Chapter 66

Both her mother and her husband had wounded Millie's heart beyond repair.

Rita understood that if Millie could still manage her affairs independently, she would never want them to discover her vulnerability.

As Millie's deteriorating condition advanced with each passing day, Rita recognized the harsh reality that while temporary caregivers could provide momentary relief, contacting Millie's family would become unavoidable.

That particular day marked another grueling session of their medical treatment regimen.

The exclusive private facility maintained the strictest confidentiality protocols, and thanks to Millie's deliberate efforts to conceal her struggles, not a single soul had learned about her condition so far.

Upon her release, Rita gently urged Millie to maintain her medication schedule religiously, never miss her regular medical appointments, and offered warm reassurance while suggesting she embrace some well -deserved rest and recuperation.

Millie absorbed these instructions with minimal response, her voice barely rising above a whisper as she retreated to the solitude of her newly rented apartment.

Her body had begun mending from the devastating miscarriage and the physical trauma of her recent fall,while Crobert Hospital efficiently processed her discharge documentation. Alexia had taken complete control of every administrative detail, lifting that burden from Millie's shoulders.

For endless stretches of time, she existed in a strange limbo, uncertain of her next steps or even her current purpose in this fractured world.

Eventually, Charles became the person who managed to locate her through her maze of isolation.

Within the bustling practice halls of Evans Entertainment, Millie threw herself into preparations for the demanding third live show of Heavenly Melody.

Her phone buzzed against the table, and when she glanced down, Brandon's name flashed across the screen.

Technically speaking, they remained caught in the legal web of divorce proceedings, still bound by marriage papers, creating an obligation for her to discuss certain significant matters with him.

However,the countdown had already begun, and very soon, she and Brandon would become complete strangers to each other, their connection severed permanently.

After weighing her options carefully, Millie chose to let the call fade into digitalsilence.

Meanwhile, at the Watson Group's imposing headquarters, Brandon sat rigid in his executive office,listening to the cold, mechanical busy tone echoing through his phone speaker, while his lips formed a tight,frustrated line.

Without a moment's hesitation, he snatched his car keys from the desk and stormed toward the exit with determined strides.

Just as he stepped beyond the threshold,fragments of a hushed conversation drifted to his ears-

"Did you catch that explosive news circulating online?The photographs showing Mrs. Watson escorting that mysterious child to the school entrance?"

"Absolutely, I've examined every single image! It's become such monumental news throughout the entire city!"

"What's your take on the whole situation? Do you believe that child belongs to both Mr. Watson and Mrs.Watson?"

"I honestly have no idea whatsoever. Haven't you noticed Eugene racing around the building like a madman all day long? I'm certain he's scrambling to manage this crisis."

"What do you think drives Mrs. Watson's actions in this scenario? Is she attempting to solidify her position as Mr. Watson's legitimate spouse? Or does she harbor some alternative agenda?"

"I'm completely clueless about her intentions, but by allowing the child to make this public appearance at such a critical moment, only a few realistic possibilities exist-she's either staking her claim to status or positioning herself to claim ownership and inheritance rights."

"I hadn't even considered that angle! Your analysis makes perfect sense now!"

"Absolutely! Haven't you witnessed those dramatic television storylines? At the most crucial moment, an illegitimate child suddenly emerges from the shadows to stake their claim on the family fortune. Now that Mr. Watson spends every waking moment beside Vivian, it makes complete sense that Mrs. Watson would want to execute one final,desperate maneuver."

A sharp voice suddenly pierced through their whispered conspiracy as someone spotted Brandon's imposing figure striding through the corridor. "Mr.Watson!"

The remaining employees quickly ceased their animated discussion and bowed respectfully in synchronized motion.

Brandon's cold gaze swept across their guilty faces with practiced indifference before he stepped into the waiting elevator, his mind churning with darker thoughts.

What diabolical scheme was Millie orchestrating behind his back?

Had this become her latest calculated maneuver?

He had genuinely believed she had finally developed some rational sensibility, but now it appeared she had merely refined her tactics and changed her destructive approach.

She was still wreaking havoc on his carefully constructed world!

The haunting memory of Vivian's heart-wrenching sobs echoed relentlessly through his consciousness,amplifying his anger and confusion.

Brandon settled into the driver's seat, his initial impulse driving him to locate Millie immediately and demand answers to his burning questions, but uncertainty paralyzed him.

Where could he possibly locate her now?

Their paths hadn't crossed since that brief,uncomfortable encounter within the sterile hospital corridors.

He had attempted to visit her during her recovery,only to catch sight of her shadowy silhouette leaning against Giffard's supportive frame through the frosted glass door, their forms creating an intimate tableau.

Did she still remain confined within those sterile hospital walls?

With these questions swirling through his mind,Brandon ignited the engine and steered his vehicle toward Crobert Hospital's familiar entrance.

After days of avoidance and uncertainty,he finally returned to that place again.

