The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 76

For the rest of the night, Jillian and Mallory had no further contact with Killian's group.

When Jillian returned home, Judith was waiting up for her. Stella was already fast asleep.

Jillian quietly checked on the girl in her bedroom before stepping back out.

"Mom, can you pack Stella's things tomorrow?"

"What's going on?" Judith asked.

"Mallory's hospital is definitely staying put, so Stella needs to go back and continue her rehabilitation."

Jillian thought it over and decided not to mention that Connor couldn't stand the little girl.

It was normal for an only child to lack a sense of sharing, believing their parents belonged entirely to them.

Judith let out a heavy sigh.

She hadn't been taking care of Stella for long, but sending such a quiet, sweet, and non-verbal girl back to the hospital made her heart ache.

No matter how good the charity hospital was, it was still underfunded. The doctors and nurses weren't permanent staff; they rotated in from major hospitals.

The caregivers were all volunteers. Some started with burning passion, only to quit days later when the exhaustion hit, forcing the children to constantly adjust to strangers.

Furthermore, due to the severe lack of manpower, both hospitals and orphanages had strict rules: unless a child was physically ill, caregivers were not allowed to hold them when they cried.

Most abandoned children had never known the warmth of an embrace, leaving them with a profound, aching lack of security.

Judith packed up some of the toys, called a cab, and left to go take care of Jillian's grandmother, Lydia Lowell.

The next morning, Jillian woke up early and packed all of Stella's clothes and shoes. Once the hospital gave the green light, they would take her back.

She had just zipped up the final bag when she looked up and saw Stella standing silently in the bedroom doorway, clutching her stuffed doll. Her massive, solemn eyes locked onto Jillian.

Jillian's chest tightened. She didn't know what to say. She could tell Stella understood exactly what was happening.

Was the little girl wondering if Jillian was throwing her away?

"Grandmother, do you need the mall cleared out?" Jillian asked politely.

Normally, whenever Eleanor went shopping, Killian would arrange for the entire venue to be locked down for her exclusive use.

"No need. Just the two of you keeping me company is enough."

The three women climbed into the sleek luxury vehicle, followed closely by a security detail car, and departed the estate.

At the high-end mall, Eleanor browsed as usual, picking out a few luxurious items, mostly for Connor.

Sienna also indulged, picking up imported skincare creams and designer clothes.

Jillian knew full well they didn't actually need to come here—usually, the luxury brands sent their latest collections directly to the estate.

This entire excursion was purely a performance to keep Eleanor entertained.

The atmosphere was cordial enough, but Jillian couldn't shake the feeling that something was incredibly wrong.