Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 22

Elara let out a soft laugh. "But didn't you just tell Ms. Winthrop, 'There you are'? Or was I hearing things?"

Julian was left speechless.

"You've misunderstood, Ms. Sterling."

When Julian failed to come up with a response, Vivian stepped forward to explain. "Mr. Beckett came looking for me because we were supposed to meet a very important VIP. My phone was on silent, so I missed his calls, and he had no choice but to find me himself."

It was a half-truth.

They really had planned to follow Thomas Winthrop around to network. They had barely made it halfway through the introductions before Elara showed up, leaving most of their scheduled meetings untouched.

However, after the scene Sebastian had caused, everyone at the party knew Julian's wife and daughter were in attendance. There was a high chance Thomas wouldn't be doing him any more favors tonight.

The more Julian thought about it, the angrier he got. He was frustrated over the missed opportunities and worried that Vivian would catch the crossfire, making it impossible for her to justify the mess to her father.

Torn between the wife he was about to divorce and the woman who could secure his future with the Winthrop family, Julian made his choice without a second thought.

He looked up at Elara. "I have several crucial business discussions tonight, and I'll probably be tied up until late. You should take Melody and head home first."

Elara's expression barely shifted; she had anticipated this exact outcome.

Julian had always been a man capable of immense tenderness and staggering cruelty.

When he loved you, he gave you every ounce of his warmth. When he stopped, he doled out his coldness without a shred of hesitation.

Back in college, Julian had been the most popular guy on campus, attracting countless admirers. Yet, he had always rejected them with a swift, decisive finality, never leaving any room for hope.

Elara had felt incredibly secure and satisfied with that behavior. Over time, she even began to feel a twinge of sympathy for all the heartbroken girls he left in his wake.

After they started dating, she jokingly asked if he was being too harsh. They were his classmates, after all, and his blunt rejections must have left those girls devastated.

Julian had simply brushed it off, casually replying, "I'm not interested in them, so why should I care about their feelings?"

Elara hadn't been able to argue with that.

Melody tugged on Julian's collar to get his attention. "Since Lester took time off, Mom has been calling cabs to take me to the doctor."

Julian remained silent.

Elara fixed him with a cold, disappointed glare. "I told you this. Did you forget?"

Last year, Elara had driven Melody to her grandmother's house. Melody had been alone in her car seat in the back and choked on a snack. Elara hadn't noticed immediately, nearly resulting in a fatal tragedy.

Since then, Elara refused to drive alone with Melody. Without Lester, she relied entirely on cabs whenever she had the child with her.

Elara had texted Julian about the driver's absence, hoping to borrow his chauffeur, but he hadn't even bothered to read her messages.

Julian had nothing to say.

He had absolutely no memory of the conversation.

He couldn't even recall if she had mentioned it over the phone or via text, considering he rarely checked her messages these days.