From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 176

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Jade said, her voice dripping with indifference as she stepped past him.

"I don't know who you were trying to impress by putting her in that asylum in the first place, but given your history, it was only a matter of time before you brought her back. All this back-and-forth is exhausting. If you ask me, you should just divorce me and marry Amara already. That way, no one can get in the way of your precious little family."

Hudson's face darkened at her dismissive tone, and he stepped toward her, his presence looming and heavy.

"If you had seen Amara before all of this, you wouldn't be saying that! She used to be poised, proud... and now you've driven her to this. Don't you feel even a shred of guilt? Everything I'm doing is to atone for what you did to her, yet you won't give me even an ounce of understanding.

"Jade, don't you think you're taking this drama a bit too far?"

Jade realized that sometimes, when a person reached a certain level of disbelief, the only thing left to do was laugh.

She stepped right back into his space, her eyes flashing with a cold, sharp light.

"Hudson, I'd like to ask you something. You told me you'd 'reconsider' how to help Amara, and then the next second you're playing happy family with her. And now you're calling me dramatic? What the hell do you actually want from me?"

Hudson frowned, about to argue that he was just being objective, but Jade cut him off.

"Besides, you say I don't understand you? I understand you perfectly. You and Amara... well, a leopard doesn't change its spots. I see right through you. How much more 'understanding' do you need?"

Hudson's face twitched. He opened his mouth, then closed it, looking like he was one word away from exploding. He took several deep, forced breaths before he finally spoke.

"Jade, you're being so bitter that it's impossible to talk to you. Everything I'm doing for Amara is partly to make up for your mistakes—believe it or not! I'm not coming back tonight. You stay here and reflect on how you speak to people."

With that, he turned on his heel and headed toward the other villas.

There was no doubt in Jade's mind that he was going straight to Amara. She watched him go, a sharp mockery in her eyes, but she didn't say a word.

Back inside, Jade went into the guest room and arranged the sunflowers in a vase.

She looked out the window at the clear, cloudless sky, and felt a strange sense of peace settling over her.

She sat on the edge of the bed, pulled out her phone, and booked the earliest flight to Riverdale for the day after tomorrow.

The decision to end the pregnancy had been solid since the moment she made it.

Hudson's behavior today only confirmed that she was doing the right thing.

He would always find a million reasons for Amara, and a million ways to blackmail Jade.

If she kept this child, it would only become a tool for him to force her into accepting his sordid dynamic with Amara.

Better to end it now, she thought.

The ticket was booked. The second she had her mother's ashes, she would fly to Riverdale and disappear. She wouldn't give the Walters or Hudson another chance to threaten her.

Buzz, buzz—

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