MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE
Finding common ground.

(ARIELLE'S POV)

"Can we talk?" Dwayne's deep voice came through the phone.

I paused for a moment, before responding, "Sure."

"I don't mean at your place. At a restaurant or somewhere outdoors."

"That's fine," I responded.

"Alright, I'll come pick you up in two hours."

"Alright," I said, and the call ended.

I sighed and dropped the phone on the couch beside me. Since our last argument, my friendship with Dwayne had been quite distant. He still called to check in on me, and Maverick, but he didn't visit in a week.

Now, I wasn't mad at him as his actions were justifiable, but I couldn't blame myself either. He wanted more than I was willing to give at the moment.

I missed him though, and wanted to iron things with him which was why I had agreed to go out with him.

"Hey, baby, I'm going out for a bit," I called out.

Maverick, who was playing with his toys a few meters away from me, looked up. "Where are you going, Mommy?"

"I have an errand to run," I said quickly. There was no way I was going to tell him that I was meeting with Dwayne, else he would cry to tag along.

"Will Jessica come over?" He asked after his nanny.

"Yes, I just got off the phone with her. She'll be with you while I'm away."

Maverick nodded and returned to playing.

I walked to my room, had a quick shower and got dressed. I chose a simple, yet elegant dress. I didn't want to impress Dwayne, but I wanted to look good and confident.

As I finished getting ready, the doorbell rang. It was Jessica, Maverick's nanny.

"Hey, Jessica," I said, letting her in.

"Hi, Arielle," she responded. "Don't worry, Maverick and I will have fun.

I smiled, grateful. "Thanks," and then I turned to my son. "Come give Mama a goodbye hug."

He scurried to his feet and threw his weight around me. I hugged him back before heading out.

Dwayne was already waiting for me, leaning against his car. He looked good, as always.

"Hey," he called, opening the car door for me.

"Hi," I replied, sliding into the passenger seat. The familiar scent of his cologne filled the car, making me feel strangely at ease.

"So, where do you wanna go?" He asked, after he got behind the steering wheel.

"I don't know. I think I'll let you call the shots."

"If that's the case, I think I have somewhere in mind."

"Let's go there then," I said.

The drive to the location was quiet, right only occasional small talk. We soon pulled up at a restaurant, and Dwayne led me to a cozy outdoor table.

"I'm glad you agreed to meet despite me being a jerk this past week," Dwayne began, as we got settled in our seats.

"It's fine. I wanted to talk too," I said.

He nodded. "I know I overreacted the last time. I'm sorry."

I took a deep breath. "I understand

why you did. But I need time, Dwayne. And I hope you can understand me, my comrade." I blinked and continued, "My decision to go back there is not to seek revenge or settle old scores. just... want to finish what I started and prove to myself that I can do it. On my own."

For a moment, Dwayne was silent, he looked at me deeply and for the first time since we've ever met, there was a surprise in his eyes. "...I hadn't realized that was your focus. Look Ari, I'm really sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn't handle this on

your own."

I smiled, my tone firm but calm. "I know you care about me. But you should know I've made it through a lot and I'm strong enough. Look, I'm a divorced single mum! I mean, what else can beat me? Besides, my manager and my customers already missed me." He finally laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "Then I guess New York is really honored to have its Queen return!"

"Thank you," I said softly.

Dwayne reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small box and sliding it across the table toward me.

I stared at it, confused. "What's this?"

"Open it."

Curiosity piqued, I lifted the lid. Inside was a stunning butterfly necklace, the delicate wings adorned with tiny diamonds that shimmered under the light. My breath hitched-this wasn't just any necklace. The craftsmanship, the clarity of the stones... It was exquisite.

"Dwayne, this is..."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said, smiling at my reaction.

"It's beyond beautiful. Where did you even get something like this?" I frowned slightly. After spending three years with Jared, I had a good sense of luxury items, and this was no ordinary piece of jewelry. Dwayne chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. "Secret."

I raised an eyebrow, trying to piece it together. "You didn't get this from a jewelry store, did you?"

Dwayne looked at me and clearly got the signal that there's no way I would accept it if he didn't give a reasonable explanation. He sighed and said, "Alright nothing could hide from you I should've known that."

"I got it from my new boss who's a jewelry collector... You know as much as I would have wanted to go with you, I can't. I got a job offer at a large restaurant to be their head chef -"

"Wow!" I exclaimed, cutting him short. "And you didn't tell me?"

He smiled. "The offer just came in today."

"Alright, you're forgiven," I said, grinning. "You're taking it, aren't you?"

"Of course, I am. It's like the second-largest restaurant in Italy. I could say I have made a fortune with my cooking." His emerald eyes twinkled with mischief.

"I'm so happy for you!" I said, genuinely excited.

"Thanks, so take this necklace and,

back to our conversation- I won't be going with you, but I'll always be with you'll always support tin anyway I can. I have little businesses in New York, and I'll always return from time to time. Whenever you need me, all you have to do is call, and I'll come running to you.