Chapter 208

The thought struck Millie as she watched the sea of reporters surge against the bodyguards' protective barrier.

Some thrust their phones forward, capturing every moment in.réal-time streams, while others worked their cameras with relentless precision.

The metallic symphony of shutters created an endless percussion that filled the air.

"Everyone." Millie's voice cut through the mayhem, and silence descended instantly as every face turned toward her with hungry anticipation.

She acknowledged their presence with a graceful bow, her movements deliberate and respectful, and then lifted her chin with quiet dignity. "I recognize your interest in this matter, but I must clarify something important-Brandon and I have legally ended our marriage."

Her eyes swept across the sea of expectant faces, each word delivered with crystalline clarity that left no room for misinterpretation.

A measured pauseallowed her statement to settle before she pressed forward. "This represents a complete legal dissolution-we possess the official divorce documentation, and I harbor absolutely no intentions of rekindling our relationship."

The crowd exploded into animated chatter, voices weaving together in a tapestry of speculation.

As Millie prepared to speak again, someone's call for silence rippled through the gathering, restoring order.

"While Brandon and I shared a matrimonial bond previously, we nowexist as two strangers," Millie declared,her enunciation crisp and uncompromising. "Consequently, his current circumstances neither concern me nor reach my awareness."

"Should you seek information about his well-being, I suggest approaching those who maintain connections with him rather than pursuing me. First, I possess no knowledge to share with you; second, your presence has disrupted the peace of my daily existence; and third, I request that his future troubles never again lead you to my doorstep. That concludes my statement-thank you for your attention." Millie completed her declaration with another deep, respectful bow.

Despite her petite stature, her determination radiated with the force of tempered steel.

Her penetrating gaze made one final sweep across the reporters' éager faces before she pivoted sharply and strode away, her bodyguards forming a protective cocoon aróund her retreating figure.

The moment Millie vanished from sight, pandemonium erupted across the scene.

Reporters juggled multiple devices-some broadcasting live while others captured video footage, and still others snapped rapid-fire photographs, all racing to upload their exclusive content to eager audiences.

"We possess the official divorce documentation, and I harbor absolutely no intentions of rekindling our relationship," and "His personal affairs neither concern me nor reach my awareness"-these powerful declarations transmitted clearly through every live feed.

Millie's unwavering resolve and steel-edged tone resonated with viewers everywhere, creating ripples of sensation across social media.

The persistent rumors suggesting Millie was simply biding her time, waiting for death to claim Vivian before reuniting with Brandon, crumbled into dust with this public declaration.

"This represents her official stance-she has clearly committed to this path without looking back."

···

Meanwhile, public discourse reached a fever pitch across social platforms.

Inside the tranquil walls of Serenity Villa, Brandon absorbed every word of the breaking news coverage.

After enduring days of intensive medical treatment and enforced rest, his physical condition had stabilized considerably, though a profound weariness had settled deep into his bones-one that seemed to emanate from his very soul-prompting him to transfer many responsibilities to Eugene's capable hands.

Brandon gripped his phone tightly, studying the unwavering determination etched across her features as

she faced the camera's unblinking eye.

She possessed full knowledge of his deteriorating health, yet her eyes held not even a flicker of concern for his well-being.

His gaze dropped toward the floor, uncertainty clouding his ability to interpret his own emotional landscape.

Days of emotional numbness had left him unable to navigate the maze of his inner thoughts with any clarity.

"Buzz." The phone trembled against his palm, announcing another incoming message.

Brandon's eyes flicked toward the screen-Vivian's name appeared once again.

She had launched a relentless campaign of communication attempts throughout the past several days.

However, he felt no inclination to discuss these complicated matters with her, nor did he wish for her to discover the devastating events that had unfolded that fateful night.

Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness, he nurtured a fragile hope that this entire situation resembled an enormous, shimmering soap bubble-one that might preserve the possibility of redemption as long as he refrained from piercing its gossamer surface.

But Millie's public declaration obliterated every fragile hope he had carefully constructed, leaving nothing but scattered fragments of impossible dreams.

"Millie,you have truly eliminated every possible escape route for me,"he whispered into the suffocating silence of his room.

While Brandon remained transfixed by his phone screen, the thunderous sound of approaching footsteps shattered his contemplation.

His brow creased with irritation as he lifted his gaze to witness Egbert bursting through the doorway.

"Egbert?" Brandon's voice carried genuine bewilderment. "How did you manage to breach the security?"

Egbert crossed the room with predatory purpose, his hands seizing Brandon's shoulders before slamming him backward against the ornate headboard with brutal force.

"How I infiltrated this place should be the least of your worries!" Egbert's voice dripped with icy contempt.

