Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband

302 Old Times, New Questions (Jayden)

Lance leans back in his chair, one arm draped over the back, a beer in his other hand. We're out on the balcony of my penthouse, the city stretched out in front of us like it always has been, but life looks a lot different these days. "Man, you u ever think we'd be here? A few days out from a second wedding run?" Lance asks, taking a long sip from his beer. "You with four kids, me... well, still doing whatever the hell I'm doing."

I laugh, shaking my head, "Nah. Back in college, I figured we'd be tearing it up until we were fifty, still chasing girls and getting wasted every weekend."

"Well, one of us is doing that," Lance grins, tipping his beer toward me. "You're practically a family man. Settling down with Winona. Are you sure you're ready?"

I shrug, taking a drink from my own beer. "It's been a wild ride, but... It feels right, you

know?"

Lance raises an eyebrow. "Even with all the shit that's gone down? I mean, Judy, Gus, the whole Nexus Global empire-how are you not losing your mind?"

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. "Oh, I'm losing my mind, don't get me wrong. But I'm trying to keep it together for the kids, for Winona. I can't afford to let everything fall apart again." Lance nods, quiet for a second, then smirks. "And let's not forget that little hall pass week."

I let out a breath, shaking my head. "Yeah, Winona needed space. I had to give her that. Not gonna lie, that was hard as hell."

Lance whistles, tipping his beer bottle toward me again. "You're a brave man, Jayden. I don't know who

else could've done that."

"It wasn't easy," I admit, my grip tightening on the beer bottle. "But I figured if she needed it, better get it out of her system before we tied the knot."

Lance nods, taking another long drink, but there's something off about his reaction. He's being a little too casual. I narrow my eyes at him. "So, were you clubbing during that week?" Lance freezes for half a second, but it's enough for me to catch. He shrugs, trying to play it off. "Yeah, the usual. Old habits die hard, you know?"

"And?" I press, leaning forward a bit. "You see Winona out?"

Lance glances away, swirling the last bit of beer in his bottle. "Maybe. Why?"

I stare at him, waiting for him to spill more, but he doesn't. His usual cocky grin is missing, and it feels like he's holding something back. "Did you guys talk? Dance?"

Lánce shoots me a sideways glance, his lips twitching. "We danced. I wasn't exactly keeping track of her. I was busy myself."

1 want to press him, but I don't want to come off as paranoid. Still, something about the way he's answering me doesn't sit right.

302 Old Times, New Questions

+25 BONUS

"So... what was she up to?" I ask, trying to sound casual but feeling anything but.

Lance leans back again, shrugging like it's no big deal. Just blowing off steam, same as anyone else there. She was... dancing. Having fun."

The evasive tone in his voice makes me suspicious. Lance is usually pretty straight with me, but now, it feels like he's skirting around the truth. "What aren't you telling me?" I ask, my voice a little sharper than I intend.

Lance raises his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, man. It's nothing. Winona was just having a good time. Same as me... same as everyone there."

"You're sure that's all?" I ask, pushing him a bit more. "You're not holding anything back?"

Lance grins, his usual irreverent self surfacing. "Jayden, my man, if I was holding something back, you'd know. You've got this superpower for sniffing out bullshit. But, yeah. This is between you two, and I have to stay friends with both, so leave me out of it." I'm just going to ask what's on my mind. "Was Phillip there?"

Lance shrugs again. "I never saw him that night."

"You sure there's nothing else?" I ask again, my voice lower now.

Lance smirks, standing up and stretching. "Man, stop being a buzzkill. I thought you said you were okay

with it?"

I sit up straighter, irritation bubbling under the surface. "I am okay with it, but you're acting weird. Like there's something you're not saying."

"Alright, alright," Lance says, waving me off like I'm being ridiculous. "You're overthinking this, Jayden. It was a wild night. Everyone was just blowing off steam. You said it yourself you were fine with it, so what's the problem now?"

I made a promise to Winona that I'd be okay with the hall pass, and I can't go back on that just because I'm having second thoughts now,

"Alright, yes. I'm okay with it," I finally say, standing up too. "I promised her it would all be okay."

Lance claps me on the back, his grin back in full force. "Good. Now stop worrying about it and focus on the important stuff-like walking your bride down the aisle this time without any interruptions."

I chuckle, trying to shake off the unease. "Yeah, you're right."

But as Lance walks inside to grab another beer, I can't help but replay his words in my head. Something's off. Lance usually has no problem telling me every detall of a night out, but this time, he's being vague.

ally went And the way he deflected when I asked about Phillip... it's making me think twice about what really down during that week.

Don't make this into something it's not.

303 Another Hen's Night? No