Reclaimed By My Ex-husband
Chapter 11: We are going home

Chapter 11: We are going home

Zara, still dazed by Nathaniel’s sudden appearance and confusing behavior, simply nodded and led him to the hall like someone sleepwalking through a dream. Her mind spun with questions she couldn’t find answers to.

They settled on the sofa, the air tense.

Isaac wasted no time defending himself. "Don’t take it the wrong way. As a father, I was merely trying to teach her how to speak respectfully. She insulted her mother—"

"She is not my mother," Zara interjected sharply.

Isaac’s face flushed with anger. "You! Is that how you talk to your elders?"

Before the tension could escalate further, Nathaniel chimed in, "Mr. Moore, I don’t appreciate anyone belittling my family in my presence. Zara may be your daughter, but she is my wife. Disrespecting her is no different than disrespecting me. So please, choose your words carefully, especially while I’m here."

Isaac froze, paling under Nathaniel’s steady stare. He chuckled nervously, trying to downplay the confrontation. "No, no... You are misunderstanding. I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone. I’ll be careful from now on."

He hesitated, then added, "Actually, the argument began when I asked her to speak to you about our company’s financial issues. But... she refused."

Nathaniel turned to Zara, intrigued. "Is that so?"

Though he had overheard the heated exchange between Zara and her father, he acted as though he were surprised, watching her with renewed interest.

There was something new in her demeanor—something bold, unyielding. She wasn’t the woman who once did everything to please everyone around her. This version of her, defiant and resolute, was unfamiliar and strangely captivating.

Zara felt his gaze on her, analyzing, reassessing. Her heart thudded in discomfort. She looked away, her fingers nervously twining in her lap.

"The company is in real trouble," Isaac continued. "We urgently need funds. If you could help, it would mean a lot."

Nathaniel turned his attention back to the man. "If you needed help, you should’ve spoken to me directly. There was no need to trouble Zara with it. Come to my office tomorrow. We’ll discuss what’s possible."

Isaac’s face lit up, relief washing over him. "Yes, of course. I’ll be there."

Just then, Lina returned with the coffee tray, placing the cups on the table. She settled beside Isaac, her face beaming with a sugary smile. "It’s so nice to see both of you together. Honestly, I was getting worried when Zara mentioned the two of you were heading for a divorce."

Nathaniel sipped his coffee, entirely ignoring the comment. But Lina prodded further. "So, is it true? Are you really getting divorced?"

Nathaniel set his cup down and tilted his head toward Zara. "Are we getting divorced?" he asked as if curious.

Zara narrowed her eyes at him. Her blood boiled. Wasn’t it he who started this whole divorce talk? Why was he acting now as if nothing had happened?

Nathaniel leaned back and draped an arm around her shoulders. "We had a disagreement last night," he said smoothly. "She is still upset. But no, we are not divorcing."

Zara stiffened. She immediately tried to shrug off his arm, but he held her in place, tightening his grip as if to dare her to make a scene. She shot him a death glare, but he acted oblivious.

"Zara, darling," Lina crooned, "you shouldn’t say things like divorce so casually. Every couple argues now and then. It’s perfectly normal. But that doesn’t mean you throw your marriage away over it. Understand?"

Zara gave a tight-lipped smile. Inside, her heart twisted in confusion and frustration.

Noticing Zara’s increasing discomfort, Nathaniel said, "I have work to get back to." He rose to his feet. "We are leaving. Come on, Zara." He extended his hand to her.

She paused briefly, uncertain, before finally placing her hand in his. Together, they exited the house.

Zara’s fingers slipped from Nathaniel’s hand the moment they stepped out into the open air. She turned her face away, her shoulders squared and guarded. Nathaniel stopped walking and looked at her, his dark eyes scanning her face.

"Thank you... for earlier," she said, not quite meeting his gaze. "But why did you even come? Don’t you have work?"

It wasn’t an unreasonable question. Nathaniel was always buried in meetings, glued to his phone, too busy to even return home on most nights. Her father’s home was the last place she ever expected him to show up. His presence felt strange, especially when their marriage was on the verge of crumbling.

"I needed to talk to you," he said evenly. "But you have made it clear you don’t want to see me. So I came where I knew you’d be."

Zara furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you want to talk about. You brought up divorce. And I agreed. I said I don’t want anything. I didn’t even mention Zane’s custody. It’s a clean break. What else is there to say?"

She stood firm, eyes unflinching. There was no trace of the woman who once looked at him with hope. The timid smiles, the soft-spoken words, the quiet desperation—they were gone. What stood before Nathaniel now was someone who was defiant.

Nathaniel observed her with narrowed eyes. The fire in her words, the steel in her voice—it caught him off guard. He took a slow step toward her. "So eager to leave me, aren’t you?" he hissed.

She instinctively took a step back, but her heel caught the edge of the porch stair. Her ankle twisted, and she lost her balance.

"Ah..."

Panicked, she reached out blindly, her fingers finding Nathaniel’s hand. She gripped it tightly and stumbled forward, crashing into his chest.

Nathaniel steadied her, his arms wrapping around her protectively. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts, heart pounding from the near fall.

"You just said you wanted a divorce," Nathaniel said, half-mocking. "And yet here you are, throwing yourself into my arms. Trying to win me back?"

Zara immediately tore herself away from his hold. "Don’t flatter yourself. It was a reflex. You might have heard about it in science class?"

Nathaniel stared at her, momentarily speechless. Was this the same woman who had once tiptoed around him, desperate for his affection?

"I don’t need to earn your attention," she added with cold finality. "I’ve already made my decision. This marriage is over."

She walked down the stairs, but a stinging pain shot up her leg. She hissed, bending down to rub her ankle.

Without warning, one strong arm slipped under her legs and another around her back. In a flash, she was hoisted up in the air. She gasped in shock and found herself in Nathaniel’s arms.

"What are you doing? Put me down," Zara protested, squirming in Nathaniel’s arms.

"You may have twisted your ankle. I’m taking you to the hospital." He tightened his grip around her.

"I can manage on my own," she argued, struggling to break free. "Let me go."

Nathaniel gave her a pointed look, clearly unimpressed. "Since when did you get so headstrong?"

Zara averted her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes. "I don’t need to see a doctor." She was afraid he would learn about her pregnancy.

He let out a short sigh. "Fine. Then we are going home."