Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 375

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Mila gave her head a little shake.

Stop it, she told herself.

Adrian was, after all, the Montgomery family's only heir now. If anything, the Montgomerys would be even more cautious and protective of him than she could ever be. As long as he didn't put himself in harm's way, nothing would happen to him.

There was no need for her to worry.

Having talked herself around, Mila picked up the invitation lying on the table, glanced idly at the signature at the bottom, and tossed it straight into the trash. Whether the sender meant trouble or not, she didn't want to go.

The next few days slipped by in a rare stretch of easygoing calm. Mila stayed at Lillian's Manor in Bamboo Grove with Miranda and Julian. Occasionally, Forrest would drop by in the evenings, joining them for dinner or a backyard barbecue. For once, life felt unhurried.

As soon as the bruise on her hand-courtesy of an ill-fated ceramic plate-began to heal, Mila started sorting through the photos from their road trip. She cataloged the landscapes and people they'd encountered, jotting down bursts of inspiration for future design projects. Whenever she did this, Julian would curl up beside her, listening intently as she described the gorgeous, sweeping scenery they'd seen, his eyes shining with wonder.

"Can I travel with you too, Mom?"

"Of course you can."

Mila gently pinched his chubby cheek. "When you get a little older, you'll have plenty of friends to join you on adventures-to see the world, the mountains, and the sea."

"But I just want to go with you," Julian said softly, clinging to his mother's hand, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Mila smiled.

still was. He hadn't yet seen how wide the world could be, or met many people outside their little circle. How could he imagine anything

even if you change your mind someday,

change my mind," Julian insisted, gripping her hand tighter.

teasing voice from behind, making Julian jump. He pouted. "Aunt

In her view, since Julian called Mila "Mom," and given how close she and Mila were almost like sisters-it was only right! With her

away for a bit, she knew Miranda would keep an eye

and Julian chase each other around the house-it was mostly Miranda

a fleeting moment, she wished time would freeze right here,

sentimentality, and got back to work, fingers flying over

sparked an idea for her next design collection-one themed around landscapes and nature. In fact, she was confident she knew

she couldn't sketch yet, the designs had already taken shape in her mind. All that remained was to choose the right materials and, once she

Mila sighed quietly.

if she worked day and night, she doubted she

have to

so be it. She'd sleep less and do her

always finished work early, came knocking at their door, his voice

"Dinner's ready!"

cook, Miranda's cooking left much to be desired, and Mila-while a great cook-was still nursing her hand. With the manor so far from

the day, Howard would deliver their food. At night, Forrest joined them for

called, scooping up a giggling Julian and heading