Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 513

"Why?" Mila asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Because in this marriage," Miranda said, pointing at herself, her tone earnest and sincere, "I'm the one calling the shots. If I want to go home, I go home. If I don't, I don't, and he doesn't dare say a word. If he did, well, I'd just walk away!"

"...Seriously?" Mila eyed her dubiously.

"As serious as it gets!" Miranda replied instantly.

Mila mulled it over. Come to think of it, that really did seem to be the case... Every time she'd seen Roland at a party back home, he'd always ask Miranda if she was doing well, or when she might come home. Anyone with half a brain could tell he genuinely missed her.

But Miranda just never went home.

What puzzled Mila most was that Roland was hardly known for being easygoing; in fact, with the Lockwoods' notorious criminal ties, he was the last man one would expect to tolerate such behavior... How could he still speak to Miranda so gently, even as she stayed away for days on end? Mila hadn't seen that coming.

Could Miranda really be telling the truth?

Still... something about this whole thing felt off.

Wait a second!

"No, hold on, none of this sounds remotely realistic." Mila's reason finally wrestled control from her confusion. She started picking apart Miranda's logic, piece by piece. "First of all, do you really think someone like Lysander is so easy to control? You're talking about me ordering him around, tossing him out on a whim, humiliating him—are you sure he wouldn't just tear me to pieces?"

Her goal was to stay as far away from Lysander as possible!

She almost got sidetracked.

Miranda took a deep breath and pressed on, stubbornly, "That's why you have to have control! If you're the one holding the reins, why wouldn't you be able to handle him?"

"I couldn't," Mila answered honestly.

A man like Lysander-strong-willed, domineering, and terrifyingly self-centered- couldn't even be controlled by his own family; what hope did she have? She was well aware of her limits. "And even if I could, why would I want to? All I want is for him to stay far, far away from me. Why on earth would I go looking for trouble with him?"

him once in college, and

she learned

groaned internally. Why did Mila have to

at her

like coughing up

was all Lysander's fault! It wasn't enough that he'd roped her into this mess today's stunt

do it. She

about giving up, Lysander's threats echoed in her mind, and she pictured Roland's deceptively gentle smile. She

No, no way.

Lockwoods again... That would be a fate worse than death! She'd risk anything with Mila by her side, but to

real goal probably wasn't to hurt Mila at

really, Miranda hadn't said

madman-if there wasn't someone strong enough to keep him in check, he was like an unleashed beast, biting anyone within reach. In the end,

one would walk

spoke for

for what? For

had no idea if he

did she

hard place; she had no

hope-what if, just what if, Mila really could tame this beast? What if she could actually get

After all,

was the beast who wanted

a weakness-a chink in the armor. But of course, that only holds true if the person on the receiving

just one-sided

no

however slim, or she'd

need something to hope for,

Miranda sighed inwardly.

"Mila."