scoff.

Regina’s lips sealed. She continued gazing at him, unwavering.

"He just wanted to get married, to have a life with the woman he loved... and what did you do?" Eryx’s voice was hoarse with anger, his hands clenched into fists. "You fought them at every turn, made their lives hell, refused to accept her—like you always do when something isn’t perfect in your eyes."

Regina’s expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes, something Eryx didn’t care to understand.

"If you hadn’t pushed so hard... if you had just let them be—" His voice cracked, but he forced himself to keep going. "They wouldn’t have been on that road that night. They wouldn’t have been trying to run just to be together. They wouldn’t have—" He swallowed hard, his throat burning. "They wouldn’t have died."

Lunara felt the tension in the room grow unbearably thick. There were a lot of questions in her mind at this moment but she could only remain quiet.

Regina sighed, tilting her head. "So, you still blame me for that?"

Eryx let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "How could I not?"