The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 370

Keen spoke in a low voice. "It's no use telling Mom. When those men tripped me, no one stood up for her either. All they did was laugh at her—and not a single person defended her."

He hesitated, bitterness tightening his small features. "A mom like that... she just isn't strong enough to help me with any of this."

He went on quietly, "And earlier, when Sheldon's mom found out mine was Marvin's guardian, she made that mean boy get on his knees and apologize. She wasn't afraid of my mom at all."

His voice wavered. "If I'd been the one who broke the rules today, would I have had to kneel and apologize too?"

A heavy silence settled over the room. Haynes and Neville both turned to look at Mrs. Ayers.

Caught in their gaze, Mrs. Ayers went pale as a sheet. Her knees threatened to give out beneath her.

Keen's voice carried on, clear and unwavering. "And Grandma said I'm the future heir to the O'Brien Group, so I should handle these things myself—instead of always running to the grown-ups for help."

dark eyes glittered with a complex, unreadable

a great deal in Keen's education, and

old. Faced

that Keen's stubbornness-his boldness with Stella-came from the deep well of love he'd received from her. Love was rare for him, and that made it

for Marvin. He'd learned early that anything he wanted had to be

over the room, a silence so

and looked down on, the real reason-at the root-comes down to

Mrs. Ayers, whose face was now ghostly with fear,

words were blunt, with no trace of courtesy. "Mr. O'Brien, have you ever heard this saying? Only a weak man

Star divorced you. You probably thought she was making a big deal out of nothing, right? Never even considered that you might have done

almost gentle smile on Neville's lips, but every word