Dear Billionaire, I'm Not Your Wife Anymore! - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Just then, Mia woke up in Braden's arms.
Her little hands gripped his broad shoulders, her hair messy, her rosy apple cheeks still warm from sleep. She yawned, looking especially soft and adorable in his embrace.
"Daddy, have we arrived at Grandma's house?" she asked in her childish voice, still thick with sleep.
Before Braden could answer, I heard a familiar voice from upstairs that didn't particularly please me.
"My granddaughter is here! Grandma is right here!" Olivia descended the stairs with noble elegance, her smile unconcealed.
Her gaze swept across the living room and when it landed on me, a flash of mild displeasure crossed her eyes. Though it was fleeting, I still caught it.
I composed my expression and spoke politely: "Long time no see."
She ignored me and walked straight to Mia, taking her with a face full of loving kindness: "Oh my, my Mia, you've grown taller again. Let Grandma hold you." She joyfully felt Mia's little body: "Your father has been taking good care of you. You've gotten a bit plump and soft."
As she was about to hold her longer, Braden instinctively took Mia back from her arms. The movement looked natural, as if from protective instinct.
Olivia's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered her composure and casually instructed: "Go prepare a bedroom for Charlotte."
"Yes, ma'am," the servant replied.
My heart sank.
This was too obvious—she hadn't planned for me to come at all, otherwise she wouldn't be having them prepare a room now.
I stood there pretending not to understand, my gaze sweeping over my mother-in-law's deliberately averted profile, my lips curving slightly.
"Grandma, I'm hungry. I want to eat something," Mia seemed very relaxed here, as if she were more familiar with the place than I was. "Hey, where's Auntie?"
"Alright, Grandma will have the staff make you something to eat. Your aunt went skiing abroad with friends and won't be back until after New Year."
I quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Irena, like Olivia, had never looked at me properly. Seeing her one less time meant one less unnecessary awkwardness.
Just then, Braden's phone rang.
I casually glanced over and saw him look at the screen, then walk outside to take the call.
I didn't need to guess who it was.
With me accompanying him to Germany, Linda was surely emotionally unstable, and how could he not go "comfort" her?
What a perfectly consistent "devoted good man" persona.
At that moment, a familiar figure approached from the direction of the conservatory—Braden's grandmother, Margaret.
"Charlotte, you're here." She wore a warm smile on her face.
"Grandma." I immediately went to greet her, my tone genuine.
Compared to Olivia and Irena, Margaret had always been kind to me. After marriage, she was one of the few people who made me feel warmth.
"Oh my, Mia is so tall now! I can barely lift her anymore." She looked at her great-granddaughter with joy, her eyes full of affection.
I stood beside them watching their interaction, my heart relaxing slightly.
After eighteen hours of flying, I was truly exhausted. Seeing my daughter surrounded by her grandmother and great-grandmother, I excused myself to shower and rest in my room.
At eleven PM, Mia was still energetic while I was already starting to yawn.
But she insisted on playing with me, so I had to rally my spirits to play with building blocks in the second-floor living room.
Not long after, Braden came over wearing cotton pajamas and sat across from us.
Mia's eyes lit up and she immediately threw herself into his arms: "Daddy, play with me, play with me!"
"Okay, what do you want to play?"
"Building blocks!"
He patiently helped her build, while I sat on the other end of the sofa watching the father and daughter. Drowsiness overwhelmed me, and I unknowingly fell asleep leaning against the sofa armrest.
In my daze, I felt my daughter gently pat me.
"Daddy, can you carry Mommy back to her room to sleep?" Her voice was small, as if afraid to wake me.
"You can wake her up," Braden said.
"But you carried Aunt Linda back to her room before! Why can't you carry Mommy?" Mia pouted, sounding a bit aggrieved.
My heart shook and my expression changed.
Braden and Linda had been intimate in front of my daughter? Had he completely abandoned even basic discretion?
How detestable.
I had to pretend to just wake up, opening my eyes: "Mia, let Mommy go back to the room with you to sleep."
I looked up at Braden, meeting his deep gaze.
He certainly knew I had heard.
"I'm scared. I want Daddy and Mommy to sleep with me..." Mia pouted, acting coquettish and testing the waters.
"Daddy still has work to do. Sleep with Mommy first." After saying this, he got up and left, walking toward the study.
I picked up my daughter and softly coaxed her: "Come on, Mommy will tell you a story."
Early the next morning, I took Mia's hand as we went downstairs.
"Young mistress, you're up. Would you like breakfast now?" a servant approached to ask.
I nodded: "Is the young master up?"
"The young master left early this morning," the servant replied.
As expected.
He went to find Linda, didn't he.
With me here, Linda naturally couldn't appear openly at the Kingsley house. He had to go out himself, changing venues to continue their "sweet romance."
By now, they were probably sitting in some café in the city center whispering sweet nothings, or... simply gone straight to a hotel.
I pulled my thoughts back, slicing a piece of toast with a blank expression.
That afternoon, I sat chatting with Margaret. She was as warm as ever, chuckling when I told her stories about Mia’s antics.
Olivia was there too, though she managed to put on a decent show in front of her granddaughter.
“Charlotte,” she suddenly spoke up, drawling, “Mia’s five now—must get lonely. I think while you’re young, you ought to have another one or two. Make the house livelier.”
My hand froze, nearly dropping the teacup.
She said it casually, but I knew—her real meaning was never “I hope you’re happy.”
She just wanted me to “add another child to the Kingsley name.”
I smiled, saying nothing, and sipped my warm tea. A faint, unreadable sneer curled my lips.