Dear ex-Wife please be mine again

Chapter 164

Ethan’s POV

The car hummed softly as we drove, but something about the ride didn’t feel right. I sat in the back seat with Emma, holding a cookie Daniel gave us. I stared at it for a moment, then glanced at Daniel in the front. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight I could see his knuckles turn white.

“Go on, Ethan,” Daniel said, his voice too nice. “Eat the cookie, Is good, I promise.”

I looked at Emma, and she looked at me. She was already nibbling on hers, and I didn’t want to seem rude, so I took a small bite. It was sweet, but something about it tasted… funny. Not bad just… weird.

Daniel looked at us in the rearview mirror and smiled, but it wasn’t like his usual smiles when he came to see Mom. This one looked… forced, like he didn’t mean it. “See? Tasty, right? You kids like juice? I got some for you, too.”

He passed two small juice boxes back to us. Emma grabbed hers right away, but I hesitated. Mom always said not to take things from people without her knowing. But Daniel was Mom’s friend, right? He wouldn’t do anything bad… would he?

“Drink up,” he urged again. His voice sounded kind but also a little sharp, like he was in a hurry.

I poked the straw into the box and took a sip. It was cold and fruity, but as I drank more, my tummy felt funny. I put the juice down and asked, “Are we almost at Mom’s?”

Daniel’s smile flickered for a second, and his eyes darted to the mirror again. “Soon, buddy. Just sit tight.”

Emma piped up next to me, her hands clutching her cookie. “Will Daddy be there, too?” she asked, her voice all excited. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Daniel didn’t answer right away. He kept driving, staring at the road like he didn’t hear her. I could see his jaw clenching. Emma frowned and leaned back in her seat, looking at me like she didn’t understand either.

The car kept going and going. It felt like we’d been driving forever. I wanted to ask more questions, but my head started feeling funny. Heavy. My eyes blinked slow, and my body felt… floaty, like when Mom used to rock us to sleep in her arms.

I turned to Emma. “Emma… you

tired?”

She yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Mm–hmm… maybe the juice is making me sleepy,” she said, her voice quiet. She laid her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

Daniel glanced back at us through the mirror. “Just hold on a little longer, Ethan,” he said softly. “You’ll see your mom soon, I promise.”

But his voice didn’t make me feel better. Something wasn’t right. I blinked and tried to sit up straight, but my arms felt- heavy. My eyes fluttered shut again.

What kind of juice makes you sleep so fast? That was the last thing I thought before everything went dark.

Daniel’s POV.

The car was silent except for the steady hum of the engine. I glanced in the rearview mirror, watching as Ethan’s head lolled against Emma’s shoulder. She was slumped against the car door, her small hand still clutching the crumpled juice box. Both of them were completely out, their little faces peaceful, almost angelic.

Finally.

I exhaled slowly, the tension in my shoulders easing for the first time since I’d picked them up. It had taken longer than I’d

14:32 Thu, Dec 12 GGB.

planned, but the sleeping medicine had done its job. The cookies and juice worked like a charm.

For a moment, I let myself feel relieved. No more questions, no inore suspicious glances from Ethan. That boy had been staring at me like he could see right through me, his questions about their mom nearly making me lose my nerve.

“When will we get to Mom?” he’d asked, his voice small but firm like he already doubted me.

“Soon,” I’d replied, keeping my voice light.

But it wasn’t enough. Emma had chimed in with her own question. “Will Dad be there too?”

I hadn’t answered that one. Couldn’t. I’d just kept driving, gripping the wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. And when their little eyes had started to droop, I’d felt a weight lift off my chest.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel again, forcing my focus back to the road. It wasn’t guilt–no, guilt had no place here. This was about control. About taking back what should’ve been mine all along.

“They’ll be fine,” I muttered under my breath, barely hearing my own words over the sound of the engine. “It’s not like I’m hurting them.”

The road stretched endlessly ahead, the city lights fading into the distance. I adjusted the rearview mirror, stealing another glance at them. They looked so small, so trusting. A strange pang hit me, but I shoved it down.

This wasn’t about them. This was about Christiana. About making her see me, about showing her I wasn’t someone she could toss aside.

My lips pressed into a thin line as I took the next turn, the car gliding smoothly onto a quieter road. She’d regret the way she treated me. The disdain in her voice, the way she looked at me like I was nothing… She had no idea what I was capable of.

“This is just the beginning,” I muttered, my voice cold now, steady.

The kids shifted slightly in the backseat, their soft breathing a reminder of how easy it had been. Too easy.

I couldn’t help the small, bitter laugh that escaped me. “See you soon, Christiana.”

The plan was far from over.

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