The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 572

Franco got up and headed to the bathroom. A moment later, the sound of the shower echoed in the quiet suite.

When he walked out, a towel wrapped low around his waist, he was vigorously drying his hair. He paused, glancing toward the door.

When he had brought Abacus into the room in the middle of the night, he had deliberately left the door cracked open so he could hear anything that happened in the house.

Abacus had left it wide open on his way out. Now, Franco could clearly hear laughter and barking drifting from the nursery.

He had spent the last half-year listening to his son's giggles and the dog's barks every single day. He was entirely desensitized to it.

But the soft, chiming laughter of the woman woven through the noise made his hands freeze in his hair.

"Mmm... you smell so good!"

"Mama loves you so, so much! How are you this cute?"

"Give Mama a big hug. Oh, General wants a hug too? Come here, I'll hug you both!"

They sounded so incredibly happy.

Drops of water slid from the tips of his hair. Franco dragged the towel over his head a few more times before tossing it aside and walking into the massive walk-in closet.

He opened the doors. Hanging perfectly aligned next to his suits was row after row of women's clothing. It was everything Petty had left behind—some garments still had the price tags attached.

*I don't want my old clothes anyway,* she had told him last night.

His gaze swept over them briefly before he pulled out a casual outfit for himself and firmly shut the doors.

Whether she wanted them or not was her business. Keeping them was his.

A knock sounded at the bedroom door. Franco quickly finished dressing and walked out.

Seeing Jay waiting in the hall, his expression didn't change. "Come in."

That tone...

Jay wisely pretended he didn't notice the icy hostility. He stepped into the room with long strides.

Franco ran a hand through his damp hair and dropped onto the sofa. He sat with his long legs splayed aggressively, his hand absently picking up a stray stuffed animal Abacus had abandoned, setting it neatly on the armrest.

"I looked into the man who arrived with Hans yesterday. He is Ms. Petty's attending psychiatrist."

So it was her doctor.

But the way she had practically sprinted to the car last night proved they were close.

She trusted this doctor implicitly.

After delivering the news, Jay quickly moved on to the day's itinerary. Even though Franco was on probation, he still ran an empire. He usually brought Abacus to the executive suite with him, but that clearly wouldn't be happening today.

"Fi-ing monsters!" Abacus pumped his tiny fists in the air triumphantly. "Mama is amazing!"

A sudden, fierce ache gripped Petty's throat.

She had assumed Franco told the boy she went somewhere far away, or maybe even that she was sick.

Never in a million years did she expect him to turn her trauma into a heroic quest.

Looking at the sheer, unadulterated pride shining in her son's eyes, Petty's vision blurred. She nodded solemnly. "That's right."

She stroked Abacus's soft hair and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. "Mama went to fight the monsters. And Mama beat them all. Now I get to stay with you forever."

Abacus looked up, kissing her cheek again, his chubby little fingers gently patting the corners of her teary eyes.

"Mama, don't cry."

Petty took his tiny hand in hers and shook her head, forcing a smile. "Mama isn't crying."

She turned her head toward the doorway and bit her lip.

Franco had already turned to head downstairs, but right as his foot hit the first step, he heard her voice call out softly.

"Thank you, Franco."