Chapter 122

Millie leaned over and gently smoothed the collar of Ari's jacket, her fingertips lingering to straighten a stray thread.

Giffard spoke up, his voice cutting through the silence. "He's on our tail. Want me to shake him off?"

Millie flicked her gaze up to the rearview mirror,her eyes briefly meeting Brandon's headlights. She gave a calm shake of her head. "Let him follow."

They had nothing to hide, and Ari wouldn't likely handle a fierce car race.

She pressed her palm reassuringly to Ari's knee,drawing a soft breath as she remembered the adoption procedures that were on the way and the papers she signed with the children's home-the ones that gave her the right to boring Ari out.

Brandon could only request visits, and Ari had the freedom to turn him away.

The city rolled past as they made their way to the children's home.

Once there, Millie gently guided Ari back inside, her hand resting protectively on the little girl's shoulder.Outside, Giffard lingered near the car, jaw set,waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

Brandon's car screeched to a halt. Without hesitation, he climbed out and stalked straight toward Giffard.

Giffard folded his arms and regarded Brandon coolly,not budging an inch. "What's this? You looking for a fight?"

Brandon stood stone-still, his glare sharp enough to cut through steel as he locked eyes with Giffard.

The air between them felt charged, every breath drawn taut with silent hostility, as though the slightest spark might ignite a fight right there.

Just then, Millie stepped out, her heels clicking on the pavement. She shot the men a look, exasperated and tired. "Giffard, let's go," she said, her voice steady but low.

As she reached for the car door, Brandon's hand shot out, fingers closing around her wrist.

In an instant, Giffard moved in, catching her other arm with a grip just as firm.

Millie's brow furrowed, a trace of impatience flashing across her face. "What are you two doing?"

Neither man replied. They only stared at her, silent and stubborn, as if daring her to pick a side.

She shook off Brandon's hold first, and then turned to face Giffard."Giffard," she called out.

For a split second, something flickered in Giffard's eyes-a flash of disappointment, quickly hidden. He released her wrist and stepped back, jaw tight,refusing to let his emotions show.

"Let's get going," Millie murmured, her tone steady.

"It's late."

Without another glance at Brandon, she slid back into the car.

Giffard slipped behind the wheel, his movements quiet and deliberate, while Brandon stood alone beneath the dim streetlight, eyes icy and unyielding as he watched her leave.

Millie pressed the window switch, shutting out his penetrating stare.

The ride home unfolded in heavy silence, the shadow of Brandon's car trailing them in the rearview like a warning that refused to fade.

Outside, the streetlights cast jittery halos across the windshield, their stark glow making the night feel claustrophobic and tense. Restlessness gnawed at Millie as she stared at the passing blur of lights.

When they finally arrived at her apartment building,Giffard put the car in park and stepped out to escort her inside.

At the elevator, Millie paused, turning to meet his patient gaze.

"Giffard, I mean it-thanks for everything today," she noted, her lips curving in a tired but genuine smile."Let me buy you dinner next time."

Giffard lowered his gaze, voice steady but distant.

"I'll walk you up, that's all. Just wanna make sure you're safe," he responded calmly.

Millie nodded. If she invited him inside and even allowed him to linger, Brandon would almost certainly react-but she wasn't interested in more conflict.

Their divorce decree would be finalized tomorrow;the last thing she needed now was to add fuel to the gossip mill.

She felt nothing romantic for Giffard, and didn't want their friendship misread.

Just then, the low growl of a Maybach engine echoed nearby. Millie shook her head, refusing Giffard's offer.

As Brandon's car rolled to a stop, he burst out, only to see Giffard lightly patting Millie's shoulder while she stepped into the elevator.

The doors began to slide shut just as Brandon approached, catching a brief glimpse of Millie's composed profile before she disappeared from view.

Brandon lunged forward, hand reaching for the call button, but Giffard's grip on his wrist stopped him cold.

