Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 575

The lawn was alive with laughter and conversation.

Despite a few hiccups, the engagement party was finally underway. Once the toasts were mostly done, Mila told the guests to make themselves at home-eat, drink, play, and relax as they pleased. After all, the whole resort was booked out for a month. Even after today, she and Forrest would be staying on for a while, so it made sense to let everyone enjoy themselves now.

Mila leaned over to Forrest, murmured a few words, then slipped away toward the back of the estate, planning to catch her breath and change into something more comfortable before rejoining the festivities.

She'd made it halfway down the hall when someone called her name.

Howard hurried up, looking pale. He lowered his voice. "Ms. Sutherland, there's a problem. Mrs. Montgomery... she's gone. Mr. Sutherland took Mr. Montgomery to the security room to check the cameras."

Mila froze.

She blinked, trying to process the words. Had she misheard? Who was missing?

Mrs. Montgomery.

Felicity?

"Mmm... That smell... roses?"

The sun was setting, painting the resort grounds in warm amber. Felicity wandered among the deep green trees at the edge of the property, eyelashes fluttering as she followed the faint scent she'd caught earlier on the lawn.

It was a strange, lovely fragrance.

Like roses.

Felicity knew that scent well.

Not long ago, Mila had gifted her a special bottle of rose perfume. She'd adored it, used it often, even tried to mix her own version, but she could never quite capture the same note. Later, she'd called Mila and learned that the perfume's roses were a rare variety, created by the perfumer's mentor through years of cultivation. No wonder she couldn't replicate it.

roses just weren't

idea of recreating the scent, and the

stumble across that fragrance today-here, of all places. Not exactly the same, but close. Her nose was sharp; this wasn't the same perfume, but she was certain

wound deeper into the woods

kind of rose

lifted her white skirt, stepping lightly through shadowed trees. She passed through the dusk and into a wooden, gabled cottage tucked at the forest's

stepped inside and

out-two stories open to the peaked roof, empty save for a pair of stained-glass windows set into the wall. The fading sun blazed through them, scattering red and gold light across the bare floor, filling the space with a surreal, jewel-toned

the windows was a

only see his

his hair long, brushing his shoulders

tell, just from the sharp lines of his shoulders and neck, that he was

She smiled to herself.

intrude, she paused at the door, peeking

furniture, not even a

the scent

the man. He wore a black trench

fixed on the sunset outside. The last light gilded his figure in gold and red, giving

in the air grew

felt a little

strange sense of familiarity tugged at her. Had they met before? She was certain she'd remember a

A figure like this...

a hand to her forehead. The scent was

"Are you coming in?"

for years. It was beautiful, she thought, too

looked up, just in time to see the man