The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 57

Jillian steadied her breathing, violently crushing down the dense swarm of emotions rising in her chest, and prepared to briskly walk away.

"What exactly are you planning to do with the hospital building you leased out from under Mallory?" Sylvia asked playfully.

"I have zero use for that property," Killian replied flatly. He stood rigidly still, letting Sylvia drape ties against his chest without displaying even a sliver of genuine interest.

"Then why on earth did you pay such an exorbitant price to lease it?" Sylvia asked with a teasing pout.

"She's too arrogant. I despise that," Killian stated coldly.

The "she" in question was obviously Mallory.

Killian rarely ever crossed paths with Mallory, but he thoroughly detested her loud, explosive personality.

He was even more utterly disgusted by the wild rumors surrounding her university days.

Now that Mallory had dared to publicly provoke him, it was only natural that he would ruthlessly teach her a lesson.

Given Killian's towering influence, he could casually crush Mallory with a snap of his fingers, and the Vaughn family wouldn't dare utter a single word of protest—much less risk offending him for her sake.

The situation seemed entirely unsolvable.

"I actually thought you were doing it just to avenge me," Sylvia sighed with a dramatic, disappointed pout.

Killian lowered his gaze to the woman tying the silk around his neck. The corner of his mouth curved upward into a faint smile.

"You can absolutely choose to look at it that way."

"Never mind. I don't want people claiming I'm full of myself," Sylvia murmured, spinning around with a crestfallen expression.

She whipped the tie away, turning her back to him.

Suddenly, Killian's hand locked around her arm, violently jerking her back against his chest.

Sylvia let out a delicate gasp, immediately wrapping her arms around his waist.

"What are you doing?" she teased breathlessly.

"Are you angry?" Killian whispered deeply, dipping his head intimately close to hers.

From Jillian's vantage point, it was impossible to tell if Killian kissed her or merely brushed his nose affectionately against hers.

But regardless of what he did, it was the raw, undeniable intimacy reserved exclusively for passionate lovers.

It was blatantly obvious Killian was openly flirting with her.

The middle of a luxury boutique was hardly the place for this conversation, but the power dynamic had never been in Jillian's favor.

She inhaled deeply and forced the words out. "Can you please let Mallory off the hook?"

Killian suddenly let out a vicious scoff.

"You're pleading for her? Do you genuinely believe you hold that kind of weight with me?"

His words slammed into Jillian's chest like a wrecking ball.

He was right. What kind of weight did she possibly hold?

When it came to Killian, she had absolutely zero dignity left to salvage.

And yet, she still overestimated her own worth by daring to beg for Mallory's mercy.

If this were the old Jillian, she would have surrendered on the spot and walked away.

But now, she was desperate enough to try one last time.

"I know the things Mallory said infuriated you. But the hospital she runs is the only sanctuary for chronically ill orphans. Some of those kids just came out of major surgeries—abruptly moving them is incredibly dangerous for their recovery! Others are literally waiting on the surgical table, and if the hospital is forced to relocate, all of those life-saving procedures will be indefinitely delayed—"