His Last Command Came Back to Kill Him novel Chapter 52

But those dreams had long been pulverized by harsh reality. She would never have a child.

Taking a quiet breath, Whitley forced the swirling emotions down. She looked up, offering a polite, flawless smile. "When the time is right, it’ll happen."

It was a breezy, effortless response that neatly sidestepped the heavy topic.

Just then, the sound of soft footsteps echoed near the entrance of the Sherwood Manor. Everyone instinctively turned to look.

Yelena walked in.

Whitley frowned. What kind of stunt is she pulling now?

Yelena was dressed in a flowy pastel dress, her hair cascading softly over her shoulders. She wore a sweet, elegant smile. Carrying a beautifully wrapped gift, she looked every bit the picture of delicate grace.

As soon as she entered, her gaze swept affectionately over the room. "Happy birthday, Esther. Wishing you health and happiness," she said in a soft, melodic voice. "I'm Whitley's sister. I heard it was your special day and felt I had to come pay my respects."

Since she was a guest—and Whitley's sister—Esther's family warmly welcomed her, offering her a seat.

Clive merely glanced at Yelena. His dark eyes were completely unreadable, and he didn't say a word.

Watching from the sidelines, Whitley let out a silent scoff. With all the relatives around, of course Clive wasn't going to cozy up to Yelena in public.

He really was an incredible actor.

It didn't take a genius to figure out Yelena hadn't shown up uninvited. Clive had probably tipped her off, bringing her straight into the heart of the family celebration just to flaunt their twisted bond right under Whitley’s nose.

She wondered just how long they planned to keep up this charade. The two of them were truly inseparable.

Yelena lowered her head in mock humility. "Just a little. I'm not that great." She looked back up at Clive, her eyes practically shining with expectation, waiting for him to agree.

The entire room turned their attention to him.

Whitley stared at him too, feeling completely numb. She fully expected him to agree without hesitation. She waited for him to perform a romantic duet with Yelena in front of the whole family, completely shredding whatever was left of their pathetic marriage.

At least then, filing for divorce would be entirely justified, and no one could blame her for it.

There was almost zero chance he would turn Yelena down. They had probably planned this whole stunt in advance. Why would he miss such a perfect opportunity to show off his real love?

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Clive finally spoke. "I'll pass. It's not really appropriate."