Chapter 136

Music pulsed through the room as Seville and the others danced, but Brandon stood still outside,unmoving.

His eyes were bloodshot, fixed on the tightly closed door of the private room across the hall.

Nearby, a cleaner was mopping the floor, humming to,herself, pleased with the generous tip she'd received from Charles to just sweep up the broken glass.

"Excuse me, could you lift your feet?" she asked politely,looking up at Brandon.

Darden, noticing Brandon's increasingly tense expression, tried to steer him away. "Our room's just next door. I doubt they'll be coming out anytime soon. Let's wait in there."

Brandon finally tore his gaze from the door and followed Darden into the neighboring suite.

As they left, the cleaner finished her task, still humming as she patted the pocket where the tip rested and exited the hallway.

Inside Millie's private room, the atmosphere was completely different.

Alexia, still fuming, pulled out her phone and brought up the gossip showing Brandon and Vivian having a candlelit dinner.

She held the screen up and snapped, "Unbelievable.Does Brandon seriously think he can just be with Vivian now and then crawl back to Millie later? He wants to have it all. How disgusting!"

The others voiced their support, exchanging looks of disapproval and making faces at the screen.

Millie, despite everything, felt a quiet sense of warmth.

Painful as her past had been, she was thankful to be surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her.

And for now, that was enough.

"Forget them. We're here to celebrate tonight, so let's enjoy ourselves," she said, raising her glass.

The atmosphere lightened, and the handsome escorts hired for the party did their part to liven things up. Laughter and music filled the room.

But while Millie's room was buzzing, the mood in Brandon's was somber.

He drank one glass after another, not sipping-chugging.

Darden sighed and reached for the bottle, sliding it out of Brandon's reach. "Take it easy, man."

Brandon frowned, noticing his drink had disappeared, and reached to grab it, but Darden held it back.

Brandon was frustrated, but Darden understood. If Alyssa were next door dancing and drinking with a bunch of guys, he wouldn't be calm either.

Unable to retrieve his drink, Brandon slumped back on the sofa, eyes on the ceiling as the colored lights from above flickered and spun.

Darden pulled out his phone and opened the same article Alexia had shown Millie.

"You know, I get why she's angry. You had a candlelit dinner with Vivian. It's no wonder she's upset. That's probably why she's out there partying. Don't worry,though. Charles and Giffard are there. Nothing wil happen to her."

Darden tried to reassure his friend. But Brandon'didn't react.

Whether it was the alcohol, the sleepless nights, or both, his head spun, and his thoughts were muddy.

It didn't matter to him that Millie was mad at him about Vivian.

Right now, all he wanted was to see her walk out of that room.

But the music next door was still blaring, and through the wall, he could even hear Alexia's off-key singing and Millie's laughter. It only made him feel worse.

Meanwhile, someone had tipped off the paparazzi after spotting Millie at the Blue Lounge.

They waited, and soon enough, the scene outside the private rooms gave them what they wanted.

They couldn't get close, but from a distance, they captured photographs of the argument.

The photos and gossip spread quickly online,even overtaking the latest buzz about Serena.#MillieAtBlueLounge,#MillieAndBrandonBothFoolingAround,#BrandonDiningWithVivianWhileMilliePartiesAtBlueLo unge.

···

The Internet was ablaze.

"Whoa, looks like Millie's done playing the quiet wife!"

"This drama's better than TV. Keep it coming!"

"Can't wait for the next twist!"

"Don't care who's right-I just want the show!"

"Honestly, none of them seem great, but at least Vivian stands for something."

···

Vivian stared at her screen, fuming. The cup in her hand slammed onto the table.

She should've gone to the Blue Lounge with Brandon. Millie had probably been waiting, keeping tabs through Darden.

That conniving woman!

Vivian had thought Millie had given up, but no. She was lying low, planning her comeback.

Vivian's hands trembled with anger.

She reached for her phone to make a call but stopped herself. Instead, she pulled out a second phone and made a call using a different line.

The call connected.

"What is it?" a voice answered.

"The information I asked for earlier-what's the update? Did the person survive?" Vivian asked,deliberately lowering her voice to a hoarse rasp.

"You mean the person got hit outside the city?" The sound of typing followed. "Hang on."

A few moments passed. "He survived. Barely. The'prognosis isn't good. He's in a vegetative state.Might wake up, but chances are slim."

"Understood," she said, and ended the call.

She turned the phone off and let out a long breath,finally relaxing.

···

At the Elliott Mansion, Myron sat with a kitten curled beside him, skimming through a stack of reports.

Across the room, Jayceon was raging over a losing streak.

"Ugh! Lost again! Trash game, useless teammates!"he yelled, tossing the console aside and grabbing his phone to scroll through video reels. But a few clips in, he suddenly sat upright, coughing. "Gosh!Myron!"

He hurried over, holding out his phone.

"Look at this! Millie's really out there tonight! I bet Brandon's losing his mind!"

But then he paused, remembering something."Right... Sorry. I forgot about the whole failed proposal this morning."

Myron glanced at the screen, adjusted his glasses,and let out a soft chuckle.

"You're not mad?" Jayceon asked, peeking at his brother.

"She's newly divorced. She deserves to celebrate,"Myron replied calmly, eyes returning to the papers in front of him.

Jayceon gave a small nod and went back to his videos.

He admired Millie more than ever. Smart, beautiful,capable-enough to capture even his brother's full attention.

Myron, unfazed by Jayceon's antics, reached down and stroked the kitten's head as it stretched and let out a tiny meow.

Back at the Blue Lounge, Millie, Alexia, and the others were starting to wind down for the night.