Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband

Claire’s POV

"Evander!?"

I called out again as my voice felt straining against the suffocating cloud of smoke. There was still no answer. The faint sound of ash falling onto the floor filled the heavy silence. My heart raced, and I hesitated as I didn’t know where to go.

Before I could decide, strong arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me into a firm and desperate embrace.

"Evan..." I whispered, startled by the sudden contact. "You... Are you drunk?" The stench of smoke mingled with the sharp smell of alcohol made me scrunch my nose.

"I... I missed you," his voice was hoarse and was barely audible, as his grip tightened. "I really missed you."

I froze, my mind blblank, as his words echoed in the quiet room. Missed me? I didn’t know how to react to this.

I slowly placed my hand over his, resting on my shoulder. My touch was hesitant, unsure, but gentle. "I know," I finally said as my voice was soft, trembling with unspoken emotions. "I know because... I missed you too."

"Can... Can we go out and talk?" I asked, my voice shaky as I coughed, the smoky air making it hard to breathe. "I... I can’t stay here. Cough..."

Evander didn’t respond right away, but I felt his grip loosen. "Okay," he finally said, his voice softer than before. He let go of the hug but gently held my wrist, leading me out of the room.

The house was still engulfed in darkness, the faint glow from my phone’s flashlight barely cutting through the shadows. Evander’s movements were slow, and I could tell by the unsteady grip on my wrist that he was drunk.

"Where?" he asked suddenly in his voice low but filled with uncertainty.

"What?" I asked as I stopped as well. My brows furrowed, but he couldn’t see my expression in the dark.

"Where can I take you?" he asked again, his tone laced with something between confusion and hesitation.

"I..." I paused as I thought for a while about how to respond. "I don’t like the darkness. I want to see the light. I want to go somewhere... anywhere it’s not like this."

He stood still for a moment, as if processing my words. Then, with a slight nod, he tightened his hold on my wrist just enough to guide me. "Okay," he murmured, leading me forward.

We moved through the house, the silence between us broken only by the faint sound of our footsteps.

When we finally reached the front door, Evander pushed it open, and the cool night air rushed in. I stepped outside, exhaling deeply as I tilted my head up to the stars scattered across the sky.

"This is better," I said quietly, letting the fresh air fill my lungs.

Evander stood beside me, his hands shoved into his pockets, his shoulders slouched as though carrying an invisible weight. "I am sorry," he whispered, almost too quietly for me to hear.

I turned to face him as I was utterly confused. What was he apologizing for?

"Why are you saying sorry?" I questioned, my voice laced with both concern and curiosity.

"I..." Evander hesitated, turning slightly toward me, though his eyes avoided mine. He seemed to be fighting with himself for something, and his usually sharp demeanor softened so much that it seemed almost vulnerable.

Gosh, this man was clearly drunk. The moment he opened his mouth again, the strong, unpleasant mix of cigarettes and alcohol hit me. I wrinkled my nose, trying not to react too strongly.

"Let’s go inside," I said, cutting him off before he could say anything else. "You need a shower. But... there is no electricity in the house," I added, sighing as I glanced around the dim surroundings.

"There is," Evander replied, his voice low yet oddly certain. "I can fix it."

"What?" I raised a brow, looking at him skeptically. "What do you mean? What can you fix?"

"Stay here," he said with a touch of resolve in his voice. Then, without giving me a chance to respond, he turned and walked off into the dark garden.

I stood there, stunned. Just what the hell was going on? Evander, the same man who could be as cold as an iceberg, was acting all docile and obedient?? Was this the alcohol talking?

A few minutes later, I heard a faint clatter from the direction Evander had gone. Before I could decide whether to follow him, the house lit up. The lights flickered for a second before coming on fully, illuminating the whole mansion and cutting through the darkness.

Evander returned shortly after, his hair tousled, a smudge of something on his cheek, and a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "See? I told you I could fix it," he said, his voice holding a boyish pride.

For a moment, I was speechless. This was not the composed and intimidating Evander I knew. This Evander was... cute.

"You... actually fixed it?" I asked, still processing what I was seeing.

"Yeah," he replied, finally looking at me with those soft and slightly unfocused doe eyes. "I didn’t want My Claire to feel scared."

My Claire?

His way of talking and the sincerity in his tone caught me off guard. My lips parted, but I couldn’t find the right words to respond as my heart thumped inside my chest.

"You said I need a shower, right?" he continued, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I will go now."

"You... You don’t have anything you want to ask?" I asked as I looked down.

"My Claire is the best! She wants me to shower, so I will shower," Evander said as he took my hand and dragged me inside the hellish dark house a moment ago.

"Claire is here is here to meet Evan and Evan is so happy," he kept muttering as he made me sit on the couch.

Who was this version of Evander, and where had he been hiding all this time?