The CEO’s Regret: Begging Her Firefighter Ex-husband

Chapter 6

Claire drove home with the divorce agreement sitting on the passenger seat beside her, the dark date at the bottom burning into her mind.

He had signed it while lying in that hospital bed, before she had even walked through the door.

A tight knot of panic twisted in her stomach, but by the time she stepped through her front door, she had already forced the fear down. She told herself Lucas was simply overwhelmed after the accident. He had nearly drowned, his leg was broken, and his pride was hurt. It made sense that he would react badly in the heat of the moment.

She tossed the folded papers onto the coffee table and sat down, refusing to pick up a pen.

Julian walked out of the kitchen with a cup of warm water. He glanced at the table, and his eyes went wide when he read the bold heading.

"Claire..." Julian set the cup down, his voice trembling with guilt. "Is Lucas doing this because of me? If our being here is tearing your marriage apart, Leo and I will pack up and leave right now. We can stay in a motel."

"You are not going anywhere, Julian," Claire said, waving her hand to shut down the idea. "If I let you pack up and leave today, it makes it look like I actually did something wrong. I promised your sister I would look after you and Leo, and I have nothing to hide. Lucas is just being stubborn."

Julian sat on the edge of the armchair, looking down at his hands with an anxious frown. "What if he really doesn't come back this time? The look in his eyes at the hearing... he seemed so distant."

Claire let out a small, confident breath, though her fingers tightened against her knees.

"I have lived with Lucas for five years, Julian," she said, trying to reassure herself as much as him. "Whenever we fight, he is always the one who comes back to smooth things over. He takes care of every small thing in this house, and he values this family more than anyone. He just needs a few days to get over his temper."

That evening, the sound of a key turning in the lock broke the silence of the apartment.

Claire immediately looked toward the entryway.

The door opened, and Lucas limped in with a folded cardboard box under his arm.

A sudden wave of relief washed over Claire, quickly followed by a familiar sense of certainty. She stood up from the sofa, smoothing her clothes, feeling like her instincts had been proven right all along.

"You're back," Claire said, stepping forward with a calm, composed smile. "I knew you would realize you were taking things too far once you had time to think. Go tear up that agreement on the table, Lucas. Apologize to Julian for how you acted at the hearing, and we will put all of this behind us."

Lucas stopped in the hallway and looked at her, his eyes flat and quiet.

"You have it wrong, Claire," Lucas said evenly. "I only came to pick up the rest of my things."

The smile on Claire's face froze. "What?"

Lucas didn't stop to explain. He limped past her into the master bedroom, setting the box down on the bed.

He opened the wardrobe and began taking down his remaining winter coats, his work uniforms, and his personal books from the nightstand.

Claire followed him inside, watching the empty hangers slide against the wooden rod. A sudden tightness gripped her throat.

"Do you really have to clear out the entire room like this?" Claire asked, her voice rising with frustration. "Do you have to take every single thing?"

Lucas placed his books into the box without looking up. "I never had much in this house to begin with."

The plain truth in his voice hit her like a slap.

She hated the quiet in his voice. If he had yelled at her, if he had slammed a door or accused her of caring more about Julian, she could have handled it. But this complete lack of anger made her feel like she didn't even exist to him.

Her pride flared up, fighting against the creeping panic.

"Fine, go ahead and pack!" Claire snapped, crossing her arms tightly. "If you walk out with that box today, Lucas, don't expect me to call you. Don't you dare think I will ever come looking for you."

Lucas picked up the box, tucking it under one arm while leaning on his cane. He turned around and met her gaze.

"I never planned on you coming," Lucas said.

Claire's breath caught in her throat. The words were spoken so plainly, without any bitterness, that she couldn't find a single thing to say.

Before the silence could stretch, the emergency radio on Lucas's belt let out a loud series of beeps.

Lucas reached down and clicked the talk button. "Team Leader Cole."

"Team Leader, we have a code red," the base duty officer said, his voice sounding tense over the static. "A severe gale is sweeping into the outer bay faster than predicted. A large passenger ship lost power near the reefs and is drifting into danger. Base command needs all senior team leaders to report immediately for a possible evacuation."

"I copy," Lucas answered right away. "I'm ten minutes away."

He released the button, adjusted the box under his arm, and started toward the door.

Claire took a step after him, her heart skipping a beat. "Lucas, wait—"

Lucas didn't pause. He walked through the front door, pulled it shut behind him, and headed down the corridor without looking back.

The click of the lock echoed in the quiet living room.

Claire stood near the entryway, staring into the open bedroom. The closet door hung open, revealing half of the space completely bare. The dresser was cleared, leaving behind only the small ring box on the side table that had sat untouched since their anniversary.

A cold, heavy silence filled the house.

For the first time in five years, the apartment felt unnaturally hollow, and a sharp sense of unease settled deep in her chest.

"Claire?" Julian called softly from the guest room doorway. "Leo woke up with a fever and he won't stop crying. Could you come help me find his medicine?"

Claire blinked, forcing herself to turn away from the empty bedroom.

She took a long, steadying breath, trying to shake off the cold weight pressing against her ribs.

‘He is just on duty,’ she thought to herself, walking quickly down the hall to help the child. ‘He has survived dozens of dangerous missions. He always comes home safely. Once he finishes this rescue, we will talk everything through.’