After hanging up, she took a slow, deliberate look around the house. A pang of reluctance gripped her chest.
This house had been her home for six years.
What had begun as a marriage of gratitude had, over time, blossomed into something deeper, something real. The bond she had built here made the thought of leaving sting more than she had ever anticipated.
But she pushed the feeling aside. It was best to part on good terms, especially now that her decision was made.
In the stillness of the night, she awoke parched and went to pour a glass of water. As she passed the living room, she noticed the bathroom light was still on and instinctively turned it off.
The sudden, sharp scream of a woman shattered the silence, leaving her frozen in place.
Moments later, the sharp click of the living room light echoed through the silence. Raiden stepped in, his eyes narrowing as they landed on her.
“What are you doing out here?”
Perhaps realizing the harshness of his tone, he softened it, though not by much. “The child is already asleep. What if you woke him?”
Before she could respond, the bathroom door creaked open.
Out stepped Norella, clad in a white bathrobe, her hair still damp, her face flushed from the warmth of the shower.
Without a second thought, Raiden grabbed a coat from the sofa and draped it over her shoulders.
“Norella’s power went out. I brought her over. You don’t mind, do you?”
Astrella felt the weight of his words, cold and dismissive. He wasn’t asking for permission; he was claiming his ground and asserting himself as the one in control.
He didn’t need her approval. He never had.
Their son, Reaghan, emerged from his room and the Ultraman toy was clutched tightly in his chubby fingers. His small hands rubbed at his eyes with an air of impatience.
“Dad, Aunt Norella, what are you doing here? I’m still waiting for you to tell me a story.”
Without even sparing a glance at Astrella, he turned and shuffled back toward his room.
Through the narrow crack in the door, his voice floated back, whiny and demanding. “Hurry up!”
“Aunt Norella, hurry up! I’m waiting for you!” Reaghan called eagerly, his voice filled with impatience.
Raiden cleared his throat, his voice cracking slightly, a flicker of panic flashing across his eyes.
“Norella’s just telling a story to the child, so…”
He trailed off as though scrambling for the right words.