Chapter 100

Tears streamed down Babette's cheeks as she stole furtiveglances at Brandon, but his eyes remained glacial, utterly unmoved by her display.

"Babette, should you desire it, you may select your position from any of the nation's premier public or private equity establishments," Brandon declared, each word delivered with surgical precision and glacial detachment. "However, that particular department remains under Bennett family jurisdiction.Your actions constitute a deliberate assault motivated purely by personal vendetta."

Babette's lips remained sealed, her eyes blazing with defiant fury as she locked her stare with his unwavering expression.

Brandon chose to dismiss her theatrics entirely.

The pieces finally clicked into place-he finally grasped the profound significance behind the "Bullfight" reference and comprehended the arctic hostility that had flickered across Millie's features before her departure.

The Bennett family/ had always commanded Millie's deepest reverence and loyalty, making Babette's calculated provocation an inevitable catalyst for her explosive reaction.

Also, witnessing Vivian's presence at the event had undoubtedly intensified her rage to unprecedented levels.

Nevertheless, Millie's decision to hurl wine across Babette's face before such a distinguished assembly crossed acceptable boundaries.

"Pack away your juvenile games," Brandon commanded, delivering his parting words with devastating finality."Remember-she holds the position of your cousin-in-lawno matter what."

Having issued his ultimatum, he pivoted sharply and strode away, abandoning Babette to her solitary rage.

Babette's composure shattered completely as she released a piercing shriek, her arms sweeping violently across the nearby table and sending its contents crashing to the floor.

Brandon navigated his path back toward his vehicle, where Vivian maintained her anxious vigil.

"Brandon," Vivian called out, her voice trembling with apprehension. "I'll make everything clear to Millie.Everything stemmed from the complications surrounding Macauley..."

Brandon could only meet her gaze with weary resignation.

"What explanation could possibly suffice?" Brandon questioned, his tone heavy with resignation. possesses no knowledge regarding the events from that period."

"The outcome was never part of my intentions... Brandon, you must believe that I never desired such consequences..." Vivian collapsed into heart-wrenching sobs, her composure completely shattered.

"Your sincerity isn't questioned." Brandon offered gentle consolation while releasing a weary exhalation. "Today's encounter represented nothing more than unfortunate timing, Vivian. I'll manage this delicate situation."

.--

Meanwhile, Millie guided her vehicle along the bustling avenue, enveloped by the amber luminescence of streetlights and the gradually diminishing urban landscape.

No particular destination occupied her thoughts as she contemplated her father's memory and yearned to spend time with Ari, though concern gnawed at her that her turbulent emotional state might cast shadows over Ari's spirits.

Her phone vibrated against the console.

Charles' name illuminated the display.

Gathering her composure like armor, Millie accepted the call.

Charles' voice erupted through the speaker, unleashing a torrent of colorful expletives. "That Brandon proves himself to be an absolute scoundrel! Escorting you to the gathering while simultaneously bringing Vivian as his companion!"

Millie recognized that Charles had initiated this conversation specifically to provide her with an outlet for her accumulated frustration regarding Brandon's latest betrayal.

"And regarding that Vivian woman! Never have I encountered such brazen audacity. My preference would be her immediate demise rather than waiting another six months!" Charles continued his passionate denunciation with an impressive arsenal of creative insults, prompting Millie to wonder whether he had enrolled in specialized courses for inventive verbal abuse.

The absurd mental image sparked genuine amusement within her, drawing forth a spontaneous chuckle.

Upon hearing her laughter, Charles allowed his tension to dissipate somewhat.

"The waiting period approaches its conclusion," he declared with conviction. "Merely a handful of days remain before you achieve complete liberation from any connections to him."

Millie directed her gaze calmly toward the illuminated roadway stretching ahead.

"Absolutely," she responded, her voice resonating with unwavering resolve.

Following several additional minutes of conversation, Millie concluded the call.

As she continued navigating through the city's nocturnal embrace, her emotional state experienced marginal improvement,though the enhancement remained disappointingly modest.

More than twenty days had elapsed since Brandon first proposed their divorce proceedings.

She had once painted vivid dreams of their shared future-strengthening the Watson Group's foundation, elevating the Bennett family's legacy, and finally unraveling the mystery surrounding her father's untimely death.

With the Watson family's unwavering support and genuine love flowing between them, every ambitious goal had sparkled with achievable promise.

