Chapter 163

Millie looked up from her phone and caught the faint smile forming at the corners of Myron's mouth.

"I thought you might want to wait a little longer," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then maybe you don't know me as well as you think."

Myron's eyes crinkled. His tone was light but held a trace of expectation. "Well, I suppose I have all the time in the world to change that."

Millie didn't respond.

Her gaze shifted to her phone, where a stream of messages continued to roll in. After a moment's thought, she opened her profile and updated it by adding "Singer, Serena."

She deleted every reference to the Watson Group.

Once finished, she looked at Myron.,where to next?"

She still had to consider the wager agreement, but Myron wasn't just a casual acquaintance. He was also one of her business partners. Most of the champion's resources for Heavenly Melody came directly fromthe Elliott Group.

Myron glanced briefly at the document in her hand.He didn't say much. "Let's start with lunch. I know a place you might like."

Millie nodded. "Sounds good."

Elsewhere,Brandon sat in the back of a car, staring at the flood of notifications on his phone.

Under the hashtag #MillieAndBrandonDivorce, the comments were relentless.

"I saw this coming the moment Serena took off her mask on Heavenly MAelody."

"Rumor has it they started the divorce process before Vivian's condition got worse. Looks like it was finalized fast."

"Millie, I misjudged you. I thought you stayed for money.Now I see you're moving on without hesitation."

"Look at her profile. She removed all mention of the Watson Group and Brandon. It's just her now." More hashtags appeared soon after: #

MillieUpdatesProfile, #

MillieCutsTiesWithWatsonGroup

Brandon read every word, his grip tightening around the phone.

Was she really this resolute?

Earlier at the office, he had only caught the tail end of her conversation: "Not everyone sees Brandon as a prize. To me, he's just someone I met as I wwent through life."

Just someone she met as she went through life? After seven years of shared memories, long nights, and mutual effort-was that really all he meant to her?

Beside him, Vivian was typing on her phone.He glanced her way.

She noticed, slipped her phone into her bag,and looked at him with a soft smile.

"Brandon,you'll help me, won't you?" she said quietly,her expression fragile. "You'll fight for our future together, right?" She looked like someone who needed protection.

Brandon's eyes dimmed. He clenched the agreement in his hand. Yes," he replied.

He couldn't let Millie win. He couldn't let her slip away.

His phone buzzed again.

It was a message from Darden, who had a knack for digging up rumors. "Explosive news! Someone saw Myron shopping for a toddler. He even bought some decor in a little girl's style!"

Brandon frowned.A girl?

Another message followed. "Not sure who the woman is, but she had a child with her."

The image of Ari came to mind.

Brandon shook his head.

He knew Myron well enough. Behind his cultured mask was a man known for never getting his hands dirty,yet always winning.

His gentlemanly act must've fooled so many people.He was cunning, careful, and patient.

If Myron was involved with someone, it would be a calculated move. Likely someone with a powerful background that could boost his family's business.

But who could it be?

As the car sped along, Brandon stared out the window,silent.

Inside a suite at an international hotel, a man sipped wine while scrolling through the trending headlines.

A waiter stood nearby and spoke politely. "Mr. Perez,everything your request has been arranged. Do you need anything else?"

Egbert lowered his glass and waved him off.

He walked slowly toward the floor-to-ceiling windows,eyes fixed on the lights below.

"Divorce," he murmured. "Millie, I wonder if youstill remember what you once said to me. The man you would have sacrificed everything for... now let you down."

His reflection in the glass stared back at him. "But maybe it's a good thing."

He raised his glass as if toasting someone far away."Walking away from him might lead you somewhere brighter."

Derek and Norma sat side by side as Matthew drove to Moonlit Estate.

"Do you really think this will work?" Norma asked."Will Millie win?"

Derek scoffed. "Do you think she's less capable than Vivian?"

"Not in ability," Norma replied. "But still..."

Derek looked at his wife and sighed. "If we hand everything to Millie directly, Brandon would fight us on it. We needed a plan that lets him think he still has control. Using the illusion of marriage with Vivian and a few strategic threats should do it."

Norma nodded. They had agreed on the approach before.

Outside, the city rushed by. Derek watched the blur of movement and said quietly, "If he can see Vivian for what she is, and how kind Millie truly is, then all of this might be worth it."

Brandon dropped Vivian off at her flower studio,Vivian Floral Design,and then headed straight back to the Watson Group.

At the entrance, Eugene was already waiting, visibly anxious. "Mr. Watson, we've been swamped with calls Executives,partners-everyone's demanding answers."

Eugene had messaged him earlier, prompting the urgent return.

Babette appeared soon after, flustered and agitated.

"Brandon, this is getting out of control," she said. "The shareholders are furious. They're saying they should have been notified about the divorce. Some are worried this will trigger a billion-dollar stock split. And the partners Millie handled are asking questions."

Her voice rose. "Why didn't she tell us before going public? Now we're in the middle of a crisis!"

Brandon shot her a cold glance. She stopped speaking at once.

He knew it wasn't Millie's fault. He had been sitting on the divorce decree for days. He had plenty of time to act but he did nothing, so Millie had every right to move forward.

Babette didn't stop. "Brandon,you know many of our partners worked with her directly. If she's severing ties with the Watson Group in public like this, I'm afraid some of them might walk away."

Eugene added,"And the stock price... it may not hold steady much longer."