Chapter 76
Heat pressed against Millie's lips, but all she felt was the sting of humiliation.
No matter how desperately she thrashed, Brandon's grip locked her in place, leaving her powerless.
Fury and shame tangled inside her chest. Millie bit down hard, the metallic taste of blood blooming on her tongue.
Only then did Brandon let go,freeing her at last.
He drew himself up, using the back of his hand to wipe away the blood on his lips.
Before Millie could raise her arm to slap him, Brandon intercepted her, trapping her wrist firmly against the rough bark.
A blaze of outrage swept through her.How could he treat her like this?
He had spent the night in Vivian's arms, only to show up at dawn and force this on Millie.
Did he come here just to humiliate her?
The entire situation left her sick to her stomach.
Heat pressed against Millie's lips, but all she felt was the sting of humiliation.
No matter how desperately she thrashed, Brandon's grip locked her in place, leaving her powerless.
Fury and shame tangled inside her chest. Millie bit down hard, the metallic taste of blood blooming on her tongue.
Only then did Brandon let go, freeing her at last.
He drew himself up, using the back of his hand to wipe away the blood on his lips.
Before Millie could raise her arm to slap him, Brandon intercepted her, trapping her wrist firmly against the rough bark.
A blaze of outrage swept through her. How could he treat her like this?
He had spent the night in Vivian's arms, only to show up at dawn and force this on Millie.
Did he come here just to humiliate her?
The entire situation left her sick to her stomach.
Hatred simmered, boiling over as she aimed a kick at him.
Brandon stopped her, quick and unyielding.
"Millie, do you really think I'll let things play out the way they did before?" His tone was cold,every word edged with warning.
Yesterday, she'd caught him off guard. If he'd been ready,there's no way she would have landed that blow.
For a fleeting moment, he believed Millie had finally chosen peace. Yet here she was, proving him wrong once again.
She had turned him down outright, but all her actions -letting the child call her "mom," coming back to the Watson home-looked to Brandon like moves in a bigger game, all designed to sway him through his grandparents.
Suspicion fueled Brandon's temper, making it burn even hotter.
Was this really the same woman he used to know?
Once,she'd been the picture of kindness and patience.
Any softness he felt for her the night before now felt like nothing more than humiliation.
His fingers dug harder into her wrist, and Millie winced at the pain.
Try as she might, there was no breaking free from his hold. It drove her crazy, realizing just how much stronger he was.
If not for the drunken mess she'd been last night-and the need to give answers to Norma and Derek-she never would have stayed a second longer.
Frustration erupted from her in a shout. "What exactly do you want from me?"
Brandon leveled a warning, voice low and sharp."Watch what you say to Grandpa and Grandma. Millie,don't give me any more reasons to hate you."
A sharp laugh nearly escaped Millie's lips.
She retorted coldly, "And who are you to talk to me like that? Are you speaking as my soon-to-be ex-husband?"
Brandon's reply was a harsh bark. "Millie!"
A hard edge crept into Millie's voice. "Take your hands off me." Her glare held steady. "Unless you're the kind of man who only knows how to push others around with brute force!"
Their voices carried through the trees, making it
impossible for Matthew to ignore the argument any longer. Although he had considered stepping in, he now only managed a weary sigh.
A disappointed look crossed Matthew's face as he watched the pair bickering in the distance. "You'd hoped a night together would help them talk things out and move forward, Mrs. Watson," he murmured,shaking his head and releasing a heavy sigh. "Now their troubles only/ seem worse. What on earth are we supposed to do next?"
Still brooding,he watched Millie and Brandon march toward the villa, their argument far from over. Not wanting to interfere, he kept a careful distance behind them.
The morning dawned with a cold silence at the breakfast table. Not a word passed between Millie and Brandon as they ate. Later, when Millie sat down with Derek and Norma, she skillfully sidestepped the whole tanzanite issue at the auction, beginning instead with Charles' invitation and quickly explaining her plans to adopt Ari.
No opposition came from Derek and Norma regarding Millie's wish to put Ari's name under her mother's on the register.
