Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 394

The forest banquet was finally over.

By the time Mila was brought back to the old manor, night had fallen and she was close to collapsing from exhaustion. The dress they'd stuffed her into was far too tight and heavy, chafing with every step she took. But what bothered her even more was that, during the entire feast, she'd managed to snag just a single bite-

sized pastry.

She hadn't even gotten a chance to try another before being whisked away.

Moving listlessly in sync with the maid's brisk motions, Mila let the woman peel the crimson gown-more of a shackle than a dress-off her body. She slipped into a light, white silk nightgown and sprawled on the sofa, too drained to care. Still, clinging to a sliver of hope, she asked weakly, "Is there any dinner?"

The maid ignored her, simply redressing the bandage on Mila's left hand before leaving in silence.

So, no dinner again tonight. Great.

She genuinely didn't get it. Cossio was impossible to predict. If she spoke up, he punished her; if she stayed quiet and tried to blend into the background, she still got denied food. What did he even want from her?

This place was suffocating. She couldn't bear another day of it.

As soon as the room was empty except for her and the wolf, Mila sprang into action. She dug her fingers into the crevice of the sofa and fished out two gold- foil-wrapped chocolates.

She'd swiped them at the banquet when Cossio wasn't looking-her only successful heist of the night.

She pressed one of the candies to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent of chocolate, and for a moment, it soothed the storm inside her. Her stomach, though, had other ideas and let out a loud, indignant growl.

hesitation, she crawled into bed and slid one piece of chocolate into the

unwrapped the other, but didn't wolf it down; just nibbled off half. The chocolate melted on her tongue, rich and velvety, its sweetness chasing away the faint bitterness. For a moment, she almost felt

suddenly dipped beside

aimed right at the remaining half of chocolate in her hand. Mila jerked away, shaking her head and scolding in a hushed voice, "No way, you can't have

glared at the greedy beast. He feasted on meat every single day, and now he wanted to steal

and tucked it back into the crack under the pillow, just in case the next round of linen-changing maids decided

She'd savor it later-slowly.

edge of the bed, Mila cocooned herself in the blankets. She'd figured him out by now- mischievous and greedy, yes, but disciplined.

her chocolate stash

a day like this, with only half a chocolate to her name, Mila woke in the middle of the night, stomach aching with hunger.

now.

Almost.

the blood-red canopy, dazed and empty, then suddenly sat up. No, she'd never get used to this. She was starving. She needed to do something -fast. If she didn't figure out a way out

She'd had enough.

she got up,

might as well use him as an early warning system. If trouble showed up, the wolf would

slipped out under the cover of darkness. She hoped to scout around, search for an

padded silently down the corridor

stairs, her eyes fell on a faceless woman's portrait. She couldn't

familiar the painting felt, though she couldn't quite place it. The woman in the portrait was young, that much was clear. If it was who Mila suspected, the painting must have been hung here

But something was odd.

heads of the family, important figures who had shaped the