Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain
Chapter 153: THE WOUND WAS BLEEDING AGAIN

Chapter 153: THE WOUND WAS BLEEDING AGAIN

Denzel weighed his options, his business acumen taking precedence over emotions. He realized the divorce could lead to complications between their two families, disrupting alliances built over time. The profit margins, the relationships, and the reputation of the company were all on his mind.

"I can’t guarantee that I will be able to convince her to speak with you, especially if she has made up her mind," Denzel said, his voice steady but strained.

"I just need a chance to explain myself," James pleaded, his tone earnest. "She deserves to hear my side. I don’t want this to end without giving it one last try."

After a heavy pause, Denzel finally said, "I will think about it. But you need to be prepared for the possibility that she might not want to see you."

James nodded, acknowledging the weight of the situation. As much as he feared losing Laurel, he had no other choice; all he could do was hope that Denzel would be able to let him see Laurel again.

"Do you think by talking with you, Laurel will change her stand?" Denzel looked skeptical.

"Yes, I am sure," James replied with conviction. "As long as she comes here, as long as I have a chance to talk with her, I believe I can convince her. I know she is still hurting from what I have done, but I know she still loves me. We just need to talk it out."

Denzel signaled to Ema to fetch his phone.

Ema stood up to comply, feeling a mix of frustration and annoyance as she did so. Denzel, who seemed increasingly reliant on her for simple tasks, had shifted her identity from a wife to a caretaker.

It wasn’t an easy transition, and often Ema found herself praying he died quickly.

When Ema handed Denzel his phone, he immediately dialed Laurel’s number. "I want to mend things between us. I need you to come here," he stated directly without any preamble.

On the other end, Laurel felt a mix of skepticism and surprise when Denzel was actually the first one who reached out to her.

Considering how stubborn he was, it was unusual for him to extend an olive branch. But before she could respond, Denzel heard another’s voice in the background.

"Who is there with you?" Denzel asked, noticing someone else’s voice.

"It’s Carl," Laurel replied.

Carl just asked Laurel what she wanted to eat since he noticed she hadn’t eaten anything since this morning.

"Good. Great. Bring him here. We can talk about everything over dinner."

Laurel contemplated his offer for a moment.

But she had a lot on her plate already, and maintaining a feud with her father wouldn’t help her situation at all. If Denzel were willing to support her, especially during this tumultuous time, it could make a significant difference.

"Alright, I will come," Laurel finally said. There was a flicker of hope that perhaps this evening could lead to something good; she desperately needed that.

Laurel agreed to come back home because Denzel told her he wanted to discuss the whole situation. It was very rare for her father to relent, and she was sure it would take a long time before the two of them could speak again, especially after how she had insulted Ema.

However, from the look of it, her father had a sudden change of heart.

Laurel brought Carl, who was anxious about being left alone, along. He would panic a little whenever Laurel was out of his sight, fearing he would be abandoned once more.

Little did she know, her decision to return home backfired. The moment she stepped into the house, she sensed that something was amiss; it felt like a trap. The situation grew even more uncomfortable when she noticed James was there.

"Laurel," James called out, breaking the silence.

She stood frozen at the entrance, Carl by her side, while James was aware that Carl was with her, which explained why he had stopped looking for him. Denzel had confirmed that when he communicated with Laurel earlier.

Carl, too, was taken aback to see his father there. He glanced nervously between Laurel and James. Meanwhile, anger surged within Laurel at the realization that she had been tricked by her own father into coming here just to face James.

"Laurel, we need to talk about this. You can’t just divorce me like this. There are so many things we need to discuss," James pleaded.

Laurel shook her head, taking two steps back. She was ready to flee from this house, vowing never to return after her father’s betrayal.

The disbelief washed over her; she couldn’t believe her own father would stoop so low as to orchestrate this manipulation, bringing her here under false pretenses to ambush her with James.

"Laurel, please. We need to talk about this," James implored as he stepped closer to her.

However, Laurel growled in response, "No. Step back. I don’t want to talk to you."

With desperation, James continued, "Laurel, I have ended things with Amelia. From now on, it will just be the three of us again. Remember how happy we used to be?"

"Yeah, you ended things because she cheated on you, didn’t she?" Laurel scoffed bitterly, "Yes, we used to be happy. Until your betrayal. The two of you." She noticed Carl flinch at her words from the corner of her eye.

She hadn’t intended to bring it up like this, but the pain was still too raw, and both James and Carl felt like salt in her wounds. Wasn’t it enough that they had hurt her?

The sight of them was a constant reminder, and she couldn’t heal with them around.

"Laurel," James pleaded, his voice growing more strained.

"I don’t want you to be here. I don’t want to see you," she shot back, her resolve hardening. "If you have anything to say, say it to my lawyer." With that, Laurel turned around and hurried towards her car.

The wound was bleeding again.