Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband? novel Chapter 434

Night had fallen.

Adrian, exhausted from crying, had finally drifted into a restless sleep. His tiny hand still clung tightly to the hem of her black dress—the one she hadn’t had the chance to change out of since the funeral. Tears streaked his pale cheeks, even in slumber.

She summoned the last of her strength to lift him into bed. Just as she was about to turn away and deal with the mountain of tasks left waiting after the funeral, she felt her dress caught fast. The child’s grip was unyielding. He seemed trapped in a nightmare—eyes squeezed shut, fresh tears slipping down, whispering softly through trembling lips.

“Mommy, Daddy… don’t go.”

For a moment, Mila just stood there in silence. Then, she reached for her laptop, letting Adrian keep hold of her dress as she settled on the edge of the bed. She opened the files Leonard had sent her, scanning through each one.

They were all about the will.

It was only now that she realized—Lysander had arranged everything long ago. According to his wishes, every share and asset he owned would pass to her. Adrian’s portion would also be managed by her until he came of age.

She now held decision-making power at the very top of Montgomery Holdings.

That explained why Leonard had been at her side the moment she awoke. With Lysander gone, Leonard—his most trusted friend, and a force within the company himself—would shift his support to Mila, ensuring her place at the helm. From this point forward, she had the authority to command Leonard directly.

It was as if Lysander had planned for everything.

He’d paved the way for her so thoroughly. All she had to do was accept, and power would be hers—her entire life transformed in a single step.

She would become the true matriarch.

But if she accepted, she’d be bound to the Montgomery family for life. No matter where she went or what she did, she would never escape the title “Mrs. Montgomery.” Lysander’s name would be etched into her identity, forever.

Even gone, he remained—unyielding, impossible to ignore.

She didn’t know what to feel. Gently, she stroked Adrian’s small hand, which was still gripping her skirt as he slept fitfully. Then she turned her attention back to the files, scrolling through until something familiar caught her eye.

[Daphne]

She remembered that name.

Back when she and Lysander had argued, she’d unexpectedly ended up on a road trip with his cousin, Archie. That boy had become obsessed with her because of the Red Hat robot, insisting she not “kill off” the little robot in her drawings.

But the truth was—

She wasn’t Daphne.

At the time, Mila had been anxious and lost, realizing she couldn’t reach Solaris City on her own. When she learned what Archie wanted, she simply let him believe she was Daphne and never bothered to explain. So, he’d accompanied her, convinced.

Later, at the foot of the snowy mountains, she’d tried to come clean. But Archie had just shrugged and said it didn’t matter, and the subject was dropped. After everything that happened, she’d nearly forgotten about it.

Now, seeing that name again brought it all back.