The door was half open, just a sliver of space between in and out.
Mila’s eyes widened as she met the gaze of the man who had turned to look at her. Her heart, which had been beating wildly, settled back into its proper rhythm.
What are you doing here…
Mama!
Julian, dressed in his raccoon pajamas, wobbled over, throwing himself at her with a whimper that echoed clearly in the dim hospital room.
Without pausing to question why this uncle-nephew duo was in her room at four or five in the morning, Mila crouched down to comfort the little boy, whose sobs were pitiful and soft.
Whatever had frightened him, and however long he’d been crying, it didn’t take long for him to exhaust himself and fall asleep in her arms.
After tucking him into the bed and ensuring he was snug under the covers, Mila turned her attention to Nathaniel. Both of their eyes mirrored the same puzzled expression.
Before she could speak, Nathaniel voiced his concern first:
You gave me a scare. I came by around three and didn’t find you here, and you weren’t answering your phone. I thought something had happened and was considering calling the police.
You scared me more!
Seeing someone in her hospital room had nearly stopped her heart; she feared it was Roland’s enemies coming after her with impressive speed.
She had been ready to run, only to find it was the Pembroke Family’s nephew and uncle.
Mila sighed inwardly. The situation she least wanted had happened, and she needed to find a way to explain it away.
She moved aside, took off her down jacket to reveal the hospital gown she had worn underneath, and hung it casually on the coat rack. Her tone was calm and matter-of-fact.
I was seeing a friend off and ended up chatting in the garage for a while. Why are you two here so suddenly, and what’s going on with Julian?
One lie leads to countless others. It’s exhausting.
Luckily, she had mentioned earlier that she’d be pulling an all-nighter working on a project with friends, so Nathaniel wasn’t suspicious. His attention shifted to Julian, concern etched on his face.
He had a nightmare and woke up crying for his mom. I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought him here…
Roland’s situation loomed over her like a sharp sword, ready to drop at any moment. It was terrifying.
She had to leave, and quickly.
If not for the impending court date, she would have left already. The opportunity was too rare, too vital.
Divorce? Leaving the country?
Nathaniel was taken aback, stunned by the flood of information, struggling to process it.
Did he hear right?
Mila was getting divorced? Was it Lysander’s decision?
Did his advice to Lysander really sink in, prompting him to act so swiftly? Was he really choosing Giselle?
Thinking that his advice might have led to this, Nathaniel felt a pang of guilt, knowing how much Mila adored Lysander.