HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 359

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**
**Chapter 359**

Althea took a deep breath, the weight of her words palpable in the air. “She brought complete documents—official stamps, medical signatures… everything appeared legitimate,” she confessed, yet an unsettling doubt twisted within her, gnawing at her confidence.

Cale, visibly exasperated, dragged his hand down his face, as if trying to wipe away the confusion that clouded his thoughts. “This… this makes absolutely no sense,” he said, his voice laced with frustration. “Chase has never concealed anything from me. There’s no conceivable way he would have a child and keep it a secret. I know his history—especially back when he was pursuing you. No. He approached Josh first. That’s a fact.”

Lydia, seated nearby, felt a flicker of warmth at the mention of that old memory. A faint smile softened her features, a brief respite from the storm of emotions swirling around them. “He’s right, you know. Chase won Josh over before he ever cast a glance in Althea’s direction. He was truly a calculating man.”

Felicia chimed in, her voice steady but filled with conviction. “That alone proves Chase isn’t the type to abandon anyone. Especially not a woman carrying his child, right?”

Kalina nodded vigorously, her brow furrowed in agreement. “We all believed the same thing. Chase wouldn’t do that. And Selena showing up now? It just feels… wrong.”

Felicia leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper as if the very walls could hear them. “Right the night after Mommy’s funeral. It’s as if she waited for the perfect moment to deliver one more devastating blow to this family. Doesn’t it feel too suspicious?”

“Completely insane,” Lydia muttered under her breath, her mind racing with the implications. “What else did she say?”

Kalina leaned forward, her eyes wide with urgency. “Oh, I heard her mention that Chris knows her too.”

Cale’s disbelief sharpened his tone as he pressed further, “Yes, that’s true. I heard it as well. I even saw her show him a photo to back up her story.”

“And what did Chris say to that?” Cale’s voice was tense, the absurdity of the situation weighing heavily on him. How could something so outrageous even be possible?

“I think he was shocked,” Althea replied quietly, her heart racing. “He didn’t say much at all.”

Cale rubbed his temples, frustration tightening his shoulders as he wrestled with the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind. “And my family? They wouldn’t just accept this, would they?” The uncertainty gnawed at him. He still hadn’t found clarity regarding Kate Callister’s accident—why was another impossible problem suddenly thrust upon them?

Felicia sighed, her breath heavy with concern. “Aunt Riana asked for a meeting. I’m not sure when it will happen, but I doubt she wants that woman hanging around while we’re all still trying to make sense of the story she brought with her.” She paused, glancing around the room. “I could tell Aunt Riana was genuinely shaken. Who wouldn’t be by news like this?”

“If I were Selena,” Lydia muttered, her fingers curling into a tight fist, “I would’ve shown up the moment the news about Chase spread like wildfire. I wouldn’t waste a chance to let the world know Chase had another child.”

“You don’t have to say that. Daven’s practically a big brother to me,” Cale responded, his tone lightening the mood momentarily.

Althea felt a swell of gratitude. She couldn’t fathom how she would have navigated those dark days without the unwavering support of her friends and family.

“For now, I want Lydia to stay here,” Cale declared, turning to his girlfriend with a teasing glint in his eyes, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

“You think I’m a child?” Lydia huffed, her lips forming a playful pout. “Just go. I don’t feel like looking at you any longer.”

“Ouch. That hurts, Lydia,” Cale replied, feigning injury.

Kalina burst into laughter, the sound infectious. “When will the two of you stop bickering? Should we just move your wedding date up?”

Laughter echoed in the room, a brief reprieve from the heaviness of their conversation, reminding them that amidst chaos, moments of joy still lingered.