His inquiries at the reception desk yielded unexpected results-Millie had already completed her discharge procedures days earlier.

The nurse he questioned regarded him with barely concealed bewilderment, her voice carrying a note of incredulous disbelief. "You honestly don't know when your own wife received her discharge papers and left this facility?"

Brandon's jaw clenched tightly as his lips formed a hard line, and he departed without offering a single word of explanation.

Back within the confines of his car, he dialed Millie's number once again with growing desperation.

No answer came through the electronic silence.

His next attempt reached Alexia's line instead.

She answered on the second ring, her voice carrying an unmistakable edge of irritation.

"What could you possibly want from me now?"Alexia's words dripped with barely restrained contempt.

"I need to know Millie's current location," Brandon stated,his tone clipped and businesslike.

Alexia responded with sharp, cutting sarcasm, "You seriously possess no knowledge of your own wife's whereabouts and you're calling me for answers?That's absoutely ridiculous and pathetic!"

Brandon's brow furrowed with mounting annoyance at her deflection.

"Alexia, I'm approaching thissituation with complete seriousness. What's the real story behind her connection with that mysterious child?"

Alexia possessed complete knowledge of the intricate situation unfolding around them but chose not to reveal a single word of truth.

"Why don't you approach her directly? What's the point of dragging me into this?" Alexia's voice sharpened with accumulated resentment. "Previously,when I reached out to you, didn't you accuse me of stirring up problems on Millie's behalf? Well, I'm terrified I'll speak out of turn and you'll later claim that Millie and I conspired together to deceive you.l refuse to shoulder the blame for your groundless accusations and paranoid suspicions ever again."

With those final, cutting words, Alexia severed the connection abruptly.

Brandon stared at his phone, listening to the hollow buzz of the dial tone while a fierce, unnamed fury clawed its way up from his chest.

His fist collided with the steering wheel, and the Bentley responded with an indignant blast of its horn that echoed through the parking garage.

Millie was becoming increasingly bold and reckless with each passing day.

Previously,her rebellious acts had consisted of minor mischief and petty schemes, but this time she had actually dragged an innocent child into their complicated web of marital discord!

She understood exactly how desperately he craved fatherhood, how the mere thought of children could unraveI his carefully constructed defenses.

During countless intimate moments they had shared,he would trace gentle circles across her flat stomach,his voice barely above a whisper as he pleaded with her to bear his child, but those conversations always ended in disappointment.

Brandon drew in a shuddering breath, forcing his racing pulse to settle before dialing Millie's number once more.

The phone rang endlessly into the void, each unanswered tone stoking the flames of his mounting rage.

Perhaps for the first time in his privileged existence,he experienced such consuming, uncontrollable anger coursing through his veins.

His phone buzzed against his palm, and Brandon's lips curved into a cold sneer,certain that Millie had finally decided to face him.

Instead, his grandfather's name flashed across the screen,wiping the smugness from his expression.

His brow creased with mild concern as he reluctantly answered the summons.

"Grandpa," he said, his voice carefully controlled.

"Return home tonight without delay!" Derek's words crackled with unbridled fury through the speaker."Brandon, don't foolishly assume that just because you currently control the Watson Group's operations,you possess unlimited freedom to act however you please. I still draw breath in this world!"

Brandon's fingers massaged his throbbing temples as he surrendered to the inevitable summons, his tone shifting to one of practiced diplomacy. "Grandpa,please don't allow yourself to become so agitated.Such emotional turmoil proves detrimental to your health."

"Now you suddenly express concern for my health?!"Derek released a bitter, contemptuous snort before abruptly ending their conversation.

On the opposite side of the city, Millie stared down at her phone's illuminated display as it announced an incoming call.

Derek's name flashed insistently across the screen.

After wrestling with uncertainty for several long moments,she finally pressed the answer button.

However, once the connection established itself, she remained frozen in silence, unable to force words past her constricted throat.

Derek also maintained his quiet stance on the other end. After approximately three tension-filled seconds passed, a long, weary sigh escaped from his aged lungs and traveled through the speaker.

"Millie, would you come visit me tonight?" Derek's voice had transformed into something gentle and coaxing. "Even if you harbor deep resentment toward Brandon,you could still find time to see this old man."

Millie's fingers tightened around her phone until her knuckles turned white, her internal struggle finally resolving as she nodded into the empty air.

"Alright," she whispered, her voice barely adible."I'll be there."

Indeed, she recognized the necessity of returning to the Watson Mansion.

Numerous unresolved issues demanded her attention and required final closure.

Time seemed to accelerate around her, and darkness gradually descended upon the city.

After maneuvering her vehicle into the familiar parking space, Millie stepped onto the pavement with legs that felt unsteady beneath her weight.

Following many days of absence, she found herself standing once again before the imposing gates of the Watson Mansion, her past and present colliding in the gathering twilight.