THE LOST HEIRESS RETURNS AFTER DIVORCE
Chapter 79: Back Where She Never Wanted To Be

Chapter 79: Back Where She Never Wanted To Be

Heather rolled one of suitcases toward the entrance of the house, her pace was slower than usual.

Every step towards the entrance felt heavier than the last. She had packed up everything—her things, Alex’s too. There was no turning back now.

Except when Caius asks for a divorce soon.

Marcus walked beside her, carrying the heavier bags while a few of the estate maids moved back and forth, transferring her belongings into the house.

"Mrs. Thorne, where do you want this to go?" one of the maids asked, her arms wrapped around a large suitcase.

Heather barely looked up. "Second floor. The guest room."

It was where she’d stayed the last time she was here—she assumed nothing had changed.

But the maid hesitated. "That’s the guest room," she said quietly, glancing down, as if she wasn’t sure she should’ve spoken at all.

Heather didn’t have time to respond, because just then, the doors opened and the Thorne family began coming out to greet her.

Amaranth came out first. His arms opened for a gentle hug. "Welcome."

Heather nodded politely, letting herself be pulled in for a brief embrace.

"Where’s the little one?" Amaranth asked, peering behind her.

Heather turned toward the car. Caius was just stepping out, carrying Alex carefully in his arms. The bandages around his head were still visible.

It had only been a week since the surgery, and the doctors had made it clear—no sudden movements, no walking on his own, not yet. He needed time, everything had to be done gently.

Estelle rushed toward him, gasping softly. "Oh, he looks so lovely."

They crowded around him almost immediately, taking turns pinching his cheeks and planting kisses on his face. Alex didn’t seem to mind. He smiled shyly, clearly enjoying the attention.

Heather just stood to the side, watching.

One of the triplets, Lily, wrapped her in an unexpected hug. "Hello, Heather."

Then another one, Lila, chimed in, smiling wide. "It’s been so long."

Heather blinked. It had barely been two weeks, but if that was what they called a long time, she wasn’t going to argue.

"You should settle in," Estelle said with a smile. "We have a surprise for you."

Heather had never seen her smile, so it was a bit strangled seeing it for the first time.

Estelle turned to the maid still holding Heather’s suitcase. "Take that to Caius’s chambers."

"Wait," she said. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to stop the maid mid-step. "I don’t get a room?"

That question changed the air around them. Suddenly, everyone was still. They were all looking at her, and blinking, like she had just said something shocking or inappropriate.

"You’re married," Estelle said, as if that explained everything. "It’s only right that you stay with your husband."

Heather tilted her head. "I know how marriage works. But what if I want my own room? My own privacy?"

It was as if the tension doubled. Because no one spoke. They just stared at her like she was being unreasonable. Like asking for space was a betrayal of something sacred.

They didn’t understand, and maybe they never would. She wasn’t doing this for love. She wasn’t doing this because she wanted a husband. She was doing this for Alex—and only for Alex.

And if Caius thought for one second that she was going to play house with him and make this marriage feel real, he was sorely mistaken.

Caius placed a resting hand on her shoulder with that practiced calmness he always had.

"Mother, Heather is just joking," he said smoothly.

There was relief on Amaranth’s face, as if someone had just lifted a weight off her chest.

The rest of the family relaxed a little, their smiles returning as they slowly turned and headed back inside, giving them space.

Heather didn’t say anything as Caius began carrying Alex up the stairs, following the maids and the luggage.

Once they reached the room—his chambers—she hesitated at the doorway. The maids finished unloading everything, then left quietly, shutting the door behind them.

She looked around. The space hadn’t changed. It was grand, elegant, too big. She never liked places that felt like museums. Now, this would be her space... shared with him.

She didn’t understand why they had to stay here, in this house, with his family. She had assumed they would be going back to the house they once lived in, the quiet one on the edge of the city. Not this.

She watched as Caius carefully laid Alex on the bed.

"What’s the situation with living here?" she asked, folding her arms.

Caius glanced over his shoulder. "What about it?"

"I don’t feel comfortable. This is a family house."

He nodded, almost like he’d expected her to say that. "It’ll only be a while. As heir, I’m expected to stay here—for now."

Heather pressed her lips together. She hated that word. Heir. It made everything feel like some kind of royal play, and her a reluctant cast member.

She didn’t even try to hide her disapproval. "So your whole family is living here now?"

Caius sat on the edge of the bed. "If that’s what you’re worried about, my father’s already planning to take my mother to their retirement estate. My aunt doesn’t live here, she has her family, and my sisters don’t live here. They just come and go, when it’s important."

"What about your brother?" she asked.

"Half-brother," he corrected quickly. "And do you see him anywhere?"

No, she hadn’t. She hadn’t seen Adonis when they arrived. He wasn’t among those who greeted them. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t lurking around somewhere.

She turned to the large bed in the center of the room. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

In her head, she was already arranging pillows to draw a line down the middle—his side and hers. And once the house emptied out, she planned to move into her own room.

This marriage was a formality. And nothing more. She was going to make sure Caius remembered that, every single day.