All Chapters of ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND : Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Before he could say anything else, his phone buzzed on the table. His heart hopped as he saw her name streak on the screen. “It’s her,” he said, his voice scarcely over a whisper. Marcus looked back at him. “You gonna reply to it?” Haven gazed at the phone for a long minute before at last picking it up. “Yeah,” he murmured. He swiped to reply, bringing the phone to his ear. “Hello?” “Haven,” her voice came through the line, delicate but cold. It made his chest fix. “We got to talk.” “We’ve been needing to talk for a long time,” he said, his voice firmer than he anticipated. “You’ve just been dodging it.” “I haven’t been dodging anything,” she shot back. “I’ve been giving you space to process.”Space to process?” Haven felt his outrage flare. “You dropped a divorce letter in my lap, left me for another man, and now you need to talk about space?” She moaned on the other end. “This isn’t about him, Haven. It’s about us. We haven’t been great for a long time, and you know that.” “Y

Haven, , found himself pacing his loft, the reality of the circumstance hitting him harder with each walking step. The games , the posturing, it had all been for nothing. He had gone through so much time trying to protect his pride, trying to come out on top, that he hadn’t taken note of what was slipping away. His family, his sense of peace, it was all disintegrating, and now, standing in the destruction, he didn’t know how to settle it. He thought of calling Alexis, but the thought felt pointless. What would he say? “Sorry”? “Let’s try again”? It was late for expressions of remorse, late for second chances. They had gone far down this way to turn back now. But even so, Haven couldn’t help but ponder what might have happened if they had just talked, really talked, before things spiraled out of control. In case they had put aside the outrage, the resentment, the pride, and attempted to discover a way to meet in the middle. Perhaps they could have saved their marriage. Possibly they m

"Since it's unavoidable. All you're doing is dragging it out, hoping something changes. But nothing’s getting to change, Haven. This is happening." He sat forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "I’m not signing anything until I’ve weighed all my choices." Alexis's eyes flared for a minute, deceiving her dissatisfaction, but she quickly regained control. "You’re hurting yourself more than anybody else by doing this. You think your business isn’t suffering since all this dramatization? People are as of now talking, clients are pulling out. You’re going to end up with nothing." "I'll take that risk," he said calmly, in spite of the fact that his voice had an edge to it. "This isn’t about business, Alexis. Typically about making sure you don’t walk away considering you'll be able to steamroll over me." Her lips fixed, and she looked up. "Fine. Play your small games, Haven. But just know that when this is all over, you're going to regret it." She turned strongly, her heels resounding th

"Great. I’ll be here when you’re done. Call me." Vanessa hung up, leaving haven alone with his thoughts once more. He pushed open the car door, the cool evening air hitting him as he stepped out. His feet felt like lead as he walked towards the front yard, each step heavier than the last. With a temperamental hand, he knocked on the door. The door swung open, and there she was, Alexis. The lady he had loved for a long time, the woman he had built a life with, presently standing before him, looking startled and awkward. "Haven," she said, her voice bound with surprise. "What are you doing here?" He could hear the tremor in her voice, the uncertainty. She wasn’t expecting him. Great, he thought. She shouldn’t have. "We got to talk," Haven said solidly, venturing inside before she might dissent. The scent of supper floated from the kitchen, but the warmth of the home felt strange to him now. This wasn’t his house any longer, not truly. Alexis delayed, looking over her shoulder. Have

Haven jeered. “Bounced back? Do you think anybody sees me that way? Half the city watched my life disintegrate in the tabloids. I’m a walking punchline, Jade. They’ll laugh me out of the room.” But Jade wasn’t giving up. “You’re still Haven . You built this company once, and you'll be able to do it once more. Don’t let her take that away from you.” Haven gazed at her, his expression softening. He acknowledged Jade’s devotion, even in spite of the fact that he wasn’t sure he deserved it. “You’re good to me,” he said discreetly. Jade smiled faintly and left him alone in the office, leaving Haven to wrestle with his thoughts. He returned to the window, observing the rain drop harder. He knew Jade was right. He couldn’t let Alexis’s betrayal define the rest of his life, but moving on was easier said than done. That evening, Haven sat alone in his house, nursing a glass of bourbon. His mind kept floating back to Alexis, her sharp mind, her irresistible chuckle, the way she could light