My CEO HUSBAND:sign the divorce

Chapter 257: Arrival

I knew what he was doing.

Or at least part of it.

This wasn’t entirely about the shareholders.

For the past two years, Tristin had been trying to convince me to take a break.

Every opportunity.

He always found a way to bring it up.

And every time, I refused.

Because work was the only thing keeping me sane.

The only thing stopping my mind from wandering.

From wondering where Alicia was.

Whether she was safe.

Whether she was happy.

Whether she hated me.

"Tristin," I said quietly, "the shareholders will be satisfied as long as we send capable representatives."

His shoulders sagged slightly.

A silent sign of defeat.

"I see."

He stood.

"I’ll arrange everything, then."

I nodded.

Without another word, he left the office. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence filled the room once more.

My gaze drifted toward the city skyline outside the window.

Work.

Meetings.

Reports.

Contracts.

For two years, that had been my life.

And yet...

No matter how busy I kept myself, there were still moments when the silence became too loud.

Moments when I found myself wondering if somewhere out there, Alicia was looking at the same sky.

I closed my eyes briefly.

Then pulled the next file toward me.

There was still work to do.

Alicia’s POV

After days of preparing for the upcoming partnership, I finally sent the agreement to Blackwood Dominion Enterprises.

Not long afterward, they replied, informing us that representatives would arrive soon for the final review and signing process.

Of course, I hadn’t used my personal email.

Everything had been handled through the company’s official channels.

It was better to be safe.

That evening, I received a call from the President’s office.

"You called for me, sir?" I asked after stepping into the office.

President Evan looked up from the documents on his desk.

"The proposal was well received by Blackwood Dominion Enterprises. Good job."

"Thank you, sir," I replied with a faint smile.

"You must be exhausted after all the work you’ve put into this."

He wasn’t wrong.

Balancing my usual responsibilities while handling the partnership preparations had been draining.

There had been days when I’d barely slept.

"It’s part of my job, sir," I said simply.

He studied me for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"The representatives from Blackwood Dominion will arrive in two days."

My breath caught briefly.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice.

"Since you’ve completed the necessary preparations, someone else can handle things from here for a day. Take tomorrow off."

I blinked in surprise.

"That’s really not necess..."

"I’m not taking no for an answer, Director Alicia."

His tone was firm enough to end any argument.

For a moment, I could only stare at him.

Then I nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

He simply returned his attention to the file in front of him.

I quietly left the office.

Back in my own office, I finalized the remaining paperwork before packing my things.

To be honest, I really did need the break.

The past few weeks had been demanding, and the partnership preparations had only added to the pressure.

Anna was working late, and we’d arrived in separate cars that morning, so I drove back to the mansion alone.

Just thinking about spending the evening with Aimy made me smile.

Somehow, the exhaustion already felt lighter.

When I arrived, Aunt Veronica was sitting in the living room.

"Alicia, you’re back."

"Yes, Aunt. I got a day off tomorrow."

"That’s good, because you look exhausted."

"I am," I admitted with a faint smile.

Aunt Veronica laughed softly.

"Anna is going to be furious."

I couldn’t help laughing too.

She was the only one still working today.

"I’m sure she will."

My gaze wandered around the room.

Aunt Veronica seemed to understand what I was looking for.

"She’s in her room drawing."

"Oh."

"She insisted on staying there today, so I asked Agnes to keep an eye on her."

"I see. I’ll go check on them."

"Alright."

I immediately headed upstairs.

Even before reaching Aimy’s room, I could hear her cheerful voice through the door.

A smile spread across my face.

I turned the knob and stepped inside.

The sight that greeted me immediately softened my heart.

Aimy was sitting on the floor surrounded by drawing books, crayons, and sheets of paper. Agnes sat beside her while listening patiently to whatever story Aimy was telling.

The moment Aimy saw me, her entire face lit up.

"Mummy!"

She jumped to her feet and ran toward me.

I crouched down and opened my arms.

She practically launched herself into them.

"Did you miss Mummy?" I asked while stroking her dark hair.

"Alot!"

I laughed.

"Mummy, will you draw with me?"

"Of course I will, baby."

I kissed her cheek, and her smile immediately widened.

Agnes stood and quietly excused herself, leaving us alone.

Aimy grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her little drawing corner.

"Mummy, can you buy me new crayons?"

I looked down at the mountain of crayons already scattered around the floor.

"But you already have so many, baby."

"Yes, but it’s not complete."

I tried not to laugh.

"Alright."

Her eyes immediately brightened.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Tomorrow?"

I sighed dramatically.

"How about we go get them tomorrow?"

She nodded so enthusiastically that her curls bounced.

"Okay!"

I settled beside her on the floor.

For the next hour, I simply watched as she drew.

Every few minutes she would point at something on the page and explain it in her little toddler voice.

Some of the drawings made no sense.

Others somehow looked exactly like what she was trying to draw.

But she explained every single one with complete confidence.

And before I knew it, all the stress from the day had disappeared.

For that moment, sitting on the floor beside my daughter with crayons scattered around us, the partnership, the pressure, and everything waiting for me at work felt very far away.

<<<<<<>>>>>

The next day, Aimy and I left the mansion after breakfast and drove to the town mall to buy her crayons.

"Is this all you need?" I asked after noticing she’d only picked a few packs.

"Yes, Mummy."

"You sure? Won’t you need new drawing books or pencils too?"

She shook her head immediately.

"Mummy, Grandpa got me drawing books and pencils. Did you forget?"

"He did?" I looked down at her in surprise.

She nodded seriously.

"I guess I must have forgotten."

I chuckled and ruffled her hair.

After paying for everything, we returned to the car and started driving back toward the mansion. freewebnoveℓ.com

"Mummy, will we draw together when we get home?" she asked from the back seat.

"Of course, baby."

My eyes remained on the road as I answered.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

The caller ID showed Helen.

I immediately picked up.

"Hello?"

"Director Alicia, we have a problem."

My brows furrowed.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

There was a brief pause before she answered.

"The representatives from Blackwood Dominion have arrived. They’re on their way to the company right now."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

I nearly missed the turn.

"I thought they were supposed to arrive the day after tomorrow."

"So did we, ma’am. We only received the notice a few minutes ago."

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

"I’ll be there immediately."