For a moment, their eyes locked-a silent clash sparking between them-while the red numbers on the elevator panel ticked steadily up to the eleventh floor.At last, Giffard let go, allowing Brandon's arm to fall back to his side.

Giffard offered a casual grin. "Let's go together. Mind giving me a ride?"

His words made it clear he had no intention of heading upstairs after Brandon left-and that he expected Brandon to do the same and leave Millie alone.

Brandon studied Giffard, his gaze icy, before glancing at the waiting elevator. With a quiet nod, he agreed.

Taking Giffard along would keep things in his control.They made their way back to the Maybach.

As the doors closed behind them, Eugene and the driver at the wheel exchanged a quick, bewildered glance, both silently wondering what drama they'd just witnessed.

Brandon turned to Giffard and asked, "Where to?"

Giffard flashed an easy smile at the driver. "Crobert Hospital,please."

He then turned to Eugene and Brandon, his tone light."Appreciate it."

He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Brandon shut his eyes, refusing to engage further,pretending to nap as the car pulled away and headed for the hospital.

Giffard studied Brandon, hesitating before breaking the uneasy silence. "There's nothing going on between me and Millie," he finally said.

Brandon cracked an eye open, giving Giffard a sidelong look.

"I did it on purpose," Giffard admitted, a faint, almost taunting smile tugging at his lips. "Watching you treat her that way pissed me off, so I pushed your buttons."

A muscle in Brandon's jaw tightened.

"What you saw at the hospital-she was hurt, and I was just helping her out," Giffard explained, his voice steady but firm.

Brandon didn't buy it for a second. He could read men far too well.

Giffard only shrugged, meeting Brandon's skepticism head-on, "It's the truth. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother explaining."

His expression tightened, voice low and sincere."Tomorrow, after you get that divorce decree, do me one favor: remember all the good she's done for you.Don't let Vivian make her life hell."

Brandon's expression flickered, uncertainty passing across his face before he looked away.

"I'm not that cruel," Brandon replied in an even tone."Vivian isn't, either."

As long as Millie kept herself in line, no one was going to hurt her.

Giffard parted his lips as if to speak, but thought better of it and fell silent, his eyes drifting to the world beyond the window.

Without warning, a thunderous bloom of fireworks erupted across the night sky.

The city's attention snapped upward, faces illuminated by the brilliant, shimmering display.

Brandon watched the bursts of color in silence, a pang of regret twisting inside him. Those fireworks had been his surprise for Millie-a plan for a gentle goodbye beneath a sky set alight.

Now, the gesture felt hollow.

···

Meanwhile, Millie emerged from the bathroom, the distant explosions echoing through her apartment.

Drawn to the commotion, she slipped onto the balcony in her pajamas. Overhead, the night unfurled in showers of light-bursts of color exploding across the city skyline, spinning and shimmering in every imaginable shape.

A warm breeze swept past as she curled up in the lounge chair,gaze lifted.

The fireworks painted her face in fleeting, shifting hues.

Lost in the spectacle, Millie found herself drifting back to a memory-a year ago, on the night of their hasty wedding. He'd brought her outside, beneath a velvet sky, to the lawn of their new home. With a spark in his eyes, he pressed a fuse into her hand, a quiet smile lingering on his lips.

"Go ahead. Light it," he murmured, his voice soft with mischief.

Her curiosity flared. Millie bent to ignite the fuse, and he gently drew her back, arms circling her waist as they watched together.

The firework shot up with a piercing whistle, and she gasped, laughter bubbling out as it burst in a brilliant spray overhead.

But before her laughter had faded, a chain of fireworks suddenly erupted across the city skyline,their dazzling blooms multiplying in every direction.

The city below was ablaze with color, all set off by her single spark.

"I snuck this into the wedding plans," he'd whispered against her ear, his breath sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Do you like it?"

She'd turned, eyes shining, and nodded hard. "It's YouCam Makeup perfect.I love it."

She could still see the tender curve of his smile, the

way his eyes softened with genuine affection just for

her.

But now,all of that warmth-and the heart behind it-

belonged to someone else entirely