The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 545

Galen lowered his gaze, studying Livia as he kept her locked in his arms, her expression growing colder by the second.

God, he absolutely loved that look on her face.

He desperately wanted to kiss her, but he held back, mindful of Abacus sitting nearby. It wasn't that he was afraid of Franco beating him up; he might lack basic morality when it came to Livia, but he still had some shred of decency around toddlers.

He glanced over at Abacus, who was sitting on the sofa with his stubby little legs crossed. Abacus gripped his teething toy and babbled in a sweet, milky voice, "Gale... hold."

Livia, still struggling, suddenly froze.

Gale...

A distant memory unearthed itself from the depths of her mind.

When Galen was still in diapers, he had cried and thrown tantrums, begging Mr. and Mrs. Carter to give him a sister. Unable to do so, they went to St. Jude's Home for Children, picked her, and brought her back to the Carter family.

Her very first night in that house, Galen had dragged his little pillow into her room, demanding to sleep next to her. They shared no blood, yet she had absolute authority over him.

When Galen was little, she had also called him Gale. Back then, even though he was a menace, he listened to every word his older sister said.

When exactly had the boy who used to trail behind her, calling her 'sister', morphed into this predatory wolf?

Livia refused to dwell on the past. Sensing Galen's eyes on her, her hand slipped subtly into the pocket of her lab coat. There was a pair of surgical scissors inside, something she had grabbed on her way out of the lab.

But just as her fingers brushed the cold metal, she caught sight of the child on the sofa. He was slapping the armrest with his chubby hands, barely even able to walk yet.

Her fingers curled inward, leaving the weapon untouched.

"What, forget to bring your tools?" Galen's tone was as casual as if he were asking about the weather.

After all the years they had spent locked in this twisted dynamic, pulling knives on each other had become second nature. Several of the scars on his body were Livia's masterpieces.

He rarely bothered to search her anymore, treating it all as a twisted kind of foreplay.

At least, that was how he justified it to himself.

Disgust swirled in her eyes as she shoved him hard.

"I'm going to the restroom. Keep an eye on him."

Galen seamlessly released her waist, pulled the office door open, and stepped out.

"Gale... Gale..."

No one answered him.

Abacus's lower lip quivered. "Uncle!"

Watching those massive eyes well up with tears, Livia froze, her hands awkwardly rubbing together at her sides.

She didn't need to ask to know this child belonged to Franco. The boy shared traits with both Petty and Franco, an undeniable testament to their union.