Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband? novel Chapter 523

Nathaniel fell silent, his expression darkening. What was his sister plotting now?

Giselle Harvey, unbothered by his rudeness, just smiled and swung the brand-new handheld game console in her hand. She turned her attention to Adrian, who was perched on the sofa, and her voice softened.

“Adrian, it's been a while, hasn't it?”

She crouched down to his eye level, her tone gentle and coaxing. “Don’t you miss Giselle? Look, I brought the newest game console just for you. While Ms. Pembroke is busy sorting things out, how about I keep you company?”

As she spoke, she came closer and brushed her hand tenderly against Adrian’s small cheek. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. I know you didn’t push Julian down the stairs. I’ll always believe you.”

* * *

Kingsford Medical Center.

The summer sun was sinking, but the evening sky was still bright when a car came tearing down the road and screeched to a halt near the hospital entrance.

Leonard jumped out and yanked open the back door.

Before he could reach in, Mila had already stepped out from the other side, ignoring him completely as she strode toward the hospital with determined steps.

The Montgomery family wasted no time.

She and Forrest had barely gotten off the plane before a Montgomery car was waiting for them at the airport. There was no time for arguments; the children’s safety was all that mattered now. Along the way, she’d gotten a rough grasp of the situation.

So she’d come straight to the hospital—headed directly for the rooftop ward.

She’d tried to prepare herself, but nothing could blunt the shock when she opened the door and saw the fragile child lying in the hospital bed, swaddled in bandages, his skin mottled with cuts and bruises. Mila’s eyes stung instantly.

Because of Sophia, it had been a year since she last saw Julian.

The last time they parted, she’d finally managed to put a little weight on him; now, every trace of softness was gone. His little face was pale and gray, the healthy flush replaced by a waxy shadow.

He didn’t look healthy at all.

She couldn’t begin to imagine what he’d suffered in that time—or how any mother could fail her child so completely. Even if she didn’t love him, didn’t she at least have a shred of responsibility?

“Sophia!” Mila snapped, her voice tight with anger as she glared at the woman by the bed.

In the doctor’s mind, it was most likely a case of an overindulged kid refusing to eat, not something more sinister.

But Mila couldn’t shake a different feeling. Underweight? Picky eater? Impossible.

Julian had always been her easiest child, never fussed over his meals—at least, not after the early days, when he’d only eat what she hand-fed him. But once he warmed up to Miranda, he ate whatever she gave him, too.

How could he possibly be a picky eater? And how had he gotten this thin?

A terrible suspicion began to take root. Mila’s chest tightened as she stood in silence for a moment, then suddenly marched back into the hospital room. Leonard looked up, startled, as Mila strode over and seized Sophia by the arm, dragging her out of the room.

Leonard hesitated, about to follow, but Mila shot him a fierce look over her shoulder. “Stay out of this. This is between me and her.”

Sophia had recovered her composure by then. She might have been able to break free, but she didn’t bother; instead, she arched a brow in mild amusement and called lazily over her shoulder to Leonard.

“That’s right. This is our business. Don’t follow.”

With no choice, Leonard stopped, watching helplessly as the two women stumbled down the hallway and disappeared into the stairwell. The heavy door slammed shut behind them.