Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 302: Is Nathaniel divorcing Zara?

Chapter 302: Is Nathaniel divorcing Zara?
"All these years, she has stayed right by your side—supporting you, caring for you, and carrying the burden of your work. She followed you like a shadow, always there. And yet, you never noticed. You never realized how deeply she loved you."
Zara’s words left Liam shaken to his core.
’Is she really talking about Edith?’ he wondered, disbelief swirling in his mind.
When she saw the confusion still written on his face, Zara finally said the name aloud. "It’s Edith."
Liam felt as if a bomb had gone off inside him.
Edith?
She had been with him since the very beginning of his career in fashion design. Not just as an assistant, but as someone who stood by him when he needed it most. When he was alone abroad, she had been there through everything, sharing both the good times and the hardships.
When he fell sick, she nursed him back to health. When deadlines piled up and pressure mounted, she stayed awake beside him night after night, sharing his workload without complaint. No matter whether he was at his peak or struggling, Edith had always been there.
Yet, he had never once looked at her that way.
Perhaps his heart had grown too guarded to love again. Or perhaps, somewhere deep inside, he had been waiting for Zara all along, clinging to the hope that one day she might choose him. But now, faced with this truth, he could no longer deny how much Edith had sacrificed for him.
Still, doubt lingered at the edge of his heart. What if Zara was wrong? What if Edith’s devotion was nothing more than loyalty to her mentor?
"Are you sure?" he asked. "Did she tell you herself?"
"Edith has said plenty without ever speaking," Zara replied calmly. "I see it in her eyes. She never needed to confess out loud. Instead of questioning me, ask yourself. You already know the answer."
She tilted her head slightly and continued, "Think about it honestly. Why would she devote so many years of her life to you? She never left your side. She never dated anyone. Do you really believe no one approached her? She is beautiful, intelligent, and independent. If she wanted to, she could have settled down long ago. But she didn’t. She chose to stay with you—waiting, hoping that one day you’d finally see her."
Liam shifted uneasily in his chair, his thoughts in turmoil. He was still struggling to digest everything.
"I don’t know," he muttered. "I always saw her as a friend... a junior. I—I’ve never thought of her that way..."
"There is nothing wrong with falling for a friend or even your assistant," Zara persuaded him. "She truly cares about you, Liam. Give her a chance. I know she’ll bring warmth and happiness into your life. You deserve to be with someone who loves you wholeheartedly."
At her words, Liam suddenly went still.
"You said that." His gaze locked onto her face. After a brief pause, he asked, "What about you? Are you choosing the man who loves you, or the one you love?"
Zara giggled. "Now you are turning the questions on me."
"I’m not," he replied seriously. "I’m genuinely asking. Think of it as advice I need."
She shrugged casually. "My situation is different. I know Nathaniel loves me, too. Our love isn’t one-sided."
"But it was one-sided in the beginning," Liam pressed. "And you suffered a lot because of it."
Zara nodded in agreement. "Yes. But that phase is over. We’ve both learned from our mistakes. Now, I’m ready to put the past behind me and begin again. This time, I trust that Nathaniel won’t hurt me anymore. And if he does, it’s over for good. I’ll walk away without hesitation and never forgive him."
Liam smiled reassuringly. "He won’t repeat his mistakes. He has learned his lesson."
He had seen that Nathaniel was no longer driven by insecurity or possessiveness. Zara had become his priority. For her happiness, he was willing to do anything, to go to any extreme. He was even willing to set her free.
Liam was convinced Zara and Nathaniel truly belonged together. He believed they would have a peaceful life together.
However, the situation was different with Nathaniel. This time, he didn’t go to the bar like the previous day. He was seated with his lawyer, discussing the division of assets.
He had made up his mind to transfer half of his shares to Zara, along with two villas, including the one he was currently living in.
The lawyer stared at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend the sudden urgency behind these arrangements. It felt like preparations for a divorce.
He couldn’t help recalling the call from a few months earlier, when Nathaniel had asked him to draft a fake divorce agreement to deceive Riya. Back then, Nathaniel had said he couldn’t imagine parting from his wife.
Had he changed his mind now?
Unable to suppress his curiosity, the lawyer finally asked, "Are you planning to divorce your wife? If so, do you want custody of the children? If your wife challenges it, you could opt for co-parenting."
Divorce. Custody. Co-parenting.
Each word struck heavily.
The thought of divorcing Zara made Nathaniel’s chest ache. It was a subject too painful for him to even consider, let alone discuss.
