Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 453

He stopped mid-step, then suddenly dashed forward and grabbed Leonard's hand. Looking up, his eyes sparkled with hope. "Leonard, you'll stay with me forever too, right?"

Just like you're always with Mom and Dad.

Leonard froze, caught off guard.

For a moment, seeing the child's trusting, adoring gaze, that face-usually as cold and unmoving as winter ice-softened. The corners of his lips lifted in a fleeting smile so subtle that when Adrian blinked, it was already gone, like he'd imagined it. But he did hear Leonard's voice, surprisingly gentle.

"I'll always be here."

"But even if I'm not, young master, you don't need to worry. There's someone out there waiting for you in the future, someone who'll stay by your side forever- longer than your parents, longer than me."

That was the Montgomery family's way.

Leonard, though, belonged to the master and madam.

"Your mother's here. Go on now."

At the end of the hallway, Mila appeared, turning the corner with easy grace. Her dark hair was pinned up with a simple comb, and her pale, flowing dress seemed to catch the moonlight, wrapping her in a gentle, silvery glow. Seeing her approach, Leonard stopped beneath the eaves.

"Mom!"

Adrian's question vanished in an instant. He raced over, flinging himself into Mila's arms. She caught him easily, taking the rumpled school jacket from his hand without a word, then gave Leonard a polite nod before leading Adrian away.

A warm spring breeze drifted through the corridor, carrying Mila's soft voice to Leonard. "What did your grandfather say? Did he scold you?"

"He just told me not to get into fights..."

should listen

smell so nice. Did you make

I

your great-grandpa a bowl, all

"Got it."

Leonard hasn't eaten either. I'll

voices of mother and son faded down the hall, Leonard stood quietly under the eaves. He tipped his head back to gaze at the bright curve of the moon, feeling, for once,

"Sir."

Madam and young master were just here. Sorry for

"I understand."

After dinner, Mila coaxed Adrian to take his medicine, then sat beside him at the desk as he worked on his

that he needed any real

never been a cause for

working on her own projects-just keeping him company

arranged for Adrian to stay home and rest for a week, giving him a break from schoolwork, too. She was

and well-behaved it was

though his grades were good, he'd hated homework-always wanting to play games or watch cartoons instead. Any attempt to get him to

told her to stop nagging so much, and eventually, she'd given up. She never

in just one

admit, it was Adrian's great-grandfather who worked the real magic. Mila knew she could

on a commission from a high-profile British client who had

was for a British prince, and Splendid had been chosen

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bouncing between managing Montgomery Holdings and Splendid's executive meetings home and abroad-not that she enjoyed it, but she couldn't avoid

Even so, Mila never gave up her

some of her creations had even made it