Caught In His Embrace: A Second Chance Romance

"It's me," Daniel said.

Rosie froze, realizing she had blocked his number to avoid him. He must have gotten a new one.

Calling at this time meant he had received the agreement. Wasting no time, she said, "You received the papers and went through them?"

"Yeah..." Daniel sounded a bit muffled.

"Sign them and bring them with you. Then set a time to finalize it at the

courthouse," Rosie said calmly.

"Rosie," Daniel called.

"Yes?" She sounded puzzled.

"Let's meet," he suggested.

"Why?" Rosie was confused. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Yes..." Daniel said.

"Huh?" She was even more shocked. "What's wrong? I didn't ask for anything..."

"It's hard to explain over the phone. Let's talk in person." Daniel cut her off, then laughed bitterly. "Are you afraid I'll hurt you?"

Rosie fell silent-she couldn't deny that the thought had crossed her mind.

"Let's meet somewhere public," Daniel suggested. "A crowded place where you can run or call for help anytime."

She hesitated for a while before finally agreeing. "Fine, I'll choose the location." "Sure," Daniel said.

Hanging up, Rosie frowned slightly. Daniel felt unfamiliar today—unusually calm. He reminded her of the Daniel she first met: humble, gentle, and steady. Pushing the thought aside, she made her way back to Sunshine Neighborhood.

After a shower, she saw a text from Daniel. They discussed and settled on a time and place to meet.

*****

Two days later, after her shift at the supermarket, Rosie hurried to the meeting spot—a beverage shop in a busy mall. With people coming and going, it wouldn't be easy for Daniel to try anything funny.

When she arrived, Daniel had been there for a while.

"Over here." He stood and waved from a window-side seat.

Rosie nodded and walked over.

Daniel handed her a drink. "Cappuccino, no ice, less sugar."

Rosie was surprised. He remembered exactly how she liked it.

"Thanks." She took a sip and looked up at him. "What's wrong with the agreement?"

"Rosie..." Daniel stared at her, hesitating before finally saying, "Can we..."

"What?" Rosie was confused. "If it's something I can do, I'll agree." But she didn't understand-she had already walked away with nothing. What more could he possibly want?

"Can we... not get a divorce?" Daniel finally blurted out.

Rosie froze. Her gaze and smile both faltered. After a long pause, she said, "I didn't hear that wrong, did I? You said not... what?"

"Not get a divorce," Daniel repeated, his face pale. He leaned across the table and took Rosie's hand. "Rosie, I don't want a divorce. Please, let's not get divorced."

Rosie was certain she had heard correctly. However, her confusion deepened. She tilted her head, let him hold her hand, and asked, feigning sincerity, "Why?"

"Because.

Daniel furrowed his

brow, swallowing hard. "I never

vel

wanted a divorce. I never wanted us

to beapart. I thought we'd be

together forever."

Rosie couldn't hold it and laughed bitterly. Her beautiful eyes narrowed. "Are you joking? You want us to stay together forever?"noveldrama

She shook her head. Her tone was light. "Daniel Hunter, are you planning to trap me and take my life?"

"No, it's not that." Daniel panicked, shaking his head in distress. "I don't want that either. I just can't stop thinking about our wedding day..."

"Stop it." Rosie closed her eyes. "I understand. But if that's the case, we should just divorce, and everything will be solved."

"That's not a solution." Daniel shook his head. "We should be together. How can separating be the solution?"

Silence fell over them.

Rosie had heard these words so many times. They had discussed it over the years. But all she got in return were his intensified affairs and abuse.

Sighing softly, she withdrew her hand from his. "What happened on our wedding night can't be changed. To move forward, you need to let go. But after five years, you still can't. Divorce is the only path left for us."

She smiled bitterly. "Honestly, we should've separated back then. We wasted all

these years..."

"Rosie, I..." Daniel murmured.

Rosie looked at him and continued, "If we had separated back then, maybe now we could still greet each other with a smile. We wouldn't be enemies."

Daniel stiffened. His shoulders trembled slightly. "We're enemies?"

"Isn't it?" Rosie smiled faintly. "When you beat me mercilessly, you didn't just treat me like an enemy. You didn't even see me as a person."

The pain was still etched in her body and mind. Her eyes grew misty. "After everything you've done to me, you're my enemy."

Daniel was stunned. His mouth was agape, unable to speak.

Rosie shook her head helplessly. "If I'd known you would say all this today, I wouldn't have come..."

"Sign the papers. If you won't, I'll have no choice but to file for divorce." Without looking back, she took her bag and walked away.

"Rosie!" Standing up, Daniel tried to stop her, but she was already out of reach.

He stood frozen, his hand pressed to his forehead in pain and frustration. "Is there really no way out?"

In the evening, Rosie went to the hospital. "Everything's fine today?" she asked. "Yeah," Sienna nodded. She had just returned from Conner's room. "Both are doing well."

During the day, she visited Joyce in the sterile isolation room with Josiah Joyce had already woken up and was waving and smiling at them through the surveillance camera.

"How long does Joyce need to stay there?" Rosie asked.

"It depends, probably around 14 to 28 days," Sienna answered.

She then noticed that Rosie's expression seemed off. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Rosie let out a long breath and told her about Daniel.

Sienna frowned, clearly disdainful. "How shameless of him. Wasn't he the one

who beat you?"

She reminded Rosie, "Don't let your guard down. Zero tolerance for abuse and cheating. He's guilty of both."

"I know..." Rosie forced a smile and nodded. "Don't worry."