The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 45

After the last time she was left battered and bruised outside the Nicholson family's estate by Tiana, Winona hadn't reached out to Julian, nor had she tried to see him again.

Now, when Julian saw her, his gaze first flickered with surprise, then hardened sharply. "I never told you Tiana was celebrating her birthday here. How did you find this place? Have you been following me? Stalking me?"

"Me, stalking you?" Winona couldn't help but laugh in disbelief at the accusation.

"Leave. Now." Julian's tone was cold, the way someone might shoo away a woman begging outside a fancy party, as if she were ruining the scene.

Mia, meanwhile, looked puzzled, turning to Winona. "I almost forgot—it's Tiana's birthday today. But wait, isn't Zane's birthday today too? How are they on the same day?"

In previous years, Tiana's birthday had always been celebrated at Nicholson Manor—a private affair. Mia had never been invited. Over time, she'd forgotten the exact date of Tiana's birthday, only remembering Zane's.

Winona nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"So what's going on?" Mia pressed, still confused.

"I'll explain later," Winona murmured.

She lifted her head, meeting Julian's glare with calm composure. "This hotel isn't owned by the Nicholson Group. It's not your private property. If you can be here, so can I. Mr. Nicholson, you don't have the right to throw me out, do you?"

Julian's jaw tensed. "You—"

But Winona was already steering Mia toward the front desk, not giving him a chance to finish.

As they walked, Winona explained in a low voice, "Tiana's birthday celebrations have always been at Nicholson Manor. They have a chef there who can rival any five-star hotel, so Tiana never had her birthday at a hotel before. I wonder why they decided to come out this year. And of all places, they picked this hotel too—what are the odds?"

Mia's curiosity hadn't faded. "But you still haven't told me—how come Tiana and Zane share a birthday?"

Winona's smile was tinged with sadness. "I found Zane abandoned. I had no idea when his real birthday was, so I just decided to celebrate it on the same day as Tiana's."

Mia was stunned into silence.

She'd known that Tiana didn't like Winona, but she'd never witnessed Tiana speak to her mother like this.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Winona, worried sick about Tiana, had rushed out in the middle of the night with her clothes on backward, not sleeping a wink, returning home with sunken cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. And yet, this was how Tiana treated her?

Anger surged through Mia. She exploded, her voice booming across the hall. "Tiana Nicholson! She's your mother—the woman who brought you into this world, who carried you in her body! How dare you talk to your own mother like that?!"

Her words were so fierce that Tiana shrank back, hiding behind Felicity.

Felicity stepped forward to shield Tiana, glaring at Mia with icy disdain. "Ma'am, control yourself! You're scaring my child. If you keep verbally attacking her, I'll call the police!"

Mia just laughed, a sharp, biting sound. "Your child, huh?"