The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 578

Seeing Petty's expression darken, Amy suddenly felt unsure. "What's wrong? Do you not want to go back to the station?"

"No, that's not it." Petty shook her head, her tone open and direct. "Even if I go back, I'm going through the standard interview process. Keeping a spot open just for me isn't fair to anyone else."

Since she had decided to co-parent Manley with Franco, she knew she needed a stable job in Cabinda.

As for the dangerous undercover reporting she used to do, having Manley meant she had far more to consider now. She wouldn't be returning to that specific line of work.

"Besides... with my resume, what job couldn't I land? Do I really need someone to open a backdoor for me?" She flashed Amy a confident, teasing smile.

Amy's cheeks flushed. She was an absolute menace. Amy could never handle it when Petty turned on the charm.

Even as a straight woman, she couldn't understand how Petty managed to be so effortlessly captivating.

Handing Manley over to Amy, Petty grabbed her phone and stepped away to a quiet corner.

Since it was midday on a weekday, the dessert shop was relatively empty. Toward the back was a small patio garden. The snow was melting, revealing patches of bare lawn and withered rose vines clinging to a trellis.

Petty sat down in a white iron chair and dialed a number.

During those three years of their "marriage," Franco had ignored her calls most of the time. Even on the rare occasions he did answer, it always rang several times first.

Her muscle memory had instinctively braced for the long wait.

But the phone only rang twice before it connected.

She was caught slightly off guard, and out of sheer habit, she remarked softly, "You pick up the phone much faster these days."

It was meant as a casual jab, but on the other end of the line, Franco's grip on his phone tightened instantly.

His Adam's apple bobbed painfully as he replied in a low voice. "Because I don't have to pretend anymore."

Back then, he had actively feigned coldness.

Thinking back to the bitter heartbreak she used to endure, Petty couldn't help but say mockingly, "It really must have been exhausting for you back then."

She heard the man's breathing hitch slightly on the other end.

His voice was hoarse. "Alright."

Petty had one more reason for calling. "I plan to invite Hans, Dr. Cavanaugh, and Amy over for Manley's birthday tomorrow. I'll need to trouble you to notify the security gate at Misty Vale to let them through."

If Manley hadn't been so attached to the environment at Misty Vale, she would have hosted the party elsewhere.

Petty listened as the man's voice dropped even lower, carrying a distinct tone of accommodation. "You are Manley's mother. Naturally, you can invite whoever you want."

But her response remained strictly professional. "Thank you."

Franco's tone darkened. "You don't need to be so polite with me."

"Even siblings keep their accounts clear," Petty replied with distant courtesy. "Let alone an ex-boyfriend. Being polite is the baseline. If there's nothing else, I won't take up any more of your time."

The line clicked dead, followed by the steady dial tone.

The black screen of the phone on his desk perfectly reflected Franco's dark, thoroughly agitated gaze.