The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 125

Silas stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze locked onto Judith with a vicious intensity before snapping sharply to Jillian standing beside her.

In that fleeting second, memories buried for over a decade violently clawed their way to the surface.

He remembered the damp, rundown apartment. A scrawny little girl in pigtails gripping a new certificate tightly in her small hands, timidly offering it to him, her eyes practically begging for her father's approval.

Silas opened his mouth to speak.

Just then, a wave of boisterous chatter drifted out from the main hall.

The charity auction had ended, and the guests were standing up to mingle and network. Quite a few of them were already strolling toward the corridor.

Silas shot one last look at Jillian, abruptly turned on his heel, and strode back toward the hall, acting as if he hadn't seen them at all.

A sharp, agonizing pain seized Jillian's chest, and a suffocating chill swept through her entire body.

When she was young and foolish, she had often imagined what Silas would do if he ever saw her again. She wondered if he would be overwhelmed with guilt, if he would break down in tears and beg for her forgiveness for abandoning them.

Or perhaps he would remain cold and heartless, continuing to hurl insults and look at them with pure disgust.

But out of all the scenarios, she had never expected this.

Total, absolute erasure.

The mother and daughter turned to each other, a shared sense of absurdity and bone-deep disillusionment reflecting in their eyes.

Neither of them said a word.

"Jill, you should head back. I'm full," Judith finally whispered.

"Okay."

Jillian nodded gently. At that moment, the final, pathetic sliver of hope she had harbored for her father shattered into dust.

Holding a glass of wine, Killian approached Daniel with a tall, imposing posture and an air of effortless composure.

"Mr. Langley. It's been a while," Killian initiated, raising his glass in perfectly measured courtesy.

Daniel looked up and met the gesture. The two crystal glasses clinked softly. "It has."

"Jillian, a friend from my university," Daniel introduced her to the surrounding crowd. His tone was casual but carried a subtle, undeniable layer of protection that he rarely offered anyone.

Most of the guests didn't recognize Jillian, nor did they know she was Killian's wife.

But since Daniel Langley was personally introducing her, the crowd naturally looked at her with warm, welcoming smiles.

Sylvia's smile completely froze. The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by a glacial glare.

Someone nearby immediately jumped in to flatter him. "Mr. Langley is truly a lucky man, surrounded by two such brilliant and stunning women from his university."

It was meant as a compliment, but it inadvertently placed Sylvia and Jillian on the exact same pedestal.

Sylvia's fingers tightened into fists, her forced smile nearly cracking.

Daniel acted as if he hadn't heard the sycophantic praise. He turned to Jillian, his voice entirely gentle. "Come on. Let me introduce you to a few friends."

With that, he guided Jillian away and seamlessly integrated her into the networking crowd.

From start to finish, he hadn't given a single response to Sylvia's overly familiar greeting.