Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 293: She was fighting this battle alone

Chapter 293: She was fighting this battle alone
Gracie listened in silence, only then realizing how much Nathaniel had been doing for Zara behind the scenes.
"Zara is my wife," Nathaniel said with quiet resolve. "I would never let her career be destroyed."
Gracie saw the anguish etched across her son’s face, and it pained her deeply. Still, no explanation could fully excuse what he had done.
"I understand your intentions," she said gently. "But you were wrong. First, you never should have given Zara those divorce papers. And second, you shouldn’t have hidden your plans from her."
"Mom..." Nathaniel tried to say more, but Gracie raised her hand, stopping him.
"Zara did everything she could to protect this family," Gracie continued. "She warned us about Riya, but we didn’t take her seriously. Because of that, Riya managed to hurt us and nearly tear the entire family apart. Yet Zara never gave up on exposing her, even when no one believed her. Even when her own husband pushed her away. Still, she persisted, and she rushed to the hospital to save me."
As the memory of Zara stopping the nurse from administering the second dose of poison surfaced, tears streamed down Gracie’s face.
"She was fighting this battle alone," Gracie croaked. "You should have been by her side, trusting her, supporting her, standing with her as her husband. Instead, you kept your distance under the excuse of protecting her. But she never knew the truth. To her, the divorce was real. The hurt, the heartbreak, the disappointment—every bit of it was real."
Nathaniel was already drowning in guilt. As her words sank in, he finally grasped the true depth of the pain Zara had endured.
"We all failed her in our own ways," Gracie went on quietly. "We never truly tried to understand her. Zara gave everything she had to this family, yet we kept disappointing her. It’s only natural that she doesn’t want to come back. If this is her decision, don’t force her. Her happiness and her wishes should always come first."
"No," Nathaniel growled as he sprang to his feet. "That’s not going to happen."
Zara’s earlier demand flashed through his mind, and the idea of letting her go twisted painfully in his chest.
"I won’t let her leave me. I can’t," he grumbled. "Yes, I made mistakes. I’ve apologized, and I’ll keep apologizing until she forgives me. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. But I will never let her walk away from me."
With that, he turned and strode out of the room.
"Nathaniel, wait—" Gracie called after him, but he was already gone.
She released a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping. "I just hope," she murmured to herself, "that this possessiveness doesn’t end up hurting her all over again."
When Zara woke up again, the first thing she noticed was the gentle, sweet scent of flowers. Her eyes drifted around the room, and she found it filled with colorful daisies, each accompanied by a ’Get Well Soon’ card. Her gaze finally settled on a large bouquet placed on the side table.
Unable to resist, she reached for it. As her fingers brushed over the soft petals, they touched a neatly folded slip of paper hidden among the flowers. Curiosity stirred in her chest. She pulled it out, about to open it, when the door suddenly swung open, and Liam walked in. Their eyes met at once.
"I hope I’m not interrupting your rest," Liam said in his usual calm tone.
"No, not at all," Zara replied, setting the bouquet aside and slipping the folded note back among the flowers. "I wasn’t sleeping."
"Then that’s a relief." Liam’s eyes swept across the room, taking in the sea of daisies before dropping to the bouquet in his own hands. He, too, had brought flowers.
"These are for you," he said, offering them to her.
Zara accepted the bouquet, a genuine smile blooming on her face. She assumed Liam had arranged the flowers in the room to lift her spirits, and it had worked. Her worries and disappointment faded away.
"Thank you for the flowers," she said softly.
Liam assumed she was thanking him for the bouquet he had just given her. "You are welcome. I must say, the flowers here are beautiful—so colorful, vibrant, full of life. Don’t you think?"
Thinking he was seeking agreement, Zara nodded. "Yes, you are right. I love daisies. They always brighten my mood."
Liam gave a small nod as he settled into the chair beside the bed. ’Nathaniel, you bastard,’ he muttered under his breath. ’Trying to win her over? You did pick the right flowers to lift her mood, but this alone won’t earn you her forgiveness.’
A sly curve tugged at his lips, though Zara noticed it at once.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked.
"Ah... I just feel good sitting amid all these flowers," he replied, turning his attention back to her. "I heard you are using your parents’ house as your workspace."
"Yes," she answered.
"You could have used my office instead," he said, a trace of disappointment in his voice. "I even had my assistant clear out a large hall for you. Everything was prepared. Why didn’t you contact me?"
Zara felt slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t known he had done so much for her. She had assumed arranging a proper workspace would take time, which was why she had asked Bree to move everything to the mansion.
"I’m sorry," she said sincerely. "I ended up troubling you. The mansion is mostly empty and spacious enough to work comfortably, so I didn’t want to bother you. Please don’t take it the wrong way."
"That’s alright," Liam replied. "I’m not upset. What matters is that your work is progressing well. The location isn’t important. In fact, the Moore mansion is a good choice. Still, if you need anything, just let me know. I’m always here for you."
"I will," Zara said.
"When you recover, I’ll take you to meet someone," Liam added. "She is my mentor—my guide. I owe my success to her. The Shay Walsh everyone knows today exists because of her."
Zara’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She was eager to meet his mentor. "I can’t wait to meet her."
"Who are you going to meet?" Nathaniel’s sharp voice echoed inside the room.
Zara whipped her head and met his cold gaze, the smile on her face freezing at the corners of her lips.