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."

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify