Chapter 157

Millie rounded the corner, her hands trembling despite being tightly clenched. Still, she kept walking. After a few more steps, she turned and entered the restroom.

She switched on the faucet, squeezed out some liquid soap, and began washing the blood off her hands.

The room was quiet, except for the sound of water running in the sink.

Carefully, she scrubbed each finger, not missing a spot. She cleaned until there was no trace of blood left.

When she was done, she turned off the faucet.

But then, a tear slipped down and landed softly on the back of her hand.

Then another. And another. They fell without pause.

She looked up at the mirror. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, defiant. But her eyes were red and puffy.

She once had a happy childhood, but everything changed when her father died.

The Bennett family fell apart. Her mother drifted from place to place, dragging her along until she eventually remarried.

Her stepfather treated her horribly, always venting his anger on her and nearly beating her to death.

Then came Brandon. He pulled her out of that nightmare.

She truly believed he was her savior.

Even after her mother abandoned her, she thought it didn't matter-as long as Brandon was there, she had someone to rely on.

She thought he understood her. All she ever wanted was a simple, quiet life. But instead, he shattered everything.

In the mirror, tears streamed down her face, yet not a single sob escaped her lips.

What her father left behind held more than just memories. It contained trusted employees, encrypted data,a black box, and other secrets.

His death was a mystery. Every attempt to uncover the truth over the years hit a wall.

After digging for years, she came to believe her father had uncovered something dangerous-something that made powerful people want him gone.

Maybe the black box and its unreadable data held the answers.

When her father died, Brandon took over everything. He set up an entirely new department in the Watson Group for it and gave himself full authority, along with everything that came with it.

The data couldn't be copied. It could only be used within that unique system. She could only get it through Brandon.

Maybe he knew that-and that was why he stalled.

Millie dropped her gaze, fists clenched as she forced herself to stay calm.

Just a delay, she told herself.

Without her, he couldn't use those things.

If it came to it, she could take him to court. And eventually, she'd get what was rightfully hers.

It was the best outcome she could hope for. If Brandon hadn't assumed the divorce was temporary and overlooked the fine print, she might never have had a chance.

Now,she just needed patience.

She had to prove herself in business and wait for the right moment.

When she looked up again, her face was calm.

She wiped her tears, straightened up, and gave herself a soft smile in the mirror.

Soon, she would head to Alexia's office to pick up Ari. She had to look composed.

She stood there a little longer, took a few deep breaths, and then walked out when she was sure she was ready.

From a distance, she heard Ari's cheerful laughter.

Millie smiled. It sounded like Ari was having a great time with Alexia.

Quietly, she made her way to the office, curious to see what they were up to.

But when she reached the doorway, she saw that the person with Ari wasn't Alexia.

It was Myron.

They were facing away from her.

Ari stood on a small stool, peering at something on the desk.

Myron stood beside her, holding a pen and explaining something,smiling gently.

"Mr. Elliott, is this really what the little cat looks like?" Ari asked sweetly, pointing at the drawing.

Myron smiled and nodded. "It really is. It's at my place now. If Millie agrees, you can visit it. Or I'll bring it over."

Ari nodded eagerly, but then hesitated."Mr. Elliott, your hand is so steady. But when I draw, sometimes everything turns out crooked."

"I was the same at your age. When I couldn't draw well, I'd even cry. But I kept practicing, and little by litt got better," Myron said kindly.

"Really?" Ari's eyes lit up.

He nodded and gently guided her hand with his.

"See? Much better," he said warmly.

"It really is!" Ari beamed and jumped in excitement.

Myron quickly reached out to steady her before she could fall.

They both laughed. The moment felt cozy and full of warmth.

Millie stood by the door, unsure if the scene in front of her was real.

"Millie!" Ari spotted her suddenly.

She hopped off the stool and ran into Millie's arms.

Millie crouched down and hugged her tight.

"Millie, Mr. Elliott and I were drawing," Ari said, tugging her hand toward the desk.

Millie looked up. Myron gave her a polite nod and smile.

She nodded back and followed Ari to the desk.

Two drawings sat on the table. One was clumsy and full of charm-Ari's. The other was simple, yet striking.Myron had drawn it with a few smooth strokes.

It was the ragdoll cat Millie had seen before.

"Millie, Mr. Elliott said you've seen this cat. Is it true? Does it really have such a big tail? And can it do backflips?" Ari asked.

Millie chuckled. Myron clearly adored his fluffy cat.

She nodded. "Yes, I saw it do a backflip. And its tail is fluffier than a feather duster."

"Then can I..." Ari glanced at Millie, and then at Myron, her-voice going soft. "Can I play with it?"

Her little face was filled with shy hope.

It was too adorable.

She really wanted to meet the cat.

Millie suddenly remembered that night outside the Evans Entertainment building, when Myron had brought the cat to meet her.

"If Mr. Elliott agrees, then you can," Millie said, gently holding Ari's face.

"Yay!" Ari turned to Myron, eyes shining with excitement.

Myron crouched down and met her gaze. "I'll bring it over soon so you can play together."

They were already chatting about when and where to meet.

Watching them, Millie stood quietly.

For a moment, the world around her felt like a dream.