My Ex Husband's Greatest Regret

Chapter 9

Caroline's pov

"Peter."

My voice sliced through Cerene’s sobs. It wasn’t loud, but it carried enough weight to thicken the air around us.

"Are you seriously going to leave me standing here after everything you just did?"

For one brief second, I thought he might look at me.

He didn’t.

His entire focus stayed locked on Cerene. His hands rested on her shoulders as if she were made of fragile glass. He helped her stand with slow, careful movements, brushing dust from her dress while whispering words too soft for me to catch. Cerene leaned into him heavily, still crying about the baby, and Peter held her with a tenderness he had never shown me in all our years of marriage.

I stood a few feet away, completely forgotten.

The night breeze slipped under my thin black dress, raising goosebumps along my arms. My cheek throbbed where his palm had struck me. Each pulse of pain served as a cruel reminder of what had happened inside the birthday venue, in front of too many watching eyes.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to preserve what little dignity I had left.

Behind me, the venue doors swung open.

Footsteps echoed.

Before I could turn, warmth settled over my shoulders.

A suit jacket.

I instinctively clutched it closed, breathing in the clean, comforting scent that came with it.

Alexander.

His large hands gently adjusted the jacket, making sure it covered my trembling shoulders before resting there for a brief moment.

“I’m sorry I left you alone in there,” he said quietly, regret heavy in his tone. “I had urgent business with the hospital board that couldn’t wait. The second I heard what happened, I came straight out.”

His eyes scanned my face, filled with genuine concern that made my chest tighten.

“Are you okay?”

I forced a faint smile, though it felt exhausting to maintain.

“I’m… managing. Thank you, Alex.”

I pulled his jacket tighter around me. The warmth seeped in, offering more comfort than I wanted to admit.

For the first time since Peter slapped me, I didn’t feel completely exposed.

That moment shattered almost instantly.

I felt Peter’s gaze before I saw it.

When I turned my head, his expression had transformed completely. The gentle concern he’d shown Cerene vanished. His jaw tightened, the muscles standing out sharply along his face. His eyes dropped to Alexander’s jacket draped over my shoulders, then to Alex’s hand resting lightly on my arm.

Something dark and dangerous flashed in his eyes.

Without a word, Peter opened the back door of his car and carefully helped Cerene inside. He fastened her seatbelt with deliberate care, closed the door with controlled force, and stood still for a beat.

Then he turned.

His long strides devoured the distance between us, shoulders squared and fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged across the backs of his hands.

“Peter…”

I barely managed to say his name.

His fist flew.

It connected with Alexander’s jaw with a sickening crack.

Alex staggered backward, nearly losing his balance before steadying himself. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, eyes hardening with fury.

Without hesitation, he swung back.

His punch landed solidly against Peter’s cheek.

The impact barely moved Peter. He simply turned his head slowly, then looked back at Alex with lethal calm.

The look in his eyes made my stomach twist.

It wasn’t pain.

It was raw, possessive rage.

“Stay the hell away from my wife!” Peter roared, his voice booming across the venue entrance.

Several guests who had stepped outside froze in place. Even the nearby security guards hesitated.

Peter took another menacing step forward, breathing heavily through gritted teeth.

“You don’t get to stand this close to her.”

Alex straightened his shirt, refusing to back down.

“And you do?” he shot back, voice steady but laced with anger. “You slapped her. You humiliated her in public. You dragged her out here like she was nothing.”

Peter’s nostrils flared.

“You don’t deserve her.”

For a split second, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Then Peter closed the distance in one powerful stride. He grabbed a fistful of Alex’s shirt with one hand and lifted him off the ground effortlessly.

Alex’s shoes left the pavement. His fingers instinctively clutched Peter’s wrist, trying to pry the crushing grip away.

Peter held him there without strain. Taller. Broader. Stronger. The muscles in his arm and shoulder flexed visibly beneath his shirt, but his breathing remained controlled.

He pulled Alex closer until their faces were inches apart.

“I’ll say this once,” Peter growled, voice low and deadly. “You touch my wife again… and I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.”

His eyes flicked toward me for a heartbeat.

*Mine.*

The silent claim hit me harder than any slap.

“She’s my wife,” he continued, turning back to Alex. “My woman. My responsibility. And you’ll stay the hell away from what’s mine.”

My heart hammered violently against my ribs.

I should have been furious.

I should have remembered the burning sting on my cheek.

Instead, something treacherous inside me stirred.

Peter had always been like this — dominating, possessive, larger than life. It was part of what made me fall for him years ago.

And part of what made loving him so devastating.

“Peter!”

I rushed forward, grabbing his arm with both hands.

He didn’t budge. It felt like trying to move a wall of solid muscle.

“Please…” I pushed harder. “Let him go.”

His grip on Alex stayed firm.

“Peter, this isn’t helping!”

I pressed my free hand against his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat beneath my palm.

His pulse raced almost as fast as mine.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Look at me.”

For the first time, his eyes left Alex and met mine. The anger was still there. So was the jealousy. The raw possessiveness.

His breathing slowed just slightly as he stared down at me.

“Peter…” I whispered again.

“Let him go.”

The tension between the three of us crackled like electricity in the night air.

Alex continued glaring at him, suspended off the ground.

Peter’s fingers remained locked in his shirt.

I swallowed hard and pressed my hand more firmly against his chest.

“Please. This ends now.”

“Keep dreaming...“ His voice echoed through. sending shivers down my spine.