Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 12

"Mom."

Melody wrapped her arms around Elara's neck, asking in confusion, "Why isn't Dad coming with us?"

"..."

Elara was stumped. She couldn't lie to her daughter anymore, yet she didn't know how to answer.

Fortunately, Kendrick Vance and Sebastian had already taken the stage to deliver their pre-banquet speeches.

Kendrick took the microphone. "Today is my grandson's twenty-fourth birthday. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here..."

After his words of gratitude, he formally introduced Sebastian to the crowd.

Earlier in the year, when Sebastian had just returned to the country, Kendrick had arranged for him to join the Vance Group and take over major projects.

The primary purpose of this birthday banquet was to officially announce the new head of the Vance family to the heavyweights of the business and political worlds.

Concluding his introduction, Kendrick urged everyone to eat, drink, and be merry before passing the mic to Sebastian.

A birthday party was meant to be fun, and no one wanted to listen to long-winded speeches. Sebastian took the mic, expressed his thanks in a few short sentences, and raised his glass of champagne. "I hope everyone has a fantastic time."

He tilted his head back and drained the glass in one gulp.

Applause erupted, and the banquet officially commenced.

The hall came alive with lively chatter once more.

Waiters weaved through the crowd carrying trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

Elara grabbed a glass of milk for Melody, along with some pastries and fruit. When she looked up, she spotted Julian leading Vivian toward a side door in the distance.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, rehearsing their intimate scenes in her head countless times, seeing it with her own eyes still sent an uncontrollable shock through her system.

She stood completely frozen, the plate of food hovering in mid-air. It was too high for Melody to reach, but the little girl didn't fuss or complain. Only when she sensed her mother's shifting mood did she anxiously tug at Elara's hand.

"Mom?"

Elara snapped back to reality, immediately apologizing to her daughter. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I zoned out for a second."

Melody was too small to see Julian over the crowd, but her sensitive nature had already picked up on the fact that her mother's emotional turbulence over the past few days was entirely because of her father.

If Dad had left, Mom was definitely hurting.

Elara pushed the door open. Before her lay a corridor connecting the main house to the staff quarters.

The staff were all busy in the banquet hall right now, leaving the area completely deserted, though it was still brightly lit.

Elara wasn't entirely sure if Julian and Vivian were in the staff quarters. She hesitated for a second, pulled her shawl tighter around herself, and kept walking.

She pushed open a half-closed door, stepped into the staff building, and stood in the entryway to survey the layout.

But before she could even figure out which way to go, the intermittent moans of a woman echoed from inside.

Elara wasn't some naive little girl. She knew exactly what kind of situation produced those sounds.

It was as if an immobilization spell had been cast on her, freezing her entirely in place.

As if to confirm her worst fears, the moaning woman cried out a man's name in the heat of passion.

"Julian, Julian..."

It was Vivian's voice.

And the man she was calling out to was undoubtedly Julian, who had slipped away with her.