Cold Husband Burning Regret: The Divorce He Couldn't Handle novel Chapter 400

Tricia walked into the records room, files in hand, and passed them to the manager on duty. The man looked up, a bit surprised to see her. “I thought Assistant Heath usually delivers these?”

“Assistant Heath had something come up, so he asked me to drop them off for him.” Tricia offered a polite, almost distant smile. “Is Professor Aldridge in? I was hoping to speak with him.”

“He’s been out the past few days.”

Satisfied the man was none the wiser, Tricia feigned a look of realization. “Oh, I see…”

She let her gaze sweep over the busy staff around her, lips curling into a cool, measured smile before turning and making her way out.

…

At the hospital, Charlotte had just finished surgery and was walking a patient’s family through post-op instructions in the hallway.

Once the family returned to the room, she checked her phone—Assistant Heath had sent her a message.

On her way back to her office, Charlotte passed by Judd’s office door. She paused when she heard Mrs. Carstairs’s voice from inside. “No matter what, Charlotte is the Howard family’s daughter-in-law. You’re not actually interested in a married woman, are you?”

Charlotte stopped short in the corridor, lips pressed tight.

She heard Judd set his paperwork aside. “Who I care for isn’t up for the Carstairs family’s approval.”

“You can like whoever you want, that’s your business. But Charlotte is off-limits,” Daphne said, her voice growing shrill. “Our family wants a daughter-in-law with a clean background. Charlotte’s already been married, and—”

She caught herself, swallowing the rest of her sentence and quickly changing tack. “Your father would never agree to this. People would laugh at us!”

Judd barely glanced up. “You and Evander’s father had history. Of course he’d have strong opinions.”

Daphne bristled. “This is about your future, Judd!”

Judd’s patience ran thin. “I have work to do. You should head home.”

Charlotte stood rooted outside the door, stunned. Only when she heard movement inside did she snap out of it and hurry away.

Back in her office, she sat distractedly at her desk, the conversation replaying in her mind.

Judd had feelings for her?

That couldn’t be right…

Maybe Mrs. Carstairs was just imagining things?

Elsewhere, at the Apex Hotel:

“That’s right!”

Finnick gave a short, sharp laugh, turning to face her, his eyes hard as ice. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

Tricia stiffened.

He wrapped a hand around her throat, tightening just enough to make her gasp. “I may have just gotten back to the country, but I’m not so clueless I wouldn’t know what’s going on. She’s not just Evander’s wife—she’s also the Rayburn family’s long-lost daughter. And you want me to take her out for you? What’s to stop you from running straight to the police the moment you get what you want?”

Tricia struggled for air, her face flushing with panic. “I—I wouldn’t… You have to believe me…”

He released her suddenly.

She collapsed to the ground, shoulders shaking, struggling to catch her breath.

Finnick settled into a deck chair. His bodyguard poured him a drink. “You’ve been with me seven years, Tricia. Don’t pretend I don’t know you. You swore you wouldn’t betray me before—then ran off anyway. What changed?”

Tricia’s face went pale, her teeth digging into her lip as she avoided his eyes.

She’d only left because she couldn’t take the torment anymore.

“I won’t betray you again. You have to believe me,” she said, cradling her still-weak right hand. “Evander destroyed my hand. Right now, I’d give anything to see him suffer.”