Chapter 90

Brandon sat on the edge of the bed, his thoughts tangled and heavy

Nothing made sense anymore.

The more he tried to understand, the more everything slipped further out of his grasp.

He unlocked his phone and called Eugene.

"Find out when Millie last came to Serenity Villa," he said, voice low. "Ask the cleaning staff. I need to know how long it's been."

Eugene promptly sprang into action.

Not long after, Brandon's phone buzzed with a message. "Mr. Watson, it's a bit tricky. I've asked the cleaning staff to speak with you directly."

A call came through seconds later.

Brandon answered.

"Hello, Mr. Watson," the voice said quickly, "I'm the cleaner from Serenity Villa."

"You're the one in charge of cleaning the place, right?" Brandon asked, getting straight to the point."Tell me-when exactly did my wife move out?"

The cleaner paused to think before answering. "I'm not entirely sure about the exact date, but | think it's been about twenty days."

Twenty days.

That was right around the time they'd gone to file for divorce.

After a few more quick questions, Brandon ended the call.

He set the phone down beside him and slowly lay back on the bed, staring up at the blank, off-white ceiling.

Twenty days.

Had it really been that long?

In just a few more days, they'd be handed their final divorce papers.

It felt unreal. Divorce had always been something distant-never something that applied to him and Millie.

Was this truly what Millie wanted? To walk away from everything they had?

Brandon lay there in silence, thoughts circling in his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of it.

This couldn't be it. Not really.

Seven years. They had been together for seven years. And through it all, her love had been steady.

He had seen her passion-genuine and unwavering-reflected in her gaze more times than he could count.

And more than that, she had always cared deeply about the Bennett family's remaining business. She used to say it was her father's legacy, something she'd been a part of since childhood. She had worked tirelessly, managing those businesses now under the Watson Group like they were her own.

Through everything, she hadn't brought up the Bennett family's business, not once.

If she truly intended to walk away, she would have taken it with her.

That thought brought Brandon a small wave of relief.

Maybe she wasn't leaving after all. Maybe she was just angry-hurt.

Once she learned the truth behind everything, she would understand.

He just needed time. Six more months, and everything would be in place.

After that, he would treat her the way she deserved.

Still, there was one matter he knew he couldn't ignore any longer. He had to talk to her about Charles.

The night slipped by in silence.

By late April, the weather had begun to soften, and spring showers came more frequently.

That night, the rain had poured down relentlessly, but by morning, the skies had cleared just in time.

Millie held Ari's hand as they walked toward the kindergarten gate, the ground still damp beneath their feet.

She crouched down, kissed Ari on the cheek, and smiled. "I'll pick you up this afternoon," she said gently. "Alexia helped us make a hospital appointment, so after school, we'll go for your check-up.Sound good?"

Ari nodded cheerfully and returned the kiss with a soft giggle, her innocence making Millie's heart swell.

Millie pulled her into one last hug before letting go. With her tiny backpack bouncing behind her, Ari walked into the school building, and Millie watched her go, a soft smile lingering on her lips.

The previous night, Millie had gone to see Rita for a follow-up, and the news had been reassuring-her condition was steadily improving.

Deep down, she could feel it too.

Since Ari had come into her life, something within her had started to heal.

Each day, the shadows of her past grew fainter. She believed that by choosing to move forward and leaving behind what once broke her, she was slowly finding herself again.

With that thought steadying her, Millie turned away and headed toward Alex's place.

There were still things to take care of today.

More importantly, she needed to start preparing for the semifinals of Heavenly Melody.

Time passed quietly, swallowed by the day's demands.

When Brandon stirred from sleep, the clock had already slipped past noon.

He reached for his phone instinctively, but aside from routine notifications and meaningless updates,

there was nothing from Millie. Not a single word.

Despite the messages he had sent and the calls he had made, the silence remained unbroken-as if she had disappeared into thin air.

He had spent the night alone in the master bedroom at Serenity Villa. Even after pouring himself a few drinks, the emptiness of the house had crept in like a cold wind, making it impossible to rest.

For a fleeting moment, a strange thought crossed his mind-was this what it felt like to be the husband left behind? Alone in a big, empty house?

Brandon sat up and shook his head, brushing the thought away. "Ridiculous," he thought.

Brandon.headed to the study to catch up on the morning's work. A stack of unfinished tasks waited for him,along with several messages from Vivian that he replied to without much thought.

When he finally looked up from the screen, it was already late afternoon.

His thoughts drifted back to Millie. He had to find her. But she wasn't answering his calls or texts.She wasn't at Serenity Villa either. Where else could she be?

Then it clicked-Ari.

Millie always picked her up from kindergarten in the afternoon. That was his only lead.

Without wasting another moment, Brandon requested the address of the kindergarten and drove straight there in his Maybach, arriving just before dismissal.

He hadh't planned on doing anything-just waiting quietly for Millie. But as he scanned the schoolyard,he spotted a little girl sitting alone on a low stone bench near a tree. It was Ari.

She was focused, a crayon in hand, sketching on a piece of paper in her lap. Brandon hesitated. Then,after a moment's thought, he walked over and sat on the bench next to her.

Curious, he leaned slightly to look at her drawing.

It was simple, childlike-full of soft colors and uneven lines.

A tall figure with long hair held hands with a smaller child.

Ari was now carefully writing a word beside the tall figure, each letter slow and wobbly. Mom.

Brandon's heart ached quietly. She was drawing herself and Millie.

But as he stared at the picture, something about it felt incomplete-like someone was missing from the scene.

He looked up-and found Ari watching him.

Her big round eyes blinked curiously at the man sitting beside her.

"Mister, she asked in a bright, innocent voice, "are you waiting here for your child, too?"

Mister.

Not "Dad." She called Millie "Mom," but she didn't know who he was.

Brandon opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to correct her. But then he stopped.

Millie hadn't told Ari about him. So what right did he have to say anything?

He forced a soft smile, choosing a gentler response instead.he said."|just want to watch you draw."

"You're doing a really good job," Brandon added quietly, looking down at her picture again.

Ari looked up with a cheerful smile and pointed at the taller figure in her drawing. "This one's my mommy," she said proudly. "Isn't she the prettiest?"

Brandon nodded with a soft smile. "She is. Very pretty."

Ari beamed. "I think so too! My mom's the most beautiful lady in the whole wide world."

Her joy was pure and contagious. Brandon couldn't help but smile along.

Yes, she was right-Millie truly was beautiful.

After a quiet moment, Brandon glanced back at the drawing."Hey,"he said gently, "can I ask you something?"

Ari blinked up at him,curious.

He pointed to the blank space beside the two figures. "Do you think... maybe you could draw me in here? Standing next to you and your mom?"

Ari looked down at her drawing, clutching it tightly. Then she shook her head. "No, I can't,"she said simply. "This picture is just for me and Mom."

Brandon's smile faltered a little, but he tried to keep his tone light. "What if I buy you some ice cream?Would that change your mind?"

But Ari shook her head again, more firmly this time. "Mommy said I'm not allowed to eat ice cream."Then she added seriously, "And I'm not supposed to take things from strangers."

Brandon opened his mouth to say something, but she continued before he could speak."Ifyou want a drawing," she said earnestly, "you should ask your own kid to draw one for you."

She looked at him now with cautious eyes, as if she was starting to wonder if she should be talking to him at all.

Brandon blinked, caught off guard.

Her innocent words cut deeper than anything else could have.