Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 393

"Don't be afraid of me. That man, Cossio, he's violent-dangerous. He'll hurt you. Why don't you come with me instead?"

Mila bit her tongue, refusing to answer.

Is he for real? Just going to say that right in front of everyone?

What's his angle, being so blunt when Cossio's right there? Then again, maybe their relationship is close enough that this sort of thing isn't out of bounds.

Sure enough, the man everyone called Cossio-whose moods were notoriously unpredictable-didn't get angry. Instead, he simply yanked the other man aside and replied coolly in Italian, "She belongs to me."

The man just shrugged and dropped back into his seat at the poker table. As Cossio sat down, the man glanced at the veiled woman behind him and grinned. “Come on, Cossio, be serious. Let me have this beauty, will you? I caught a whiff of medicine on her-she's hurt. You always forget, women need to be cared for and cherished."

He seemed suddenly reminded of something, and went on, "Remember that foreign beauty from over twenty years ago? Didn't you—"

BANG!

The heavy ebony cane slammed down on the table, its tip aimed straight at the man's chest. Cossio's voice was icy and measured: "Are you challenging me to a duel? Fine. Name the place. Sign the contract."

A brief hush fell.

Then, as if on cue, the others crowded around the table burst out laughing and cheering, clapping their hands. "A duel! A duel!"

They were clearly here for the drama.

The man raised both hands in surrender, looking resigned. "Alright, alright, my fault for running my mouth. I'm not interested in a duel my lover's waiting for me back home."

The crowd groaned and booed, disappointed.

behind Cossio, her face hidden by a black veil, brow furrowed in thought. A foreign

all those years ago, there

how Cossio seemed oddly attentive whenever Felicity was mentioned. She tried

that Felicity had suffered

she didn't even

But... what if...

Felicity? And what if that man's

crept up Mila's spine, chilling her to the

really

warm embrace-kinder to Mila than her own mother ever was. Felicity had treated her like her own daughter, and Mila had come to love

she'd never considered

Mila couldn't recall any of the core

the more strange inconsistencies she noticed-so many things about

her head

Stop it.

Felicity's background was impeccable.

family of scholars. Mila had heard that Felicity was engaged to Lysander's father, Conrad, at eighteen. They'd been childhood sweethearts-the

the most respected families in the

how could anyone have hurt

No. Impossible.

could she even think such things

to get

her fingers tightened around the hem of her dress, knuckles

was true, what did these people want with

Meanwhile,