Chapter 173

Chapter 173:
It was all a misunderstanding—he’d never shown interest in the woman, but his silence had been misread, and she ended up provoking Millie.
He could still see Millie’s expression as she hurled the folder at the woman, telling her in no uncertain terms that anyone who didn’t put business first had no place working with Watson Group.
That same evening, when Brandon reached for her, she shoved him away with a fierce glare, stubbornness radiating from every inch of her. It took what felt like forever before her anger finally began to fade.
Only once she’d cooled did she lay things out for him. “Brandon, I’m willing to compromise on business, but never on love.”
She was even clearer before the night ended. “I love you, Brandon—more than anything. But I can’t share your heart. If someone else ever takes my place in your heart…” The determination in her eyes was unmistakable when she added, “I’ll walk away, no matter what.”
Brandon’s fingers tightened around the glass, knuckles white, before he forced himself to loosen his grip.
“You know, she was always glued to you—never more than a little sulk when she got upset. It doesn’t add up. I don’t see how she could actually let go,” Darden murmured.
A wave of heaviness washed over Brandon as he closed his eyes, the past pressing in.
Seven years had passed, and yet she’d never managed to walk away. Lately, she’d even started handling things with care, choosing not to stir up unnecessary conflict. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ.net
That thought sent Brandon reaching for his glass, draining it in one swallow. The drinks kept coming that evening, but a subtle, persistent unease settled in the back of his mind. Still, when morning came, Brandon brushed off the discomfort and dove back into his daily routine.
Everything slipped into a comfortable rhythm, until a news report shattered the calm—
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“Millie spotted escorting a child to school, child addresses her as ‘mom.’”
Across the Internet, the news report exploded in popularity. On this occasion, media outlets took care to shield the child’s identity—every image and detail about the minor was blurred beyond recognition. The only photograph to surface showed Millie from a distance, her hand clasped with a small child wearing a backpack.
Maybe that extra caution came from a desire to avoid crossing Brandon. Even so, the story sent shockwaves through online communities.
“Wait, when did Millie become a mother?”
“Yeah, hasn’t it only been a year since her wedding to Brandon? How could there be a child? Did they have the child before getting married? No one ever said anything about her giving birth though.”
“One report says the kid is already old enough for school, but isn’t Millie only twenty-five herself?”
“Is this another one of Millie’s ploys? Now that Brandon and Vivian are spending more time together, she stirs the pot with a stunt like this!”
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