Chapter 642:
Myron chuckled, setting Ari down and gently patting her head.
Still hugging the cat, Ari skipped over.
“Look, this is Orange!” she said, holding the cat toward Charles.
Before he could respond, the cat reached out and pressed a paw to his face, as if turning him down.
Laughter rippled around the room, breaking the earlier tension.
The mood warmed, and dinner carried on as usual.
Charles raised his glass in a toast to Millie’s latest success.
“The tide’s turning online. People are demanding answers from Vivian, and she’s still silent. Her reputation may not survive this.”
“What she did was vile!” Alexia burst out.
The others joined in condemning Vivian’s recent live stream.
Millie felt a quiet warmth in her chest.
These friends stood by her through everything. She hoped they would stay this way forever.
Halfway through the meal, Millie excused herself to the restroom.
When she returned, Charles stood in the hallway, looking torn.
“What’s the matter, Charles?” she asked.
He led her to the far end of the corridor.
Under the soft lights, the wind stirred the leaves outside the window. Charles’s face, as striking as ever, was calm but unreadable.
“You really like Myron? And it’s not just to get away from Brandon or for some other reason?” he asked quietly.
Millie’s lips pressed together.
The day had come—this was a conversation she knew she couldn’t avoid.
𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓸 ⲅ𝓪𝓁𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝓈⧸𝓬𝓸𝓶
“Hard to answer?” he asked when she stayed silent.
She shook her head. “No. I’m just thinking of how to put it.”
Charles smiled faintly. “What’s there to fear? I don’t bite.”
She thought about it. For all his temper, Charles wasn’t really frightening. She knew that he was a good man at heart.
Her shoulders eased. She met his gaze and spoke firmly. “Yes, I like him.”
His smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it. “Really?”
Her eyes didn’t waver. “Yeah, really. Charles, the old me died the night I was pushed down the stairs. I’m not that woman anymore.”
Her voice held no hint of a smile. This was something that had to be said clearly, leaving no space for false hope.
“I’ve long let go of Brandon,” she continued. “Liking Myron came after—it’s separate from all that.”
“You fell for him just because of those few dates?” he asked with a frown.
“Yes. Because of those dates.”
Charles looked like he had more to say, but the words never came.
Millie sighed. “For seven years, I was tired and numb. I thought I couldn’t love anymore. Then he came along—patient, careful—and somehow, I felt alive again.”
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