Yet now, destiny had rewritten their story completely.

Babette's calculated disruption during today's event represented merely a superficial scratch on the surface, though it had managed to leave Millie's equilibrium thoroughly disturbed.

Her vehicle continued its purposeless journey through the city's labyrinthine streets.

Eventually, Millie discovered her car stationed outside the imposing facade of a luxury hotel.

Tilting her head upward toward one certain illuminated window on the third floor, she experienced a turbulent storm of conflicting emotions.

Her mother had traveled to Crobert specifically to manage Ari's complex adoption documentation and had established temporary residence within these walls.

Millie had personally arranged the luxurious suite for her mother's stay, ensuring every detail met the highest standards of comfort.

Despite these thoughtful preparations, te chasm between them as mother and daughter stretched impossibly wide.

She understood with painful clarity that her father's tragic death had devastated far more than just her own existence.

Her mother had endured equally profound devastation from that catastrophic loss.

However,circumstances and unspoken grievances had driven them to this cold impasse.

Her phone vibrated once more against the car's console.

Another incoming call demanded her attention.

Millie wrestled with uncertainty before ultimately deciding to accept the communication.

"Why don't you come up? I saw your car." Her mother's voice traveled through the speaker with characteristic directness.

Millie directed her gaze upward toward the third-floor window, where her mother's silhouette stood framed against the warm interior lighting.

"Very well," Millie responded with resigned acceptance.

Upon reaching the suite's entrance, the door swung open before her knuckles could make contact with its surface.

Her mother,Nicole Morrison, materialized in the doorway with composed dignity.

They regarded each other through a moment of profound silence, neither woman finding the courage to voice the familial acknowledgment both desperately craved.

Millie discovered herself incapable of uttering the simple word "Mom," while Nicole found her throat constricted against any verbal expression whatsoever.

Without exchanging pleasantries, Nicole guided Millie inside and positioned herself on the plush sofa,gesturing for her daughter to join her.

After an eternity of uncomnfortable silence stretched between them, Millie summoned the strength to break their mutual paralysis. "Since your arrival in Crobert, have you made the journey to visit him?"

"Yes, I have completed that obligation," Nicole replied with measured precision.

Both women understood perfectly that "him" referenced Nicole's second husband-the man she had married but eventually divorced following James' death and who now resided behind prison walls.

Millie delivered her announcement with stark simplicity.marriage is approaching its final dissolution as well."

Nicole's expression remained as unmovable as carved marble when she replied,"Very well."

Silence descended upon them once again like a heavy curtain, suffocating any possibility/of meaningful connection.

The antique clock mounted on the wall continued its soft, rhythmic ticking, marking each precious second of their strained encounter. Eventually, Nicole broke their stalemate with devastating finality. "I will personally manage all aspects of Ari's legal paperwork, so don't come back."

She was politely but firmly requesting Millie's departure.

Millie studied her mother's impassive features for an extended period before offering a single nod of acknowledgment. "I understand completely."

And with that crushing simplicity, they severed their brief connection after exchanging only the most essential words.

Before departing the suite, Millie systematically emptied her purse of every available bill and carefully placed her most treasured necklace upon the marble surface of the entryway table.

Returning to the solitude of the road, Millie resumed her aimless navigation through the city's darkened arteries.

She had harbored hope that driving without a destination might somehow lift the oppressive weight from her spirit, but the strategy had failed miserably.

The night's restless wind swept fallen leaves across her path, and Millie felt an involuntary shiver course through her body.

Enough wandering for one evening.

The time had arrived to seek the sanctuary of home.

A steaming hot bath followed by restorative sleep would surely make everything appear brighter when tomorrow's sun rose.

However, as she navigated toward the apartment complex where she currently resided, Brandon's distinctive Maybach materialized in her peripheral vision, parked with unmistakable intention.

He had successfully located her closely guarded address, despite her deliberate decision never to share this information with him.

She recognized that when Brandon committed himself to discovering something, the outcome became inevitable regardless of the obstacles placed in his path.

Millie forced herself to avoid overthinking this unwelcome development.

She maneuvered her vehicle into an available space and emerged onto the pavement, striding purposefully toward the building's entrance, though her progress encountered immediate interference.

"Millie," Brandon called her name with urgent intensity, quickly advancing forward to obstruct her intended path.