Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 36

In the dead of night, the world outside was eerily still.

The sprawling master bedroom was heavily suffocated by a crushing, oppressive silence.

Whether five minutes, ten minutes, or an eternity had passed, Elara finally stirred, her stiff neck turning as if booting back to life.

She glanced at the phone charging on her nightstand, her shattered focus slowly knitting itself back together.

This was no time to drown in self-pity.

Muttering the command to herself, Elara straightened her spine, set her laptop aside, and rose from the sofa.

She retrieved a flash drive, systematically exported every second of the security footage since they entered the loft, and locked the drive securely inside her personal safe.

Settling back onto the cushions, she pulled her laptop onto her lap and resumed her unfinished legal preparations.

This time, her hands didn't tremble, and her mind didn't wander; it took her barely half an hour to complete the filing that had paralyzed her for hours.

By the time she finally slipped under the covers, it was pushing four in the morning.

Operating on just three hours of sleep, Elara dragged herself out of bed to prepare her daughter's breakfast.

Melody was buzzing with energy, skipping down the stairs hand in hand with Elara, cheerfully declaring, "I love you, Mommy!"

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"I love you the mostest in the whole wide world!"

"Thank you, my perfect girl!"

Reaching the ground floor, Melody suddenly paused. "Mommy, did Daddy ever text back?"

"No, baby, he didn't," Elara replied evenly.

"Oh. I see."

Melody accepted the answer with a quiet nod, dropping the subject as she obediently climbed into her chair to wait for breakfast.

After dropping Melody off at kindergarten, Elara spent the entire day running between banks, securing a clear picture of every financial asset under her name.

Having promised Melody they would go shopping for birthday party supplies after school, Elara anticipated a heavy haul and called Lester to request a pickup.

Lester sounded thoroughly confused on the line. "I didn't hear Mr. Beckett mention any evening events today."

He naturally assumed Elara needed a ride to accompany Julian to some high-profile gala.

The moment Lester stepped out, Vivian strolled into the office, clutching a stack of corporate documents.

Julian took the folder, skimmed the contents, and decisively signed his name at the bottom.

Showing no intention of leaving, Vivian casually tossed the signed papers onto the desk, circled around to Julian's chair, and draped her arms over his shoulders, planting an affectionate kiss on his cheek.

"Julian, what do you want for dinner tonight?"

She didn't even ask if he was available; she simply assumed her rightful place by his side the second business hours ended.

Julian set his pen aside, leaning back to capture her lips in a smooth, practiced kiss.

"Whatever you're craving."

"Hey, I asked you first," Vivian teased, feigning a dramatic pout.

"Answering a question with a question? That's definitely against the rules."

Chuckling deeply, Julian slipped a hand to the back of her neck, pulling her into a kiss so intensely intoxicating it left her breathless, before finally murmuring, "I'm sorry, beautiful, but I actually have to go home tonight."

He couldn't deny he had been neglecting Melody lately, sparking a noticeable surge of resentment from the little girl. With her birthday just five days away, blowing off his family now would cause irreparable damage to his relationship with his daughter.