Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 430

At that age, he simply couldn't understand.

Why did his mother hate his little brother so much? How had she changed into someone unrecognizable, the gentle mom he knew suddenly turning terrifying overnight?

But he never wanted to make her upset.

That night,

Unable to sleep, the boy crept down the hall to his parents' bedroom, hoping to apologize and comfort her. He silently promised himself never to mention his brother in front of her again.

As he passed the study,

He overheard his father talking with a doctor.

He hurried on to the bedroom.

No one was on the bed. Water dripped behind the bathroom door. He rushed in— and witnessed the nightmare that would haunt him forever.

Red water spilled over the edge of the tub.

His mother's slender, pale arm hung lifelessly across the porcelain. Dark crimson trickled down, curling across the floor toward his feet, wrapping itself around the boy's frantic, screaming soul, dragging him into darkness.

He collapsed beside the tub.

His trembling hands clutched her wrist, tears streaking his face. His chest heaved so hard he could barely breathe, choking out broken words between sobs.

"No, please... don't..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mom, I'm so sorry, please, open your eyes, look at me, don't, don't... don't die!"

"It's my fault, it's all my fault!"

"I lied, Mom, I lied. That wasn't my brother, I don't have a brother. His eyes aren't green, not green at all!"

"Mom, I lied!"

"I'm a liar! A liar!"

"That wasn't my brother-it was a monster, a monster!"

"I tricked you, please don't die, I'm begging you, it was all a lie, I'll never lie again, never again..."

His hysterical screams brought people running.

The house plunged into chaos that night.

Afterwards,

His mother returned.

But the terror-the deep, bone-chilling red-never left him. It clung to him, binding him for life.

In the bedroom.

Lysander clung tightly to the woman in his arms, drawing comfort from her

warmth. Only after a long while did his ragged breathing and thundering heartbeat finally settle.

With Mila by his side,

found a peace deep enough to

But now,

on the verge of

you can't leave

matter what, he wouldn't let that

would do

"A party? Tonight?"

immediately suspected what it meant.

neither confirmed nor denied it. "Your dress is ready. We'll go

this was it-the final

But she didn't understand-

party, what need was there for

their plan,

figure

if I don't

Mila asked.

smiled. "Darling, parties here are

party could be so different from

really meant: she had no choice.

she was really

No matter what, Cossio needed to

impossible to predict

That day,

They stayed in.

read and listened to music in the hotel, passing the day quietly until

had been custom-made

stars, encircled her waist, and gold tassels shimmered from the gown, catching the light with every step. The style was pure clássical Rome-elegant regal, and

a leather strap with a hidden knife around her wrist,

down t

cover it. Suddenly, he

chuckled.

old dress were

were

exactly what he meant the

then destroyed with those same

it up

lips together, slipped her arm from his grasp, and headed for

a Gothic castle on the outskirts of

reason, the drive felt slow-almost endless

of the castle's towering,

crowd had

first, offering his hand

her anyway, intertwining

tonight," he said

through the throng and into the grand

stood by the car, his expression as cold as ice,

"He's not coming in?"

past event, Leonard had shadowed Lysander.

things

Mila didn't press further.

details of the plan, but as

breath came shallow and

scanned the crowd,

of elegantly dressed men and women,