The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 531

Franco set down the liquor bottle.

It was already half past midnight. Petty had slept for a long time and wasn't tired, but as for being clear-headed, she was barely doing better than Franco, who had just downed two bottles of alcohol.

That familiar sensation crept in again, as if a thick fog had wrapped around her brain, dulling her reactions. It wasn't until Franco finished his drink that she finally processed what he meant.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but closed it again, remaining silent.

The full moon on the horizon was obscured by a passing cloud. The stars, previously dimmed by the bright moonlight, suddenly shone with a brilliant intensity.

She tilted her head up to look at the northern sky. The star cluster named after her flickered with a dazzling light.

It was beautiful.

Franco followed her gaze. She loved the stars, and she loved the moon.

The stars were named after her, and the moon was Crescent Lake on the island.

He had never dared to give them to her before.

"Your turn to ask first," Franco said, his gaze dropping back to her face.

Petty didn't look at him. She missed the subtle shift in his eyes, a darkness deeper than the midnight ocean.

A question that had plagued her for a long time—one that had never been properly answered—made her chest tighten.

Frowning, she asked, "That divorce agreement in your study drawer back then... whose was it?"

The ocean waves crashed around them. It felt as though all other sounds in the world had vanished, leaving only the roar of the water.

The silence between them was terrifying.

Just when Petty assumed Franco would refuse to give a straight answer and reach for another drink like he usually did, he spoke.

"Your parents'."

Without a word, he held her tight, using one hand to forcibly pry her fingers apart so she wouldn't hurt herself.

Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Thinking of that divorce agreement and everything that had happened, he furrowed his brow.

Petty was completely out of her mind with shock.

How could it be?

Her parents had been the loving couple everyone envied. They were so in love that they named her Petty, inspired by the idiom 'To Pull the Cart as One', signifying their deep devotion. She was the product of that love.

"Why?"

She looked up at Franco, her eyes brimming with tears. He gently brushed his thumb across the corner of her eye, and the heavy tears finally broke free, trailing down her cheeks.

He wiped them away, letting out a heavy sigh before pulling her flush against him. Cupping the back of her head, he pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Staring out at the dark ocean, he ultimately decided against telling her the full truth.

"The agreement didn't state the reason for the divorce. It's been so long, there's no way to investigate it now."