The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 390

She was too small, too powerless to resist. Her real mother was gone, and there was no one to protect her. In this house, not her grandparents, not even her father, would stand up for her. They would always side with Felicity.

Tiana might have skipped cheerfully up the stairs, but whether she was happy or heartbroken in her room, Julian was oblivious. With the entire Shepherd family staying at the villa, the house was noisy and chaotic, and he was too distracted to notice.

He hadn't realized it when they lived apart, but now, sharing a house, he found the Shepherds' endless drama utterly exhausting. He couldn't fathom how Old Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd, well into their seventies and on the brink of financial ruin, could find the energy to bicker about divorce. The old man was adamant, while his wife threatened to kill herself if he left. He refused to even look at her, let alone speak to her, and they required separate rooms—forcing them to prepare two small rooms on the ground floor. The old woman was in a constant state of melodrama, crying to her son, her granddaughter, and anyone who would listen.

Just last night, the moment Julian had walked in the door, Old Mrs. Shepherd had grabbed him, sobbing, "Julian, my dear son-in-law, I know you're the most powerful man in Greenwood City, far more respectable than that Yves Prescott. You saved us from the banks and kept Yves at bay. Can't you just… get rid of that old hag? Send her to some remote village and make sure she never comes back!"

"Which old hag?" Julian had asked, confused.

"Winona's grandmother! If it weren't for her, my husband would never have left me. We were so happy together! It was all her, that wretched old woman, who convinced him to divorce me!"

Before he knew it, it was New Year's Eve. Julian, along with his parents, Felicity, and the entire Shepherd clan—Teague, Henrietta, Old Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd, Jason, and his new girlfriend—boarded the exclusive VIP cruise on the river.

It was Felicity's first time on a vessel filled with such influential people. A wave of pride washed over her. Standing on the deck with Julian, a glass of champagne in hand, she savored the cold river breeze and the stunning night view. Then, she saw her. Just a few feet away, also holding a glass and enjoying the view, was Winona.

"How did someone like you get on a prestigious cruise like this?" Felicity blurted out.