CHAPTER 488: CHAPTER 488: HEART DEAD, FETAL MOVEMENT (3)_1

"So, you’re here to plead for your lover."

Mila Anderson wanted to laugh, but the smile she forced was uglier than crying.

She really shouldn’t have held onto hope. If Gian had realized his mistake and been willing to turn back, he would have done so when Pheobe Rogers first approached her and all the commotion started, instead of dragging it out until today.

"I always support my son’s decisions unconditionally!" Mila Anderson bit out, making it clear that she would not help Pheobe Rogers plead with Glades Horne.

"Gian Horne, can you be any more biased? I am your wife, the one you married publicly! If you say you don’t love me, why did you have Glades and Adele with me? If you love me, why are you so biased towards Pheobe Rogers? Over the years, when you were with Pheobe Rogers, did you ever think about my feelings? When we were young, you were out there having the time of your life with Pheobe Rogers, while I stayed in this big room with little Glades, staring at the lit lamp, hoping for your return. Do you know the agony of those days? From the moment you left in the morning, little Glades and I would wait for you to come home. The sky would darken, growing deeper and deeper into the night. The dead of night would pass, dawn would arrive, but the unlocked door would never hear the sound of your key. That disappointment, that pain, that loneliness—have you ever tasted it? Isn’t the pain you’ve given me enough? You want me to plead with Glades on behalf of Pheobe Rogers? Over my dead body!"

Mila Anderson spoke calmly. Inside, however, a tumultuous storm was raging. This was the husband she had been married to for over thirty years, and he had never been fair to her. When Adele got into trouble, he would lash out, blaming Mila for not being a good mother. But what about him? When had he ever been a good father?

"Mila..." Remorse showed on Gian Horne’s aged face.

He truly owed his wife. He also owed Glades Horne, Adele Horne, and even James Horne. He had failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a father to his two sons and daughter.

"Gian, the children are grown up. I don’t have to worry about influencing them anymore. Let’s... let’s part ways," Mila Anderson said, her heart completely numb. The husband she had loved for decades had always kept his heart with his mistress. Even if a divorce would tear her apart, she truly didn’t want to endure the torment of this love and hate any longer. She didn’t want to love anymore; she wanted the distance of separation to dilute their feelings for each other. She no longer wanted the title of Mrs. Horne.

"Mila!" Gian Horne roared in disbelief. He wouldn’t divorce when he was younger, and he was even less likely to do so now.

"I need some peace. You don’t want to disturb the children, do you? So please leave. You have no place in this room anymore," Mila Anderson said, turning her gaze away as tears welled in her eyes.

Gian Horne wanted to say something more, but seeing her like this, he could only leave helplessly. As he closed the door, he turned and said heavily, "I didn’t agree to a divorce before, and I’m even more opposed to it now!"

The moment the door closed, tears streamed down Mila Anderson’s cheeks like rain.

Mila Anderson’s request for a divorce from Gian Horne was not made public—not yet. The New Year was approaching, and Mila didn’t want to spoil everyone’s mood. However, she had started to ignore Gian, treating him like a stranger. She often cried silently when he wasn’t around, her heart feeling as if it were being sliced by a knife.

Pheobe Rogers was furious when she learned that Glades Horne had ordered her barred from freely entering the Horne Family residence. She caused a scene but could only make a fool of herself at the entrance of the Horne family villa. She was not resigned to this.

She pressured Gian Horne. He was already frazzled by Mila Anderson’s divorce proposal, desperately trying to communicate with Mila and win her over, hoping to dissuade her from the idea of divorce. Pheobe Rogers’s pressure undoubtedly made matters worse for Gian Horne. The pair, who considered themselves truly in love, began to argue.

Gian Horne found himself in a no-win situation. At home, his wife treated him like a stranger; at his other home, there was endless quarreling. It was the first time he tasted the humiliation of his infidelity.

Pheobe Rogers also confronted James Horne. She vehemently disparaged Glades Horne in front of him, inciting James to turn against his brother. She once again questioned whether James loved Julia Bluen and urged him to compete for Julia and the Valence Group, claiming it was all rightfully his.

Caught between his mother and brother, James Horne’s pain only intensified. Eventually, he started hiding whenever Pheobe Rogers came, avoiding her completely.

He couldn’t bring himself to fight for Julia Bluen. He loved Julia, but he knew the person Julia loved was his older brother. Only with his brother would Julia be happy. Because of his deep love, he wanted to see Julia happy; he would never try to snatch Julia away. As for the Horne family’s inheritance, he truly didn’t want it. Not only would he not try to seize it, but he wouldn’t take it even if it were offered to him. He was capable, but compared to his older brother, he felt he still had a long way to go. He didn’t want to bear the heavy burden of the family business.

These days, seemingly calm on the surface but with turbulent undercurrents, passed quietly.

「In the blink of an eye, the New Year arrived.」

New Year’s Eve is a traditional Syrenian celebration. Households bustled with festive preparations, hanging couplets and getting ready for the reunion dinner. Those working away from home would almost all return, so families could enjoy the meal together in unity. Everyone, regardless of wealth or poverty, welcomed the arrival of New Year’s Eve and would sit down to a reunion dinner that night. It marked the end of one year and the beginning of another; this night was spent observing old traditions and welcoming the new.

On television, the Spring Festival Gala’s ever-changing programs brought the New Year’s Eve atmosphere to its peak.

After the reunion dinner at the Horne family home, Julia Bluen and Ruby Bluen, along with Julia’s husband, Glades Horne, returned to the Bluen Family home, bringing a multitude of gifts.

Although Marcel Horne was still wheelchair-bound, after getting married and with the nourishment of Ruby Bluen’s love, he seemed more radiant and spirited. He had been undergoing active rehabilitation treatments. Dr. Lei said that with his determination, strength, and spirit, it was expected he would be able to stand again within half a year.

For this, Sovia Morris grew even more fond of Ruby Bluen, attributing all the credit to Ruby and feeling fortunate that she had put her son first and begged Ruby to marry Marcel Horne.