MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE

(ARIELLE'S

POV)

The drive home was quiet, save for Maverick's intermittent curious questions. "Mommy, why do the houses seem to be following us!" He asked, pointing at the houses outside the window, with wide eyes. I smiled and leaned back in my seat "They're not following us, dear. We're just driving past them," I explained, trying to stifle a yawn.

Maverick nodded thoughtfully and continued to gaze out the window, taking in the sights and sounds of the passing objects. Mom sat quietly, tapping away at her phone.

Dwayne, on the other hand, was fixated on the road ahead, his grip firm on the steering wheel. I sighed and took out my phone, deciding to read trending gossip on blogs to kill boredom.

A few minutes later, we arrived home, and everyone alighted from the car, stretching their arms and legs. Dwayne helped with the bags in the trunk, and I asked him to come in for tea, but he declined.

"I have some important things to tend to at home," he explained, smiling apologetically as he handed me my bag.

Maverick, who was next to us, looked up at him, his eyes pleading. "Will you come with the dogs so we can take them on a walk together?" he asked, his voice filled with excitement.

Before the trip to the beach house, Dwayne asked one of his men to take the dogs to his place and tend to them until we returned.

Dwayne's expression softened, and he nodded. "Sure, buddy. I'll come with the dogs, and we will take them on a walk together," he promised, tapping Maverick's cheeks.

"All right," Maverick accepted.

As we bid him goodbye, we turned around and walked outside. It had been an incredible weekend, but it was good to be home.

Inside the house now, the next few hours we're dedicated to putting the house in order and unpacking. Mom helped sort through the bags and put away the clothes, toiletries, and gifts. Maverick was happy to help as he wouldn't stop chatting about the birthdays and the highlights of the party.

"I like that pretty woman who sang for you, Mommy. She looks like Bella," he said.

I stifled a laughter at his comparison. Hell no, Bella doesn't look one bit like Sia. But trust Maverick to compare Bella to every beautiful woman he saw. I can't blame him, his Bella was indeed beautiful.

After we finished unpacking, I fixed a

quick dinner so Dwayne and

Maverick could eat when they got back from their walk with the dogs. I made pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs and set the table with fresh table linens.

As promised, Dwayne came with the dogs, and he and Maverick went on a walk together. While they were away, I went through my business progress in my absence through the report Stephen had sent earlier. I sat at my desk, sipping coffee as I

serolled through the reports on my

laptop.

I planned my schedule for the next day, as I intended to resume work. I made a to-do list and set reminders on my phone, feeling the usual burst of energy I had whenever I was returning to work.

I finished before Dwayne and Maverick returned. We had an early dinner together, chatting about trivial topics, with my birthday party topping the charts.

After dinner, Dwayne stayed back to

build toys with Maverick and his

building blocks, after which he bid his goodnight and left. Mom tucked Maverick into bed afterward, reading him his bedtime story as usual.

en.

I, on the other hand, bid him goodnight and retired to my room. I was resuming work the next day, and sleeping early was paramount to help me wake rejuvenated and ready for work.

As I settled into the bed, the softness of the sheets and the coolness of the pillow did their wonders, and I was drifting off to sleep in no time.

*****

My alarm went off at the usual time it did every morning. Drowsily, I reached for it on the table to turn it off, but as I tried to get off the bed, I realized that I couldn't.noveldrama

My body ached like it had been hit all over with a heavy object. Every muscle, every joint, and every fiber seemed to be screaming in protest.

I tried to sit up again, but a wave of dizziness hit me, forcing me to lie back down. My throat felt sore, and my nose was stuffy. I could feel the familiar tinge of a cough building up in my chest. "Oh, no," I whispered to myself, realization dawning on me. "I hadn't fallen sick, had I?"