Boss, Your Wife Signed the Divorce Agreement Before the Wedding novel Chapter 386

Raelynn hadn't anticipated the atmosphere in the room could somehow grow even more suffocating, but here they were. Lily, blissfully unaware of the psychological warfare happening above her head, broke into a massive smile the second she saw Ian's name. Her little dimples were absolutely radiant. She eagerly tapped the answer button. Ian's striking face appeared on the screen. "Daddy! How's the weather? Did you eat a good meal today?" the little girl chirped, her voice dripping with sweet concern. A warm smile broke across Ian's usually stoic features. "It's sunny. I had a sandwich. It was alright." Lily immediately filled him in. "We're eating dinner right now! But we have a guest. A mister came over." Ian paused. "A mister?" Lily happily grabbed the tablet and panned the camera directly to Sebastian, who was sitting across the table from her and Raelynn. Ian stared in dead silence for several agonizing seconds. Finally, he gave a curt nod. "Mr. Croix." Sebastian leaned back in his chair, his expression completely unbothered. "Mr. Hudson. Isn't it around four in the morning over there?" "I appreciate the concern, but I always have time to speak with my daughter, no matter the hour," Ian shot back smoothly. Raelynn kept her mouth shut. The sheer awkwardness of the situation was almost suffocating. Lily looked between the screen and the man at the table. "Daddy, do you know this mister?" Ian chuckled softly. "You could say that. Mr. Croix and I go way back." Raelynn flinched slightly. Was Ian just making casual conversation, or was that a deliberate jab? Ian was fully aware that Sebastian was Lily's actual father. Sebastian immediately picked up on the hidden edge in Ian's words, even if he couldn't quite put his finger on why it was there. He slowly raised his eyes, shooting a pointed look at Raelynn. "You must be very trusting, to hand your daughter over to someone else so easily." "She adores Raelynn. I believe in satisfying my daughter's wishes wherever her heart leads her," Ian replied effortlessly. It was a loaded statement. Sebastian heard the unspoken threat loud and clear. If Lily decided she wanted Raelynn to be her stepmother, Ian was more than willing to make it happen. Sebastian ignored the bait. "She's a very sweet kid." Ian offered a perfectly polite, entirely lethal smile. "Thank you. Perhaps you and the woman you love should start making plans for your own." Raelynn stared firmly at her plate. The woman he loved. Not his wife. Seraphina. Throughout the entire exchange, Ian deliberately avoided any mention of Sebastian and Raelynn's marriage, playing the role of the oblivious suitor flawlessly. The conversation was bordering on dangerous, and Raelynn knew she couldn't stay quiet any longer. She finally spoke up. "When are you coming back, Ian?" "I don't have a hard date yet. I'll let you know as soon as my flight is booked." "Okay." Lily shoved the tablet toward Raelynn, forcing her into the frame while the little girl pressed herself tightly against Raelynn's side. To an outsider, they looked exactly like a picture-perfect family chatting with the husband away on a business trip. Sebastian didn't move a muscle. He just sat there, his dark eyes watching their cozy little domestic scene with an icy, detached stare. "Thank you for looking after her, Raelynn," Ian said softly. Raelynn's heart gave a little lurch. She was genuinely moved. She knew exactly what Ian was doing. By publicly treating the arrangement as a favor, he was actively shielding her, destroying any suspicion Sebastian might have about why Lily was living in her apartment. He was giving her the right to act like a mother while keeping her explosive secret perfectly safe. "Of course," she promised. Sebastian didn't stick around for them to say their goodbyes. He stood up without a word. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Lily had been swinging her legs so hard that one of her small slippers had tumbled to the floor. Without a second thought, Sebastian walked over, dropped to one knee, and gently slipped the little shoe back onto her foot.