Chapter 159

Millie smiled. "Well... Let's save that firework show for when things become official between us."

Myron was briefly taken aback.

Millie met his eyes.

"I accept your offer. Let's try to get to know each other better," she said.

In the past few days, he had never crossed any lne.

He hadn't pressured her or made anything difficult.

Most importantly, Ari really liked him.

Millie gently held the little girl's hand.

The Elliott family also had a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

So, Millie decided to give both Myron and herself a chance.

Millie lowered her eyes. "It's just... You know my situation."

She watched as Ari let go of her hand and ran off to see the fireworks. In a quiet voice, she said, "Things are complicated on my end, and my health... I may not be able to have more children. Ari might be my only one."

"Don't worry about that," Myron said with a gentle smile. "As long as you're willing to give me a chance,that's enough."

He already understood her circumstances well.

Once they became official, he'd try his best. Who knew what the future might bring?

Even if there were no more children, they still had Ari.

She hadn't fallen for him yet, hadn't fully accepted him, and their relationship wasn't set in stone-but the fact that she was willing to try meant everything to him.

He would give his all just to earn a piece of her heart.

"Alright," Millie said with a nod, glancing toward Ari.

Myron's gaze stayed on her.

The fireworks lit up the sky, casting long shadows of the two standing side by side.

···

Brandon stood in silence,watching the distant figures.

He saw one of them drift away, searching for something, while the other two remained behind.

0

Beside him, Vivian broke the silence. "I heard your grandfather's here... He's not well. Did he cause it?" she asked softly.

Brandon turned to her pale face, unsure how to respond.

Vivian looked back at him, worry written on her face.

Earlier, she had made arrangements with her caregiver to stage a scene. She had steeled herself and cut her own wrist just seconds before Brandon arrived.

Though it had bled a lot, the cut wasn't deep. The doctor had stitched it up quickly.

So, she already knew exactly how Brandon got injured-because she had been standing nearby, quietly watching.

Brandon's mind was still on Millie-especially after learning that Serena and Millie were the same person.

Vivian felt bitter resentment. But she couldn't go after Millie directly.

Now that she had injured herself, this was the moment Brandon would feel the strongest guilt and sympathy for her.

The more understanding she acted, the deeper his guilt would run.

Vivian believed that guilt, if used well, could get a woman almost anything.

With that in mind, she reached out again, trying to help him press the ice pack on his face.

But he pulled away and said, "I know a mental health facility with good privacy. Want to check it out tomorrow?"

Vivian froze for a moment. Then she realized what he meant.

A mental health retreat? She looked down at her wrist. Was it because of this? But she felt fine-she knew she was fine.

She hesitated, and then asked for the name of the facility.

When he told her, she replied, "Let me think about it. I'll let you know tomorrow, okay?"

Brandon gave her another look, and then nodded.

Outside, fireworks lit up the open ground.

The three people were still watching nearby.

Suddenly, Brandon felt a sharp pain in his chest. It became hard to breathe.

It felt like something important was slipping away.

Slowly,the fireworks faded.

He saw the trio cleaning up the area and leaving. But the pain in his chest wouldn't go away.

···

The day finally came to a close.

It had been full of life, and the excitement spilled into the next morning- because the edited version of Heavenly Melody's grand finale had just gone live.

That morning,Evans Entertainment released a statement to address resurfacing rumors about Serena and Charles.

"Didn't people say Serena had a miscarriage because of Charles? Now that Serena is Millie, does that mean there's something between Millie and Charles?"

The statement came as a video recorded by Charles.

"There were rumors that Serena lost her baby and that baby was mine; and it all began with a leave note,"Charles explained, holding up the forged medical record.

He continued, "At that time, Millie was badly injured. Anyone who watched the live show or the edited cut could see it. Those weren't makeup effects-those bruises were real."

He added, "She was so hurt that she couldn't even leave the hospital, let alone rehearse for the show. But due to a confidentiality agreement, I had to fake a medical record as a leave slip for Serena. That led people to believe we were somehow involved. That's how the rumor started. Millie and I have worked together since before her marriage to Brandon. Ours is a professional relationship. I hope the rumors will stop."

After the video aired, the online chatter quieted down.

The reason was simple.

Neither Charles nor Vivian wanted things to blow up.

Charles didn't want Millie's name dragged through the mud all over again. Vivian, who knew exactly how Millie lost her child, also didn't want anyone digging too deep.

So,the rumor quickly faded.

With fresh stories popping up every day, the public's attention quickly moved on.

···

Elsewhere,Brandon hadn't slept all night.

Thoughts of Millie-both as Millie and Serena-kept running through his mind.

He replayed past moments again and again, feeling more miserable with each one.

He wanted to reach out and tell her the truth. He wanted to say, "I'm sorry, Millie. Please come back."

But when he saw a message fromn Vivian in the morning, he held himself back.

The swelling on his face had gone down, but Millie's slaps had left clear marks.

He'd already told Eugene to cancel his morning meetings.

He looked down at the message again.Vivian had agreed to visit the mental health facility.

Five months, Brandon reminded himself.

Then he got up, drove to pick her up, and the two of them headed to the facility.

As they entered the building, in a nearby office, Rita was on the phone with Millie.

0

Knowing Millie was moving on and embracing changes in her life brought a sense of relief.

"The last few times you came by, I could tell you were getting better," Rita said, just as she looked up-and saw Brandon wvalk in with Vivian.