The car was quiet again—too quiet.
Kian exhaled lightly, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel, feeling the weight of unspoken words settle between them.
Then—he broke it.
"Regret it now?"
Chloe blinked, gaze flickering toward him.
Then—carefully, deliberately—she responded.
"Which one?"
Kian's jaw tightened slightly.
She knew. She knew exactly what he meant.
But instead—she gave him the easy answer.
"Divorce?"
Her tone was controlled. Detached.
Then—without hesitation—she added,
"No."
Kian inhaled slowly, letting the answer sit.
Then—quieter, edged with something unreadable, something deeper—he asked again.
"How about walking away?"
Chloe stiffened slightly.
And Kian? He didn't hide it—the flicker of sadness in his eyes, the unshaken truth that it still hurt him.
She exhaled, adjusting her posture, gaze turning toward the window.
"No, I don't think so."
A pause.
Then—finality in her tone.
"I learned a lot. Established myself. And I had Carter."
The words sat between them—a statement of closure, a reminder that she had never truly lost.
Kian exhaled, slow, measured.
And yet—his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.