Nathaniel had no idea what had possessed him the night before to call Liam and push him toward Zara. It didn’t make sense. It had to be the alcohol, and he regretted going to the bar in the first place.
In his mind, he swore he would never touch alcohol again. Because of that one reckless moment, he had handed Liam the courage to approach Zara. And when he later saw them together, the truth hit him with brutal force. He hadn’t merely stumbled into disaster; he had jumped straight into it.
Zara had looked genuinely happy with Liam. The thought crept into his mind that perhaps she no longer needed him, that she might eventually ask for a divorce. It was entirely possible. Maybe she had already decided to move on and begin a new Chapter without him.
But Nathaniel wasn’t ready for that.
He didn’t want this marriage to end—not truly.
And co-parenting?
That was out of the question.
Nathaniel loved his children. The very idea of being separated from them filled him with dread.
"I just want to transfer some properties to my wife," he said uneasily.
He loosened the tight knot of his tie, trying to ease the tension constricting his chest. But the image of Zara and Liam together surged back. Her smile, the ease in her movements, the unspoken chemistry between them – everything seemed to declare that they belonged together.
If he hadn’t interfered in the past, Liam would have confessed his feelings long ago. And maybe Zara would have accepted him, maybe she would have married Liam instead.
It had been Nathaniel who stood in the way. Because of him, Liam had left the country and lost the courage to ever tell Zara how he truly felt.
And Zara—she had suffered with him. The love she had always deserved was something Nathaniel had failed to give. Now, seeing her with Liam, he could tell she had finally found happiness. He knew the chances of earning her forgiveness were painfully slim, yet he wasn’t ready to let go completely.
He shifted in his seat uneasily, the pressure in his chest growing heavier by the second.
"When will the papers be ready?" he asked impatiently. "I want to give her a special gift at the anniversary party."
It was his way of making amends, his desperate attempt to win her back.
Sensing his urgency, the lawyer nodded reassuringly. "They’ll be ready before the party."
With that, he gathered his documents and left.
Moments later, the door opened again, and Roberto walked in, his face grave. "Kelvin couldn’t make it. He passed away this morning."
Nathaniel frowned, the news hitting him hard.
When the police rescued Kelvin, he had been critically injured. Nathaniel had personally covered his medical expenses, hoping that Kelvin would recover. Hearing of his death left a bitter ache in his chest.
"How is Ian?"
Roberto shook his head. "He is shattered and furious. He wants Zachary. But there is still no trace of him. It’s as if he vanished into thin air."
"Zachary won’t stay hidden forever," Nathaniel muttered coldly. "He’ll surface sooner or later. I don’t want any more threats to my family. Find him and eliminate him. I don’t care how it’s done. Even if we have to involve the underworld, I’ll do that. I want him dead."
"That won’t be necessary," Roberto replied calmly. "With Ian on this, we’ll track him down soon."
He glanced down at the file in his hand before passing it to him. "These are the project details you wanted to review."
Nathaniel acknowledged with a low hum and took the file.
"While you were in the meeting," Roberto added, "Madam Gracie called. She wanted to know if you’d be coming for dinner tonight."
Nathaniel stiffened. His fingers tightened unconsciously around the file.
A part of him wanted to go, believing that Zara might be there. But another part of him was afraid – afraid that if he faced her now, he would lose control. His emotions would spill over. He feared he would act impulsively and push her further away.
Worse, she might say something he wasn’t strong enough to hear.
He couldn’t bear any more hurt. Not now.
"No," he said quietly. "I have a lot of work. You can go."
He motioned for Roberto to leave.
Roberto didn’t question him. He simply bowed his head and exited the room in silence.
Ding.
Nathaniel’s phone vibrated on the desk. He glanced at the screen and froze.
A message from Zara.
His heart lurched. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed the phone and unlocked it.
’I hope I’m not disturbing you. We need to talk. Will you come for dinner at the mansion?’
His chest tightened instantly.
Talk.
His mind leapt to the worst possibilities. Maybe she wanted to talk about divorce. Maybe she would say she was going to start over with Liam.
Nathaniel’s whole body pricked with uneasy chillness. He wasn’t ready to face her. He wasn’t prepared to let go yet. There was still a faint hope in his heart that he would be able to stop her from giving up on him.
He typed: ’Not tonight. I still have work to finish. We’ll talk at the party.’
A few seconds later, her reply appeared. ’See you at the party then.’