The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 19

Killian took only a few bites before putting down his silverware and pulling a napkin to dab his mouth. "At Natalie's birthday party next week, you will apologize to her in person."

Jillian's hand, still gripping her spoon, completely froze.

"I am not apologizing," she said flatly.

Killian's gaze snapped up, his cold eyes pinning her down like a sharpened blade meant to run her through.

"She demanded I come to the hotel to fix her necklace. When I refused, she deliberately had someone..."

"I have absolutely no interest in your excuses."

"You will apologize. This is not a discussion."

Jillian pressed her lips together in absolute silence.

A long, tense moment passed.

"I will not apologize," Jillian repeated, her voice steady.

She rarely ever dared to defy Killian like this.

The air around the dining table practically froze. The staff standing nearby were so terrified they didn't even dare to breathe.

Connor looked up, his eyes darting between Killian and Jillian.

"Mom, when you do something wrong, you have to say sorry. That's how you be a good kid," Connor said solemnly, his soft, delicate little face pulled into a serious frown.

Jillian turned to look at her son. Through his self-righteous, lecturing expression, she could distinctly see the exact reflection of Sienna Sterling.

A dull, heavy ache radiated from her already numb heart.

How could the child she had poured her entire soul into raising side with the very people tearing her down?

Was something fundamentally broken inside her?

Because she couldn't do anything right, every single thing she did was somehow a crime.

Jillian's mind was spinning. She turned around, her dining chair letting out a harsh, grating screech as it dragged across the floor.

"Where are you going?" Mrs. Zeller asked, faking genuine concern.

"Ignore her," Killian said, not even bothering to look up. "Apologize, or get out of this house. Take your pick."

Jillian smiled bitterly. She didn't say a single word, but the answer had already settled in her heart.

She kept walking.

"Mom..." Connor called out from behind her, sounding confused.

Jillian didn't need anyone to stop her. Her mind was entirely made up.

The gale-force winds howled viciously outside the glass, like a wild beast circling the property.

Jillian pushed the heavy front door open, and the freezing rain violently whipped against her face. She forced a small umbrella open and stepped directly into the storm.

A little while later, Killian came downstairs. He was wearing a dark silk robe, the collar slightly open to reveal his pale chest, looking dangerously effortless and relaxed.

"Sir," Mrs. Zeller stepped forward, her voice hushed. "She left."

"She left?" Killian's tone barely shifted.

"Yes. None of us expected she would actually pack her bags and walk out. It's pouring outside... what if something terrible happens to her?"

Mrs. Zeller let the perfect amount of artificial worry seep into her expression.

Killian scoffed coldly. "She brought it on herself."

...

The storm had escalated far too quickly, and the ride-share app showed zero drivers willing to take a trip.

Jillian had only grabbed a thin trench coat when she left. She was instantly soaked to the bone. The biting cold seeped into her skin, leaving her violently shivering, her knuckles turning bone-white as she gripped the handle of her umbrella.