Chapter 248. Chaos

Lara’s eyes fill with tears. "Chris, I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted things to be like this. But you can’t punish the boys for my mistakes. They’re innocent in all of this. Please, just tell them you were joking. They don’t need to know the truth."

Chris narrows his eyes, considering her words. "And what do I get in return, Lara? You think you can just ask me to lie to them and everything will go back to normal? No. If I’m going to do this, I want something in return."

Lara’s heart sinks as she sees the resolve in his eyes. "What do you want, Chris?"

He takes a step closer, his voice low and firm. "I want things to go back to the way they were. I want us to be a family again, to be together the way we used to be. And that includes us being intimate, Lara. I want to feel like I’m your husband, not some stranger living in the same house."

Lara recoils slightly, her mind racing. This isn’t a request—this is an u