Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 146

Elara was seated facing the entryway, so she had caught Julian walking in out of the corner of her eye. But since Melody was so entirely engrossed in her project and Julian hadn’t made a sound, Elara had chosen to stay quiet and not interrupt her daughter's focus.

Jocelyn blinked in surprise before smoothly breaking the tension with a warm smile. "Julian, you're home."

She used the table for leverage to stand up, vacating her spot for him. "Why don't you keep Melody company? I'll go check on things in the kitchen."

At the sound of Jocelyn's voice, Melody finally snapped out of her trance. She tilted her head, staring at Julian for a long moment, her little cheeks puffing out as her brow furrowed in intense internal debate.

Julian felt a heavy weight of guilt under his daughter's scrutiny. He stopped himself from reaching out to pat her head, offering a stiff, awkward smile instead. "Melody..."

Melody completely ignored him. She had finished her internal calculations, remembering that her dad currently sat at a miserable five points out of a hundred. She decisively spun around, turning her back to him to pack up her masterpiece.

Elara leaned in to help. "Do you want to put it in a separate bag?"

Melody nodded vigorously. "Yeah, a bag!"

Elara found a sturdy paper tote bag to carefully pack the diorama inside.

Melody gently pushed her artwork toward Elara. "Mommy, can you do it? I'm scared I'm gonna break it."

"Of course."

Elara looked at the bag and asked, "Do you want to put this bag in your backpack, or carry it separately?"

"Carry it separately is better," Melody answered instantly.

If she shoved it in her backpack, the heavy books would definitely crush it.

"Alright then."

Elara found the perfect-sized gift bag, then wrapped the diorama in a layer of bubble wrap just to ensure it survived any accidental bumps on the way to school.

Melody hovered nervously, supervising the packing process. Only when it was perfectly secure did she look completely satisfied. She abandoned her father entirely, sprinting toward the kitchen. "Thanks, Mommy! I'm going to go help Grandma!"

She ran past Julian without giving him so much as a passing glance.

Dinner was prepared by Jocelyn and the kitchen staff—a hearty, perfectly balanced spread featuring everyone's favorite sides and a warm, savory soup.

Aside from Melody, no one initiated a conversation with Julian, but the meal progressed in a peaceful, harmonious silence.

After dinner, Elara spent some time playing with Melody, letting her watch an hour of cartoons in English, and chatting about her day.

Julian didn't join in, but he stayed in the room the entire time. He sat quietly on the sofa, watching them, never leaving their side except to occasionally check an email on his phone.

Once Melody had taken her bath and been tucked into bed, Elara finally retreated to the master bedroom.

Julian followed right behind her.

The moment the door clicked shut, Elara held her hand out. "Let's see the contract."

Julian unzipped his briefcase and handed it over.

Elara scanned the pages with rapid precision. A few moments later, she tapped several clauses on the paper. "I don't agree with these terms. They need to be changed."