He had orchestrated his entry by accompanying the regular delivery staff, slipping past the guards while they focused on their routine tasks.

His rage burned white-hot within him.

That fateful day, when Millie and Myron had soared through the clouds in their hot air balloon, Egbert had arrived mere moments too late and harbored his own resentment toward Myron's persistent pursuit, yet Egbert had never descended into the desperate madness that now consumed Brandon completely.

"Do you possess even a shred of concern for your company's welfare or not?" Egbert launched his accusation with devastating directness.

"What exactly are you implying?" Brandon's confusion deepened as he struggled to comprehend the sudden attack.

Egbert's rage intensified as he processed Brandon's apparent ignorance.

He thrust an accusing finger toward Brandon's face and delivered his words like poisoned arrows."While you've been wallowing in self-pity within these walls, your company has become a breeding ground for malicious gossip, and hordes of journalists have been tormenting Millie relentlessly!"

Brandon remained largely oblivious to the external chaos his absence had created.

He had delegated all responsibilities to Eugene's capable hands and submitted his medical documentation to appease the shareholders' concerns.

His attention had deliberately avoided broader news coverage, instead focusing exclusively on any mentions of Millie's name while systematically ignoring everything else that might disturb his fragile equilibrium.

"I will address the situation immediately," Brandon responded with measured calm,already formulating plans to provide the necessary public explanations.

Egbert's fury intensified exponentially at Brandon's dismissive and detached response to the mounting crisis.

"What exactly have you been accomplishing during this pathetic retreat from reality?!" Egbert roared with unbridled fury.

Brandon simply maintained his steady gaze upon Egbert's enraged features.

His mind drifted back to those pivotal moments that had unfolded in Flesta, and he found himself wondering whether having conceived a child with Millie might have fundamentally altered the trajectory of their current catastrophe.

"Answer me this instant!" Egbert's fist trembled with barely restrained violence, poised to strike.

At that precise moment, the villa's staff members rushed toward the confrontation, ready to inform Brandon about the security breach that had occurred.

Brandon dismissed their concerns with a casual wave of his hand, signaling his complete awareness of the situation.

Then Brandon's attention returned to Egbert with calculated deliberation.

"She has chosen to be with Myron now." The words emerged after an extended silence, each syllable weighted with resignation.

"What did you just say?" Egbert questioned his hearing capacity. Weren't they simply enjoying a recreational hot air balloon excursion together?

Wasn't Myron still locked in the pursuit phase of their courtship?

Observing the momentary shock that flickered across Egbert's expression, Brandon experienced a twisted sense of vindictive pleasure.

"I'm sharing the unvarnished truth with you,"Brandon continued, savoring every nuance of Egbert's bewildered expression. "She made her declaration directly in front of me, and furthermore..."

Brandon allowed the suspense to build deliberately before delivering the final blow. "She pressed her lips against Myron's right before my very eyes."

"That's absolutely impossible!" Egbert's eyes expanded to their physical limits, disbelief written across every line of his face.

In the next heartbeat, he clamped his hands around Brandon's shoulders with crushing intensity, boring into his eyes as though searching for any microscopic traces of deception or fabrication.

But Brandon's eyes contained nothing except the

raw honesty of profound anguish.

"I saw it with my own two eyes," Brandon continued his torturous narrative. "She appeared to be completely enamored with his presence."

Egbert fixed Brandon with a murderous glare.

"Smack!" Egbert's palm connected with Brandon's cheek in a resounding slap that echoed through the room.

"You orchestrated this revelation deliberately! There was absolutely no necessity to torture me with such excruciating detail!" Egbert's eyes had transformed into pools of crimson rage.

Brandon released a laugh devoid of any genuine mirth, his fingers dabbing away the crimson trail that Egbert's violence had drawn from the corner of his mouth."If I had omitted any specific detail, how could I have possibly convinced you of the reality?"

He gazed directly into Egbert's blazing eyes, recognizing a perfect reflection of his tormented state from that nightmarish evening, and discovered a perverse sense of vindication in sharing his torment.

"Enough!" Egbert shoved Brandon aside with disgus and began pacing frantically around the room's perimeter, his mind racing to process this devastating information.

"Egbert." Brandon's voice suddenly pierced the tension-filled atmosphere.

"What now?" Egbert snapped with barely contained hostility.

"That day in Flesta." Brandon's question emerged laden with overwhelming sorrow. "What transpired during those crucial ten minutes when I was absent from the scene?"

Egbert studied Brandon's battered form slumped against the headboard, blood still trickling from his wounded mouth, and allowed himself a moment of contemplation. He concluded that the time had finally arrived for Brandon to confront certain uncomfortable truths.