Chapter 75

MAXWELL'S POV

Hannah darted upstairs before I could say another word, her excitement catching me off guard. The woman who barely gave me the time of day anymore, the woman I had kept at a calculated distance for so long, was now bubbling with enthusiasm at the simple mention of going out. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but for some reason, I didn’t mind. It was... nice.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. I hadn’t planned for this. I wasn’t exactly the type to whisk my wife away for a day out. Our relationship was… complicated, to say the least. But today? Today felt different. Maybe it was the way she looked at me when I made the suggestion. Maybe it was the way her voice softened when she said, "Thank you." For whatever reason, I had said we’d go out, and I had to follow through.

Holly walked by, her lips tugging upward in the subtlest of smiles. She’d seen the whole exchange and was clearly amused by it.

“Lover boy, hm?” Holly teased, her voice light and playful.

I