Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 470

Back at the restaurant, Mila hadn't exactly been at her wits' end, but she'd been anxious enough—afraid Sophia would actually lose control and stab someone for real. Her heart had been pounding so hard she could barely hear herself think.

She'd almost gritted her teeth and agreed to Sophia's demands.

Honestly, what choice did she have? If going along with Sophia bought her some time to figure out a solution, it was better than provoking her into a meltdown— nobody wanted to see blood on the floor.

She'd long since learned not to count on unstable people to act rationally.

But then, against all odds, someone had actually managed to talk Sophia down. Mila had no idea who pulled it off, but whoever had that kind of influence was someone she'd very much like to meet.

And yet...

She couldn't shake the memory of the odd look Sophia had given her when she answered that phone call-a look that made Mila's nerves prickle all over again.

She knew she wouldn't rest easy until she got to the bottom of it.

Up in the driver's seat, Leonard kept his eyes fixed on the road, his expression unreadable as he answered in his usual calm tone, "I just found an elder from the Pembroke family to have a word with her."

"A Pembroke family elder?" Mila shot him a dubious look. "What business do they have meddling in my affairs?"

"If Sophia ended up back in prison over this, the Pembroke family would have a hard time explaining it. It would bring shame on their family's reputation-and Nathaniel's as well, especially with his engagement coming up.” Leonard's explanation was matter-of-fact.

Family reputation? Engagement?

It all sounded plausible enough, and for a moment Mila almost let herself believe

it. But if it was just a warning from the Pembroke family, how did that explain the strange look Sophia had given her when she took the call?

type to listen

the story all too well. Back when the Pembroke family's infamous murder case had gone to trial, Miranda Wayne had told her all about it. The family had tried every trick in the book-pleading mental illness, offering settlements—anything to get Sophia off without jail time. It was Sophia herself who'd blown it,

ever going to listen,

Something didn't add up.

kept her doubts to herself, only casually asking which elder had intervened. Leonard said it was Sophia's mother, who had moved overseas years ago and was no longer in the country. With that, Mila dropped the subject, but her

her cheating husband anymore. And from what Mila had heard, the man's appetite for trouble was

was off-limits. No boundaries

did was make everyone around them miserable. And if they

had been the

Nathaniel? He wouldn't

wasn't sure what to feel about

the road. Sighing, she fished out her phone, her thumbs flying over the screen as she sent a quick text, eyes drifting to the

had fallen by now, the streets glowing with

snagged on the alley beside a bar across the street. She barely had time to register the familiar figure before

"Stop the car!"

voice snapped through the

screeched to a halt at the curb,

light before sprinting across toward

after her, not even bothering

he

of the alley, a couple of

blindly. Instead, she

in.

She'd learned her lesson.

The alley was pitch-black-some

bulb, probably. Mila ran forward, phone in hand, flashlight and camera app both on. As the sounds of pain grew louder, she ignored the ache in her throat and shouted, "Hands up! The police are on their