Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

"Useless! You can't even keep an eye on a child-what good are you? You've always been like this, draggingdown since you were little..." As expected, Nathaniel Pembroke was getting an earful.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but tonight Sophia Pembroke seemed especially irritable. She latched onto Nathaniel and didn't let up, scolding him about everything from his childhood mistakes, all the way to his failure tonight to watch the kids.

Not a moment's peace the whole evening.

He didn't dare ask how things were going at the hospital. Judging by Sophia's fury, it clearly hadn't gone well.

And he didn't dare hang up either.

Meanwhile- Mila Sutherland was handling something important, so Forrest Whitmore didn't linger. They parted ways, and he slid into the car that had cfor him. On the drive, his phone lit up with a call from Giselle Harvey.

He knew exactly why she was reaching out.

He answered without hesitation.

"Mr. Whitmore, should I congratulate you in advance? Looks like there's good news coming your way," Giselle's cheerful voice chimed through the phone.

"If things are going so well already, aren't you worried I might change my mind?" Forrest replied bluntly, cutting straight to her intention.

Giselle fell instantly silent.

She wasn't surprised by Forrest's directness-and truthfully, she was worried. She'd never expected Mila and Forrest to get so close so quickly. They were already looking after each other's kids? If things kept moving at this pace, Mila would soon be whispering in Forrest's ear at night. If Mila decided to throw a wrench in the works, what would happen to the project? At least until Lysander Montgomery returned, the project she'd set up still needed Forrest's reputation to keep the research team steady.

She couldn't afford to let go.

All those thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. She drew a deep breath, calmed herself, and replied with a laugh, "Why would I worry? I asked for your help because I trust your professionalism—and your integrity when it comes to contracts. Honestly, if you two are getting married soon, I can claim a little credit for that, can't I? I'll have to reserve a table at your wedding-and you can count on a generous gift from me." It was both a feeler and a genuine offer.

On one hand, Giselle hoped they'd tie the knot quickly-the sooner, the better, so Mila wouldn't mess up her plans. On the other hand, if things moved too fast, it might complicate the project's progress.

She was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Marriage isn't happening quite so soon," Forrest replied, sounding as if he hadn't picked up on her probing. "Her son-he's not exactly easy to get close to." Giselle breathed a sigh of relief.

That meant Forrest still needed her. The project was safe for now. She could finally relax, her tone lightening, "Adrian Montgomery? I know that boy well. Letteach you how to handle him-it'll be a breeze." "Oh?" Forrest's voice was unreadable. "Strange. From what I saw at the Pembrokes tonight, it seems like he can't stand you." 66 Giselle clenched her jaw and forced a smile. "That's... complicated. He has smisunderstandings aboutright now, but we used to get along perfectly well. You're new to him, so he's not on guard yet. Once you figure out what he likes, make a little effort-he's just a kid; it's not that hard." "I'll leave it to you, then." Forrest didn't bother challenging her obvious sugar-coating. He simply smiled and let it go.

As long as things got done, the details didn't matter to him.

He could tolerate plenty.

Truth be told, working with Giselle had been more than worthwhile so far-the woman was ambitious, and in sways, surprisingly effective.

Her methods, though, were a bit too ruthless.

If she ever lost her grip...

Forrest's lips twitched in a silent, private smirk. Not his problem.

Leaving the Pembroke house, Mila took Adrian home. But she didn't head for the old family estate, or to Lysander's grandfather's place.

Instead, she drove to the hshe shared with Jade in Kingsford-the place she'd stayed most often since returning.

Adrian had never been here before. Maybe it was the excitement of having his mother back, but even though it was late, he was bursting with energy, darting all over the house, poking into every nook and cranny he could find.

He only calmed down once Mila dragged him into the bathroom for a bath.

She let him bathe himself, promising a bedtstory and to sleep beside him. Only then did she finally go wash up herself, her mind heavy with worry.

She wasn't sure how to bring it up.

Should she just ask him outright? Or try to ease into it? But how?

That night, with a nightlight glowing softly in the bedroom, Mila sat on the edge of the bed, reading alou@from a storybook. Every so often, she answered Adrian's questions about the story, watching as he grew more animated, not the least bit sleepy. Eventually, she decided to broach the topic.

As she turned a page, she forced her voice to stay gentle and calm. “Adrian, are you and Julian Pembroke... good friends?" She wanted to start by asking about their relationship, to take it step by step.

But before she could continue,

Adrian-who moments ago had been lying on the bed, eyes wide and laughing along with her suddenly sat bolt upright. He knocked the storybook from her hands and, as Mita looked up in alarm, glared at her with wide, furious eyes. He burst out, his voice shrill with anger.

"Mom! Why are you askingthat? Don't you believeeither? I told you-l didn't push him! I didn't!" "I didn't!"

Mila hadn't expected him to react so fiercely. She froze for a second before snapping back into action ignorian's angry struggling as She grabbed his flailing arms and pulled him into a tight embrace, gently rubbing his back and murmuring soothing words, trying to calm him down.