Chapter 570:

The first thing he pulled out was a small perfume bottle he had given her. He removed the cap and sprayed a little into the air. The scent still clung to her memory.

His chest ached.

He closed his eyes and set the bottle on the nightstand.

There was more in the drawer. He reached in again and found something small and round.

He lifted it into the light. It was her wedding ring. The one he had placed on her finger.

Under the glow of the lamp, it shimmered with a cold, metallic gleam.

Brandon stared at the ring in disbelief, struggling to process what had just happened as he rested against the headboard. A sharp pain suddenly twisted in his stomach, and he found himself coughing blood onto the wedding band.

His thoughts scattered. Almost instinctively, he tried to clean the ring, but the red stain refused to fade. The pain finally overwhelmed him, and while his body ached, his eyes shifted from the stained ring in his hand to the bottle of perfume on the nightstand. Defeated, he shut his eyes, the weight of misery pressing down on him.

Millie spent the evening alone. After Myron and Brandon had left, she settled into the recliner on the balcony, embracing the solitude of her empty home. The night air felt cool against her skin.

She still wore the blue heart-shaped pendant around her neck. Her fingers closed around it as she reflected on everything that had happened that day. She remembered the way Myron had looked at her—so open, so sincere. And she couldn’t forget how Brandon had treated her.

Whatever battles Brandon was facing, she couldn’t pretend to understand them, but it was clear that their relationship could never return to what it once was. All she could do now was build a future with Myron, Ari, and perhaps someday, invite her mother into that picture too.

Because Nicole held the legal role as Ari’s adoptive mother, Millie was considered only a supporting guardian. Any official documents, including hospital records, would always list Nicole as Ari’s mother, reflecting her full legal responsibility. From that point on, all future check-ins with the adoptive family would have to involve Nicole as well.

For this reason, Millie needed to ensure her mother remained close. They didn’t speak much, but over time, things between them were beginning to improve. Her mother…

Millie’s gaze drifted to the pendant. Did her mother ever think about her father these days?

Her eyes lowered, lost in thought. Maybe it was only natural for old memories to fade; so many years had passed since her father left their lives. It would be unfair to expect her mother to hold onto those memories forever. Millie thought that as long as she kept those moments alive in her own heart, that would be enough.

And maybe, just maybe, Myron carried those memories with him as well. That small hope brought her some comfort. Knowing there was someone else in the world who missed the same person made Millie feel less alone.

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