Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 145

When Julian walked in, Elara and Jocelyn Sterling were sitting in the living room, helping Melody with a school arts and crafts project.

It was mostly Melody doing the work, with Elara and Jocelyn acting as her loyal assistants—handing over glue sticks and safety scissors whenever prompted.

Melody was naturally a quiet child, and she worked on her project in concentrated silence. Elara and Jocelyn respected her focus, sitting quietly and watching her build her masterpiece.

The three of them were gathered around the low marble coffee table, their heads bent close together, looking like they were analyzing a complex puzzle.

Julian had a greeting on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down.

He hung up his coat, gripped his briefcase, and walked over as quietly as possible.

Standing silently behind Melody, he watched for a long time before he finally realized what she was creating.

The assignment was meant to develop the kids' motor skills, so there was no strict theme. Melody had chosen to recreate her birthday party.

She had painted a Frozen-themed backdrop and was currently cutting out colorful paper figures of the people who had celebrated with her.

There was her mom, her grandma, her grandparents, her brother, Sarah, her teachers, her classmates, and even their parents.

The only person missing was her dad.

The rush of warmth he’d felt coming home was instantly obliterated by the sight of that paper diorama. A suffocating wave of guilt and panic seized his chest.

Julian might not understand Melody as perfectly as Elara did, but he had still been intimately involved in her medical treatments, therapies, and early development. He understood the psychological mechanisms of a highly sensitive child well enough.

Melody wasn't just saying she hated him or rejecting his presence—she had fundamentally erased him from the "father" space in her heart.

The diorama was almost finished.

Melody carefully glued the last piece onto the birthday cake, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. A bright, genuine smile broke across her usually serious little face.

"Done!"

She smoothed out the number '4' candle on the cake, pulled her hands back, and looked left at her mom, then right at her grandma, hesitantly seeking their approval. "Is it okay?"

That was exactly why Elara had reached out to all the parents before the birthday party to explain Melody's condition—she had been terrified the other kids wouldn't understand her and might get scared off.

Looking at this project, Elara realized her anxieties had been entirely unfounded.

Melody could instantly sense the overwhelming pride radiating from her mom and grandma, making her feel so giddy and shy she practically floated.

"Your teachers and friends are going to absolutely love this tomorrow," Elara continued heaping on the praise.

"Hehe, I'm super good at this!"

When Melody was excited, her body couldn't stay still. She jumped up, doing a happy little dance, but the moment she spun around, she froze. The bright smile vanished from her face instantly.

Melody’s expression went completely blank, the joy draining out of her in real time.

Elara and Jocelyn followed her gaze and saw Julian standing right behind them, looking stiff, awkward, and entirely out of place.