In their minds, for all the heated words and standoffs,Millie and Brandon's marriage still stood. With time,
every misunderstanding could be mended, and the promise of children remained on the horizon.
Reminders of recent closeness between husband and wife lingered-Brandon's lips still bore proof.
On top of everything, neither was old enough for formal adoption just yet, making this the only workable solution.
Welcoming another child into the family hardly seemed a burden. If Millie felt drawn to care for Ari,then their hope was simple-she would pour her love and attention into raising the little girl well.
"When you get a chance, Millie, bring Ari by for a visit."A gentle reminder slipped from Derek.
Reluctance bubbled up in MMillie,but she knew full well how much sway the Watson Group carried in Crobert.If Derek wished to see Ari, nothing would really stop him.
Choosing her battles, Millie decided it was smarter to agree on her own terms. That way, she could manage the details of their meetings. Besides, Derek never struck her as someone who would stoop to low tactics.
She answered him with a quiet nod.
Catching that gesture, Brandon became even more certain about his own suspicions.
He gave nothing away, however, simply lowering his gaze and staying silent in front of Derek.
A few pleasantries later, their time at Watson Mansion wrapped up.
Stepping away from Moonlit Estate, Millie made her way straight to her car.
Every move was practiced: opening the door, buckling up, turning the key, and pulling away all flowed together seamlessly.
Not once did she glance in Brandon's direction.
From the curb, Brandon could only watch as Millie sped off without hesitation. He kept behind her for a block, but at the next intersection, their paths split-his car veering away in the opposite direction.
She went to pick up Ari and then dropped her off at school for the day. No sooner had she left than her phone rang with a call from Alexia.
On the line, Alexia's voice brimmed with energy."Millie, can you come by? We're working on pulling the data from Tia's phone!"
Word had first reached Millie after the second live stream of Heavenly Melody-Alexia mentioned she caught someone filming the event in secret. That evening， the two discussed it further， and是he learnt the spectator wanted to expose the truth but lacked the proof to do so.
Trust began to build after a few more conversations,and Alexia eventually verified the details the person shared.
Connecting with the expert Giffard had recommended proved tricky, since he was currently overseas and shipping the device would be complicated.
Only yesterday, Alexia had sat down with Seville. As soon as he heard about the phone, his enthusiasm to get involved was obvious.
Today, the plan was to meet Seville's brother to try and recover the lost data.
Nerves still had a hold on Alexia, despite her confidence. "Millie, I know | could probably handle this myself, but it would mean a lot if you came and helped us figure out our next steps," she said over the phone.
Agreement came easily to Millie as she slowed the car with a gentle press of the brake.
Not wasting a second, she added, "I'm on my way.Just text me the details." The moment their call ended, a new message buzzed on her phone with the address.
Without hesitation, Millie spun the wheel and redirected herself to meet Alexia.
A short drive later, her car slipped into a parking space in front of the building.
Her steps took her up to the seventh floor, where she paused and pressed the button for apartment 716.
The door swung open just moments later, revealing Alexia's eager face.
Joy practically radiated from Alexia as she spotted Millie. "You made it!" she blurted out,excitement lighting up her features.
For days, Alexia had been counting down to this moment.
Guilt had weighed on her since Millie's accident.Finally making some progress with the data to help Millie felt like a baby step toward making things right.
The possibility of Seville bringing that crucial audio into the open meant Vivian would finally face the consequences.
Reaching into her pocket, Alexia pulled out a mask. "Need one of these? I never shared your actual identity with Seville," she whispered.
Millie simply offered a smile and shook her head.
Seville had shown nothing but sincerity, his actions proving he truly wanted to help.
Because of that, Millie decided he deserved her trust.
Stepping over the threshold, she pulled the door shut and met Seville as he came forward. A small nod and an outstretched hand signaled her greeting.
With a calmn voice, she introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Serena."
Recognition shot across Seville's face, his mouth half -open in shock before he managed to cover it.
A beat passed before his astonishment tumbled out."Wait-you're Millie!"