The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 416

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Safe at Last

MARY’S POV

He had not lost his life on the street just because he chose to stand up and help me. The people who cared about me were not going to suffer permanent, tragic damage this time because of my mess

All the frantic strength that had been keeping my body upright for the past three hours vanished in a

single instant.

My legs went completely weak, my knees buckling beneath my weight like wet paper. The long hallway tilted sideways, the ceiling lights spinning in wild circles above my head. I was falling fast, my exhausted body completely giving out as the heavy strain of the entire night finally caught up with me all at once. I could feel the cold room air rushing past my cheeks, and I could see the hard floor coming up fast to hit

Marl moved instantly, reaching out his long arms to catch me before I hit the ground.

His strong arms wrapped firmly around my upper body, pulling my chest tight against his jacket. I felt the deep warmth of his body through his clothes, and I heard the steady, quiet rhythm of his heart beating right beneath my ear. His grip was firm and steady, holding me upright with the kind of effortless strength that made a person feel like nothing in the world could ever hurt them again. His hands pressed against my back, holding me completely safe.

I let myself sink completely into his warm embrace.

For a long moment, I just stood there frozen against his chest, my eyes tightly shut while my head rested over his heart. I could feel his warm breath against my hair, and I felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. I caught the subtle scent of his coat, a clean mix of cedar wood and sharp winter air. His heartbeat remained slow and steady, bringing an incredible sense of calm over my frantic mind.

I did not want to move a single inch. I did not want to step away from the safety of his strong arms. For the very first time in months, I felt like I could finally breathe real air into my lungs without feeling terrified.

Once Marl made sure my feet were firmly planted on the ground and I was not going to collapse again, he quickly let go of my waist. His arms dropped away from my back, his body taking a respectful step backward to give me plenty of personal space. The sudden loss of his body warmth left me feeling cold, bare, and vulnerable in the middle of the hallway.

Without thinking, my hand instinctively reached out and grabbed onto the dark fabric of his sleeve.

My fingers tightened around his coat, holding on tight. It was just an automatic reaction, a subconscious movement I made without even realizing I was doing it. Whenever I felt deeply anxious or scared in my life, I always had a habit of grabbing hold of my daughter’s little hand or shirt. Over the past few years, that small physical gesture had turned into an automatic habit, a reflex my body used to calm my nerves. When Elowen was just a tiny baby, I used to hold her small hand constantly whenever we stepped outside, needing that physical connection to reassure myself that she was safe and right beside me. The old habit had simply never faded away.

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Holding onto my small daughter’s hand was a completely normal thing, but grabbing onto a grown man, a man who had just held me tightly in his arms, was something completely different.

The second my brain realized what my fingers were doing, a sudden wave of deep embarrassment

washed over me.

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