HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 495

Chapter 495

Eli turned her face away. Her mother wasn’t wrong. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Silvia, standing not far from them, lowered her head, choosing silence. The air in the room grew heavy. Eli clenched the edge of her towel, her fingers trembling.

“If that happens, you won’t need to hide,” Selena continued. “You should start getting used to being in front of people. Do you understand?”

Eli drew in a deep breath. “I don’t like it, Mom.”

Selena’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have a choice.”

Eli wanted desperately to protest-but she couldn’t. All she could do was stand there in silence, her jaw tightening, her fists clenched as she swallowed her frustration. Selena turned away and reached for her phone on the table.

“The Miller family wants to meet,” she said as if it were nothing of consequence. “Three hours from now. We’ll have lunch together.”

Eli looked up. “I don’t want to.”

Selena stopped typing her message. She turned slowly, her gaze sharp, leaving no room for argument.

“What did you just say?”

“I don’t want to meet them,” Eli repeated, her voice soft but steady. “Not like this, and not now, Mom.”

Selena clicked her tongue in irritation. She even rubbed her temples, trying to push the annoyance away. Then she stepped closer until only a single pace separated them. “You think you can refuse that invitation?”

Eli swallowed. “I’m scared.”

“Scared?” Selena shook her head slightly. “You should be grateful. They finally reached out to you. That means my move worked.”

“This isn’t how I want to meet them, Mom,” Eli’s voice trembled. “I don’t want to force them.”

Selena exhaled, as though holding back the last of her patience. “Listen to me carefully,” she said quietly, her tone edged with threat. “If you refuse today, everything we’ve done will be wasted.”

“That’s not ‘we,’ Mom,” Eli replied softly. “That was your decision.”

For a moment, Selena truly wanted to explode. Her eyes darkened, her stare cutting into Eli. Her breath halted for a fraction of a second, then steadied again-too controlled to be called calm. She studied Eli, as if weighing whether to unleash her anger now or save it as her next weapon.

Then her lips curved slightly. Not a warm smile, but a cold, calculating one-the kind that made Eli’s stomach twist.

“You have to come,” Selena said in a low, unwavering voice. “You must be there. Sit nicely, be polite, and show them that you’re a child worthy of being accepted.”

Eli shook her head faintly.

Selena leaned closer, her voice dropping into an icy whisper. “If you refuse, I’ll make sure all SunCity knows you’re an ungrateful child. A child who rejected her own blood.”

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Chapter 495

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Eli closed her eyes. Her chest tightened. She knew the threat wasn’t empty. Selena always kept her word-always in the most painful way.

“Please,” Eli whispered. “Don’t force me again.”

Selena folded her arms across her chest. “Go to your room,” she ordered. “Get ready. Wear the clothes I’ve prepared for you. Wipe your tears away-now. I don’t like seeing your face like that. Show a cheerful, pleasant expression. Don’t you want to meet your grandmother?”

“I-”

“Now,” Selena cut in sharply.

Eli turned away without a word. Her steps were unsteady as she walked toward her room. Every stride felt heavy, as if she were moving toward something she could no longer escape.

Inside her room, Eli shut the door and leaned against it. Her breathing came fast and shallow. She covered her face with her hands, trying to hold back the sobs that broke free again. When she looked at her reflection in the mirror -red eyes, pale face, slumped shoulders-her chest tightened.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured softly. “I don’t want to do this. I really don’t.”

A few moments later, a sharp knock struck the door.

“Don’t take too long,” Selena’s voice came from outside. “We need to arrive on time.”

Eli wiped her face and forced herself upright. She changed her clothes with trembling hands. There was nothing she could do but obey-once again. She made sure her face looked presentable. Better. Less broken

When she stepped out of the room, Selena studied her appearance closely.

“Hm…” The woman’s hand gripped Eli’s face a little too roughly, making the girl wince in pain. “At least this is much better than that gloomy expression you had earlier.”

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