Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 93

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief, visibly comforted by his words, and lifted her head from his shoulder. "So that means it's totally fine for me to go to her birthday party?"

"Of course."

Julian leaned down and captured her lips in a soft kiss. "There will be plenty of other kindergarten parents there anyway, and most of them don't know us well. As long as you aren't left alone with Melody, it'll be fine."

Vivian's eyes lit up brilliantly. "Okay! I promise I won't do anything to scare her."

Julian instinctively wanted to tell her just to be herself and that she didn't need to walk on eggshells, but remembering how Melody operated, he couldn't actually guarantee a smooth encounter, so he swallowed the words.

"Yeah."

He adjusted his hold on Vivian, shifting her so she was straddling his lap. "I'll keep a close eye on Melody, too."

"Thank you, Julian."

Vivian cuddled against him, turning on the charm. "Having you and Meredith looking out for me makes me feel so incredibly lucky."

Julian's eyes brimmed with intoxicating affection as he showered her face with tender kisses. "It's the least I can do."

After leaving Vivian's apartment, Meredith had her driver detour to a high-end boutique, picking up a luxurious Carved Sandalwood Bracelet that Richard had been eyeing recently.

By the time she arrived home, it was already past four in the afternoon.

She carried her shopping bags inside, and as she slipped off her heels, she noticed an unfamiliar pair of women's ankle boots near the entryway.

Meredith paused, staring at them for a long moment, completely unable to recognize who they belonged to.

Just then, the housekeeper hurried over to take her coat, so Meredith asked, "Do we have a guest?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The housekeeper replied respectfully, "The young madam is here."

Meredith's brain didn't process it for a second. "Who?"

The housekeeper suddenly remembered the icy dynamic between Meredith and Elara, quickly rephrasing, "Elara is here."

Meredith frowned, blurting out, "What is she doing here?"

Meredith asked casually, not even waiting for Elara to respond before walking over to sit beside Richard, handing him the gift box.

"I saw you were interested in the advertisement for this bracelet yesterday, and since I happened to pass by the boutique, I grabbed it for you."

"Take a look. Do you like it?"

Richard took the bracelet, examined it closely, and placed it back in its velvet box. "That was thoughtful of you."

Meredith beamed with satisfaction. "I'm glad you like it."

The couple exchanged a few more words before Meredith acted as if she had just remembered there was someone else in the room. She tucked the empty box away and turned her attention to Elara. "Isn't Melody's birthday party coming up? How do you have the free time to wander around? Don't you have a child to look after?"

Elara hadn't sat back down since Meredith walked in; she had remained standing politely off to the side. Hearing the pointed question, she answered smoothly, "Most of the preparation for the party is already done. My mom came into town today, so she's keeping an eye on Melody."

Meredith raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh, so is there a specific reason you came all the way out here?"

Elara nodded and looked directly at Richard. "This is the first time Melody is having a proper birthday party, and she is extremely excited about it. I came to officially invite both of you to come and celebrate with her."