Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 9

Sebastian leaned against the edge of the table, his gaze tilting upward to glare at him as he answered with a question. "Just this one?"

Julian raised an eyebrow, amused. "You think it's not enough?"

Sebastian had never called him "Uncle," but Julian was still older by a few years. Plus, since Sebastian lost his mother at a young age, Julian always felt the need to look out for him. Feeling indulgent, he sighed, "Alright, whatever you want, I'll make it up to you another day."

The reaction proved he hadn't just forgotten to pass on Elara's gift; he had completely forgotten to invite Elara and Melody like he was explicitly asked to do.

The look in Sebastian's eyes turned freezing cold. Without a shred of emotion, he tossed the gift onto the table, stood up lazily, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked right past Julian. "Nothing."

Julian was left speechless.

It wasn't until Sebastian walked out of the room that Julian belatedly remembered he had been explicitly instructed to bring Elara and Melody, not to mention the gift Elara had given him to pass along.

Julian's face changed slightly. He hurriedly chased after him to explain, but other guests approached, engaging Sebastian in greetings and birthday wishes.

More and more people took notice of the man of the hour, making it impossible for the conversation to end anytime soon.

Julian waited on the sidelines for a moment before quietly stepping back, planning to find another chance to explain later.

Returning to the main hall, Julian went to find Vivian, who was currently with her family.

Thomas Winthrop then took Julian around, introducing him to several prominent figures he normally wouldn't have access to.

Amidst the champagne and pleasant conversation, Julian caught a familiar silhouette weaving through the crowd out of the corner of his eye.

He thought nothing of it, continuing to clink glasses and chat.

It wasn't until the mint-green figure stepped fully into his line of sight that his glass froze halfway to his lips.

Julian whipped around.

It wasn't just Elara walking toward him; she was holding their daughter, Melody, by the hand.

Why were they here?

Elara and Melody clearly spotted him. They paused briefly before quickening their pace in his direction.

As they got closer, Melody let go of Elara's hand and broke into a little run, throwing her arms wide open from a distance, demanding to be held.

"Daddy!"

She hadn't seen him in so, so long, and she missed him so much.

Yet, watching his daughter sprint toward him, Julian didn't immediately reach out to catch her like he usually did.

He didn't even put his wine glass down, but instead glanced at Vivian standing beside him.

Melody's arrival caused quite a stir, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

The bright smile on Vivian's face instantly vanished. She bit her lip in awkward humiliation, while Thomas Winthrop shot Julian an icy glare.

Seeing the situation, Vivian swallowed her grievances and quickly linked arms with her father. "Dad," she called out pleadingly, her eyes silently begging him to look at the bigger picture.

What he really wanted to know was why they had come to the party without telling him.

The child didn't understand the underlying politics, so when Julian asked the question, his eyes were locked on Elara.

His daughter hated loud, crowded places and never attended large gatherings outside of mandatory Beckett family events. Why on earth did Elara bring her here?

Didn't she say Melody just had a meltdown last night?

Wasn't she worried bringing her here would trigger another episode?

The shock of their ambush, layered with genuine concern for his daughter, fueled a rapidly intensifying wave of resentment toward Elara, practically radiating off his face.

Elara had spotted his displeasure from miles away, yet she acted entirely oblivious. Her face was purely alight with the joy of seeing him.

"Julian, why didn't you tell me we were coming to Sebastian's party?"

Elara struck first, launching right into her complaint. "I don't care how busy you are, something as important as Sebastian's birthday is something you need to tell me in advance! I need time to prep our outfits."

"If we hadn't run into him this afternoon, Melody would have shown up tonight in her school uniform."

With just three sentences, she took Julian's impending volcanic eruption, rolled it up into a little ball, and shoved it right back down his throat.

She didn't even give him a chance to interrogate her; she effortlessly explained why they were there, entirely stripping him of any ground to accuse her.

How extremely considerate of her.