Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 431

"What a beautiful sight."

Cossio's voice was cool and measured. "Sellers, have you ever heard the tale of the petal murder?"

Standing quietly behind him was a blond, blue-eyed man. Had Mila been there, she would have recognized him instantly—the very man who had cornered her with a gun on her first, harrowing day at the castle, forcing the wolves back and driving her down to the ground floor.

Sellers replied, "I'm not familiar with it, sir. Would you enlighten me?"

"Do you remember the painting I bought once-*The Roses of Heliogabalus*? It depicts a massacre, a madman's act of cruelty."

Cossio's green eyes grew darker, haunted by some inner shadow.

"History tells of a tyrant who, for sport, threw a lavish banquet and rigged the ceiling with a deadly surprise-nearly four hundred thousand roses poured down upon his guests, suffocating them beneath a sea of petals. Thus was born the legend of the deadly rose."

"Sellers, do you think petals can really kill?"

"I wouldn't know, sir."

Cossio's lips curled into a sly smile. "Well, I'm curious to find out. Go on, let's send our guests a little present."

Sellers nodded and slipped away.

Downstairs, as the music swelled to its fevered peak, a sudden explosion erupted overhead. A torrent of crimson roses rained down from the domed ceiling,

drenching the crowd in a downpour of petals.

Guests screamed at first-then broke into delighted cheers, spinning and laughing as they danced in the floral storm.

Mila looked up, stunned. The endless cascade of roses bursting from the spire above made her eyes widen in shock. But as she gazed at the scarlet rain, she noticed black roses spinning among the red, arcing toward her like dark omens.

Cossio.

He's here.

Suddenly, someone seized her wrist and yanked her aside. She saw Lysander throw himself in front of her, his tall frame shuddering violently before he crashed to the floor amid the swirling petals.

What just happened?

At the top of the tower, Cossio drew a small silver pistol from his cane, his gaze calm and unwavering as he looked down through the storm of flowers at the fallen man below. A smile flickered across his lips.

"Sellers," he murmured, "I never bought into that story."

"Soft, beautiful flowers can't kill. They only intoxicate and distract... You young people are too arrogant."

slid the pistol back

below, at the blood soaking his shirt and the life draining

"Lysander, you've lost."

had never

set foot on this island-no, the moment he decided to risk everything to save her he had already

defeated by a beautiful

at last, the greatest obstacle between himself

At last,

could be reunited with

Are you kidding me?

petals underfoot. Mila knelt on the floor, clutching Lysander's bleeding

What happened?

to stem the flow. Her voice shook so badly it was barely recognizable. “What's going on? Lysander, are you joking? Wasn't I supposed to be the target? Why did you

Why?

she supposed to be the

Cossio? Didn't you say you were

are you the

"Why?!"

She couldn't understand.

"Somebody! Please, someone help!"

crowd surged past, trailing petals

Leonard.

Yes-Leonard!

and call for help, but the man's grip tightened around her fingers. Lysander managed

"Darling... it's too late."

promised I'd protect

protection!" Something inside Mila

don't need

the right

"I-I

tumbled out, broken. “I—I don't need you. Why would you take the bullet for me? I don't want you to. I want to hate you forever. How am I supposed to hate you if

no

want to hate you

"...Don't cry."

Lysander lifted his hand to wipe her tears, but he couldn't keep up. He managed a rueful, helpless smile.

"This is better, really."

hate the word 'ex-husband." His

much better. The Montgomery family... never divorced... and

"You"

landed on his blood-streaked face. Mila tried to speak, but her voice broke into sobs. She couldn't form a single word, her chest tight with grief and