He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 668

Standing before the full-length mirror, he surveyed the angry patchwork of purple and blue bruising his torso.

"Heh..."

A cold, bitter chuckle escaped his lips.

He knew the other man looked just as battered, if not worse.

But even knowing that didn't soothe the suffocating knot of resentment twisting in his gut.

He knew better than anyone that the ultimate resolution rested entirely on her.

How this ended depended completely on who she chose.

Swallowing those dark thoughts, he lowered his gaze and pulled on a fresh set of clothes.

By the time he reemerged, the living room was spotless, the metallic tang of blood entirely scrubbed from the air.

The heavy suite door had been securely shut.

He walked toward the child's bedroom.

The shock of the brawl had seemingly wiped away any trace of exhaustion from the little girl's system.

Having wiped away the girl's tears again, Helena was now cradling her in bed.

"Should I read you a bedtime story?" she asked softly.

Instead of answering, she just stared up at her.

The intense scrutiny made the older woman slightly uncomfortable.

Masking her unease, she smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

"Lena..." her soft voice floated into the quiet room. "You actually like Sebastian more, don't you?"

She stiffened.

Shaking her head instinctively, she murmured, "There is no future for him and me. But... our history is complicated. It's really hard to explain to you."

It was just far too messy.

In truth, the child was deeply entangled in that history.

Which made explaining it nearly impossible.

"You and Julian aren't really married, are you?" the child pressed.

"Why would you say that?" she asked, her voice dropping.

"Because you're not like Mommy and Daddy. You don't sleep in the same bed; you're always separate. The way my parents act with each other is totally different. You and him seem more like friends than husband and wife," she observed with shocking maturity.

The terrifyingly perceptive nature of children struck like a dagger.

She had effortlessly pierced through the fragile illusion of their marriage.

It was hard to tell if the little girl actually believed her.

As they spoke, the bedroom door swung open.

Her gaze flicked toward him, a spike of anxiety piercing her chest.

He appeared much calmer now, walking straight toward the bed.

She kept her mouth shut.

"Hey, kiddo," he murmured softly.

"Oh," she mumbled, looking up at him innocently.

Her chubby little hand reached out, gently patting his bruised cheek.

"Does it hurt?" she asked worriedly.

"Not at all," he smiled warmly. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier."

"Julian, you promise not to fight anymore?" she pouted.

"I promise," he agreed without a second's hesitation.

That instantly brought a brilliant smile to her face.

Thankfully, she didn't barrage him with the same heavy questions she had leveled at Helena earlier.