CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me

Chapter 196 - 159: Unwinding (2)

Naomi Shaw was hesitant. "Go abroad? But I don’t want to leave the kids for that long. Why don’t we take them with us?"

The two children were what she cared about most. She had grown so used to being with them lately that she knew she would miss them terribly if she was away for several days.

Julian Donovan disagreed. "How can we really enjoy ourselves if we bring them along?"

They were going away to relax, not to look after two kids. A family trip with all four of them would be better when the children were a little older. It wouldn’t be too late to go once Dylan was old enough to look after Joy by himself.

Right now, all he wanted was a trip for just the two of them.

Naomi Shaw thought for a moment. "In that case, let’s just go somewhere nearby. A place we can get back from the same day or the next!"

Julian Donovan had no choice but to indulge her. Frowning in thought, he said, "How about the hot springs in the nearby suburbs, then? I heard from Felix Draper that there’s a pretty famous hot spring town around here. This weather is perfect for a soak!"

"Hmm..."

Naomi Shaw thought it was a great idea. She could clear her head without being away from the kids for too long.

Once they agreed, Julian Donovan started the car. After a moment’s thought, Naomi said to him softly, "I want to go see the kids first!"

The two of them went to Jean Coleman’s place. The children were clearly being well looked after. As soon as they saw their mother, they ran over and threw their arms around her. She had missed them so much after being apart for a day and a night. ’What happened yesterday... Jean Coleman and the kids must already know, right? I wonder if it’s had a negative effect on them.’

Dylan hugged her, dispelling her doubts. "Mom, we all believe you’re innocent!"

Joy nodded along. Nearby, Jean Coleman offered a warm smile. Naomi’s eyes stung, and she nearly started crying again. Julian stepped forward, drawing her out of her sorrow. He put an arm around her and said to Jean, "Mom, I’m taking Naomi to the hot spring town to help her relax. Could you watch the kids for us a bit longer?"

"Oh, go on, you two! Leave the children to me, don’t you worry. I’d love nothing more than to spend every day with these two little ones!"

Jean Coleman laughed. Dylan, ever the thoughtful one, added, "That’s right, Dad. Just take Mom out to have fun. Joy and I will be good and listen to Grandma!"

Her two children were so understanding, and it instantly lifted Naomi’s spirits. She kissed each of them goodbye before leaving with Julian.

"She’s useless now. Take her out."

In a car moving at a steady pace, the man in the back seat gave the order over the phone. He then added a stern warning, "And remember, make it clean. Don’t leave any evidence for the police."

The person on the other end respectfully complied. The man hung up, satisfied, a cold and ruthless smile touching his lips.

As reluctant as he was to admit it, he had to: he had lost again. And this time, he’d lost spectacularly.

For the acquisition, he had gone all-in, leveraging his own pharmaceutical company, but he never imagined Julian Donovan would have SEVEN backing him.

He had never expected Julian Donovan to find that one weakness and use it to foil his plan. The thought of that weakness made the rage in his heart burn hotter. He had never possessed her so intimately, so no matter how meticulous his planning, he would never have considered that detail.

His cold eyes narrowed, filled with rage and hatred. ’Julian Donovan, I won’t let you have it your way.’

Julian Donovan and Naomi Shaw went back to the apartment first. In the bedroom, she began packing their things for the hot spring trip. But as she worked, she couldn’t stop thinking about what happened yesterday, and she sank onto the bed, lost in a daze. ’There’s so much I don’t understand. It’s not that I’m stupid, it’s that I don’t want to think too deeply about it. I don’t want to believe everyone is that evil... people like Sean Donovan, for instance.’

So many things had happened lately that made her question Sean Donovan’s character, but she’d always been reluctant to dwell on it. Yesterday, however, had left her completely disheartened. She didn’t think she had made any enemies at the hospital. She wasn’t a saint, but surely she hadn’t done anything to make someone want to harm her like that.

And Sean Donovan’s reaction was to insist on pinning the crime on her. She couldn’t understand why he would treat her this way. ’Even if I rejected him, would he really go so far as to try to have me killed?’

Seeing her sitting there in a daze, Julian walked over, sat down beside her, and gently turned her face toward him. "What are you thinking about?"

He knew she couldn’t get over yesterday’s events so easily, which was why he wanted to take her away to relax. Seeing his normally carefree girl sitting there with her brow furrowed in worry, his heart ached more than he could say.

He had hurt her in the past, but never with such despicable methods as Sean. She was a simple, pure-hearted person, and he had never wanted to tarnish that innocence. He was sure she had already realized Sean Donovan was the mastermind, and the damage Sean had inflicted on her was absolutely devastating.

"I don’t understand why he’s doing this to me."

Naomi looked at him, heartbroken. "I feel like such a failure. A failure to the point that someone wants to kill me."

Julian comforted her gently. "You don’t need to understand his methods. If you could, you’d be just as heartless as he is."

Naomi nodded and went back to packing. Julian watched her with a smile. "Don’t overthink it," he said. "Besides, your man is no pushover."

’Now that I’ve acquired the Donovan Group, even with Sean still holding thirty percent of the shares, his personality would never allow him to stay and work under me. So, in effect, this has forced him out. Without the Donovan Group, Sean will have to rely on that mysterious career of his to survive.’

’In truth, I have a pretty good idea of what Sean’s other identity is, but I have no evidence to bring him down. The man is too meticulous; he leaves almost nothing behind. But I believe the truth will come to light one day.’

Naomi looked up at him and said softly, "Having you here makes me feel so at ease."

’It’s true. I didn’t trust him enough before and never felt secure. But after everything we’ve been through recently, I’m starting to believe he’ll never leave my side. I feel more and more grounded.’

’I’m so glad I chose to come back to him, instead of... being with Sean Donovan.’

Julian smiled and squeezed her hand. She picked up the bag she’d packed, and together, they set off for the hot springs.

The hot spring town was about an hour-and-a-half drive from Wincastle. Outside, a light snow continued to fall as the north wind howled, but inside the car, the heater kept it as warm as a spring day. Julian was in high spirits and turned on the car stereo. Surprisingly, it was playing the song he’d sung before, "At Least I Still Have You":