The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 174: Melissa Has a Mom

Chapter 174: Melissa Has a Mommy

Many of Portington’s most prominent and prestigious families were attending the birthday banquet today.

Julian Jennings was known in Portington’s high society circles as an aloof and aristocratic young master. There were once rumors about his sexual orientation, and now, they whispered he was asexual.

He was also the son-in-law of choice for the elders of countless wealthy families.

Even the eldest daughter of the Ainsworth Family, known as Portington’s greatest beauty, had once been deeply infatuated with him.

But he had remained unmoved.

Now, people were finally seeing a different side of him with another woman. In the photo, the two of them were gazing at each other, backlit by the glow of fireworks. Their faces were blurry and indistinct, but the picture was dripping with atmosphere.

The photo made its way into a WeChat group that Tristan Sterling was in.

Suzanne Sullivan was also in this group.

Suzanne Sullivan saw the photo first and sent Tristan Sterling a private message: Julian Jennings is back.

When Tristan Sterling saw the message, he clicked on the photo. His gaze fixed deeply on the two people in the picture, his handsome face so grim it was impossible to read his emotions.

Tristan Sterling replied with only a single "Mm."

Seeing he had nothing more to say, Suzanne Sullivan didn’t press the matter.

The banquet ended.

The guests began to leave one after another.

Rachel Royce received a call from Tristan Sterling. She hung up without answering.

Immediately after.

Melissa’s smartwatch phone rang.

"Hello, Daddy."

Melissa listened to her dad on the phone and replied, "Okay."

After the call ended.

Melissa looked at Rachel Royce and said, "Aunt Evelynn, Daddy said he’s coming to pick us up soon."

Rachel Royce crouched down and said, "Didn’t you say you wanted to have a sleepover with Stella tonight?"

Melissa mumbled, "I want to go home tonight. Daddy is waiting for us."

Since Melissa wanted to go home, Rachel Royce couldn’t force her to stay.

After all the guests had left.

Rachel Royce went downstairs with Melissa and the Jennings Family.

Just as they reached the ground floor.

Melissa’s smartwatch phone rang. Tristan Sterling, who was standing in the lobby, saw them and hung up.

"Daddy!"

Seeing her father, Melissa excitedly ran toward him.

Tristan Sterling took a few steps forward and swept his daughter into his arms.

The Jennings Family looked at Tristan Sterling. They didn’t recognize him, but seeing Melissa’s father, with his extraordinary presence, they could tell he was no ordinary man.

Mrs. Jennings couldn’t help but study Tristan Sterling closely. He was truly a man of exceptional caliber, one in a million.

Tristan Sterling turned to look at the Jennings Family, his gaze landing on Rachel Royce, with Julian Jennings standing right beside her.

He averted his gaze and thanked the Jennings elders, "Thank you for taking care of Melissa."

Mrs. Jennings smiled. "You’re too kind, Melissa’s father. Melissa is truly adorable."

Tristan Sterling smiled politely and said to Melissa, "Melissa, tell Mommy it’s time to go home."

The moment he said that.

Melissa blinked her big eyes and looked at her father.

Rachel Royce’s pupils constricted. She stared at Tristan Sterling in disbelief.

Melissa slid down from her father’s arms, hurried over to Rachel Royce, and grabbed her hand, shouting happily, "Mommy, Mommy, let’s go home!"

Her excited voice echoed throughout the hotel lobby.

Rachel Royce froze on the spot, momentarily unsure how to react.

Tristan Sterling took two steps forward, reaching for Rachel Royce’s hand.

Suddenly, an arm blocked his path.

Tristan Sterling glanced sideways at Julian Jennings. "President Jennings, what do you think you’re doing?"

Julian Jennings stared at Tristan Sterling with heavy eyes. His action had been purely instinctive.

Everyone in the lobby, including the Jennings Family, was watching this scene unfold.

Mrs. Jennings knew the circumstances.

But Mr. Jennings was in the dark. From the scene before him, however, he could already faintly guess what was happening. His son had actually fallen for a married woman. He frowned, looked at his son, and said in a stern tone, "Julian!"

Julian’s arm was stiff as he pulled it back.

The next second.

Rachel Royce’s hand was seized. The man easily pried her fingers open and intertwined them tightly with his.

She came to her senses and struggled twice, but the man’s grip was too tight.

The man’s voice was all she heard. "We’ll be leaving now. Melissa, say goodbye to the grandpas and grandmas."

Melissa waved goodbye to the elders.

Watching the three of them leave.

Mrs. Jennings and June Jennings both looked at Julian Jennings.

Mr. Jennings said, "Alright, let’s all go home for now."

Rachel Royce got into Tristan Sterling’s car, holding Melissa in her lap in the passenger seat. The little girl’s head was full of questions, yet she couldn’t hide her excitement and elation. "Is Aunt Evelynn really my mommy?"

Tristan Sterling glanced at the silent, stone-faced woman beside him.

Hearing her daughter’s words, Rachel Royce’s heart filled with an indescribable, bittersweet pang. Her eyes reddened uncontrollably. She simply held Melissa in her arms without saying a word.

Melissa snuggled into Rachel Royce’s embrace, blinked her big eyes, and asked, "Mommy, why aren’t you talking?"

Rachel Royce said, "We’ll talk when we get home."

’I really don’t know what to say right now. My feelings are a mess. I haven’t even divorced Tristan Sterling yet. I wasn’t prepared to admit this to Melissa.’

Melissa was very obedient and just snuggled quietly against Rachel Royce, hugging her tightly.

The car drove all the way back to the villa.

Melissa had dozed off for a while in the car.

But she woke up when they got out.

Tristan Sterling carried her, with Rachel Royce following behind the father and daughter.

Tristan Sterling handed Melissa to the nanny, instructing, "Take Melissa to her bath."

Melissa ran to Rachel Royce and said, "I want Mommy to give me my bath."

The nanny was stunned to hear Melissa call Rachel Royce "Mommy."

Rachel Royce stroked her little head and said softly, "Let the nanny give you your bath today."

"Okay, then! Wait for me, Mommy."

"Go on!"

The nanny took Melissa back to her room for her bath.

As the sound of Melissa’s cheerful voice gradually faded into the distance, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly grew cold.

Rachel Royce looked at Tristan Sterling. "Tristan Sterling, what is the meaning of this?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Tristan Sterling stood before her, his handsome face dark and his entire being radiating a sinister air. "Rachel Royce, you can refuse to admit it, but I’ve told you before: you can only be Melissa’s mother."

Rachel Royce clenched her fists and scoffed, "Then why didn’t you care that Melissa didn’t have a mother before? You were even trying to find her a stepmother. And now you think she needs a mother? Tristan Sterling, don’t you find yourself ridiculous?"

Tristan Sterling advanced on her, step by step.

Rachel Royce kept backing away.

"What are you trying to do?"

Until her back was pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window.

Immediately after.

The man slammed a large hand against the window above her head. He brought with him an intensely oppressive aura, and a menacing, frigid light swirled in the depths of his dark eyes.