The Ex-Wife's Triumph novel Chapter 53

Thurston leaned in, nuzzled her forehead, and softened his tone to coax her. "Daddy won't drink today. Come eat with Daddy, okay?"

"No, Daddy smells like smoke too." Molly stood her ground, shaking her small head even more vigorously.

Seeing this, Jane stepped forward and snatched Molly from Thurston's arms. She leaned close to his ear, her voice lowered but laced with a chill. "Thurston, did everything I say just go in one ear and out the other?"

Thurston looked at her tense profile, his tone helpless. "I'll explain when we get back."

Jane ignored him. With a cold glance, she turned and carried Molly toward the main dining hall.

Lucy followed alongside, unable to resist teasing Molly. "Do I smell stinky?"

Molly immediately grinned, showing her small white teeth. "Of course not! When Grandpa drinks, he smells stinky too."

Lucy laughed at her bluntness and pinched her cheek. "Molly, why are you so cute?"

The three of them chose a table in the main hall. Lucy took the menu from the waiter, ordering a few dishes Jane liked and a mild children's meal specifically for Molly.

Upstairs, the private room was already full. Seeing Thurston enter, everyone stood up and greeted him respectfully in unison, "Mr. Thurston."

Thurston nodded faintly and walked straight to the seat next to Kingsley.

Kingsley was playing with an unlit cigarette in his fingers. He spoke casually, "Your daughter didn't come?"

"She thinks we smell 'stinky' and refused."

After setting down the glass, Thurston looked at Kingsley, his tone turning serious. "When did you invest in the Sterling Group's 'Lunar Tide' project? I didn't hear a whisper about it."

"Do I need to report to you on everything I do?" Kingsley brushed his thumb against the glass, glancing up at him with a distant chill.

"Whether it's a genuine investment or you have other motives, you know best yourself," Thurston lowered his voice. After a pause, he added, "Since you've separated, leave each other some final dignity. Don't make it ugly."

Kingsley raised his eyes, staring directly at him with a mocking edge to his voice. "Are you teaching me how to act? Trying to warn me off just to please your wife?"

"I'm reminding you for old times' sake. Don't bite the hand that feeds you reality." Thurston clinked his glass gently against Kingsley's, restoring a facade of peace. "Mr. Sherwood, we are partners in success, after all."

Kingsley looked at him, the corner of his mouth hooking into a faint, sympathetic sneer. "Just wait until you get home. You're going to get an earful."