Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband? novel Chapter 426

“Smack!”

Early the next morning.

Lysander woke to the sting of a slap, his sleepy, fox-like eyes blinking in confusion at the woman before him.

“What was that for?” he grumbled, still half in a daze. “What did I do this time?”

Another slap, and it wasn’t even dawn yet—what on earth had he done wrong now?

Suppressing the fury that simmered inside her after what she’d overheard the night before, Mila forced a smile onto her face, her expression composed, her voice calm and detached. She pretended nothing was amiss.

“I’m in a bad mood, that’s all.”

Lysander propped himself up on one elbow, considering her answer for a moment. Then, to her surprise, he gave a lopsided grin and leaned closer.

“Well, if slapping me helps, you can go ahead and do it again. Knock yourself out.”

Mila fell silent, unwilling to play along.

How ridiculous, she thought. The lengths this man would go to for his own ends—he’d even let her strike him and act as if it meant nothing. Then again, what was a few slaps to him? If his plan succeeded, she might lose everything—her very life would hang in the balance.

A few slaps were a small price for him to pay.

The more she thought about it, the more her resentment burned. Turning away so he wouldn’t see the hatred flashing in her eyes, Mila said nothing and disappeared into the bathroom.

She splashed cold water onto her face, finally able to steady her nerves.

Staring at her pale reflection, water trickling down her cheeks, Mila’s lips twitched as she forced an unconvincing smile. Her eyes, sharp and amber, remained empty—numb, even. The sight chilled her to the bone.

But it didn’t matter.

At least now she knew.

It might be too late, and the path ahead might be nothing but a dead end, but she would never forgive Lysander—the man who had toyed with her from the very beginning, who now dangled her life on a wire stretched over an abyss. One wrong move, and she’d be lost forever.

A knock sounded at the bathroom door, his tall silhouette blurred through the frosted glass.

“Mila? Are you alright? You’ve been in there a while.”

“…I’m fine.”

Wiping her face dry, Mila opened the door, her features arranged into a gentle smile. Acting came easy to her now.

“So, where are we going today?” she asked lightly.

Lysander looked momentarily surprised. He’d always made the plans, and she’d never shown any interest—so why the sudden curiosity? Still, it was a good sign.

He smiled back. “It’s all taken care of. Unless you have somewhere in mind?”

“I’ll go along with whatever you planned.”

She kept her smile fixed on her face, meeting his bright, expectant gaze, but inside she felt nothing but a glacial emptiness.

…

The car stopped near the Pantheon.

Lysander asked Leonard to wait by the curb, then took Mila’s hand and led her away from the bustling crowds and into a lively little pastry shop nearby.