Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband? novel Chapter 569

Sophia arched an eyebrow. “You’re awfully sure of yourself.”

“Of course I am.”

“I may not know why you’re making a scene here, but since you’re working with Lysander, you must know why he hasn’t shown up—even more, you must understand what this engagement party means to him. I can guarantee it: Lysander would never dare to sabotage this event. In fact, he needs to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.”

Mila was absolutely certain.

After her last, fruitless attempt to confront Lysander, she’d spent a lot of time thinking—putting herself in his shoes, weighing her value to him, trying to guess how he’d use her.

She’d figured it out.

That’s exactly why she chose this moment for the engagement party.

She was sure nothing would go wrong.

Cossio was the lynchpin.

If this engagement party failed, if Cossio—ever suspicious and still lurking in the shadows—sensed trouble and retreated back to Italy, Lysander’s plan to hunt him down would be ruined, or at least thrown hopelessly off course.

If they wanted Cossio to let his guard down and walk right into their carefully laid trap, then this party had to go off perfectly—smooth, safe, utterly convincing.

It was a lesson she’d pieced together after that whole mess at the English manor.

Mila had always wondered: knowing how ruthless Lysander could be, why did he simply threaten her—so half-heartedly—when he learned she’d taken Forrest to meet Jade Sutherland in England? Why not go on the attack, like he usually would? There was only one answer: he didn’t dare make a move that would scare off Cossio.

And sure enough, right after she’d returned from England, Leonard had warned her to be careful—told her Cossio would be arriving soon.

It all lined up.

It was obvious, really.

Just as she’d once faked her own death to help Lysander deceive Cossio, now every move she made was a test—Cossio’s way of probing whether Lysander still had any tricks up his sleeve.

She was a reference point. A trial balloon.

Both sides were using her—one to lull the other into complacency, the other to sniff out any hidden agendas. Without even realizing it, she’d become a weathervane in their little war.

Bastards, the lot of them.

Mila ground her teeth in frustration.

But it wasn’t all bad. If they were bold enough to use her, then she could flip the script and let Lysander use her for once. This engagement party was her gambit: so long as she and Forrest went through with it, Cossio would finally let down his guard and commit to coming to the country—exactly what Lysander needed.