Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 140: Different Man

The VVIP room felt oddly quiet once Delphinia and Ashton were gone, leaving Evander and Lydia alone with nothing to say. Lydia’s fingers tightened slightly around the napkin on her lap as she studied the man in front of her.

Evander, ever composed, took a sip of his water, his expression unreadable. His gaze was sharp but calm, showing neither hostility nor warmth. It was as if he were merely a spectator rather than a participant in this long-overdue conversation.

Lydia was the first to break the silence. "Did you bring your wife here on purpose?" she asked, her voice laced with accusation. "Did you think humiliating me like this was necessary?"

Lydia’s heart dropped the moment she saw Delphinia walk in.

She had expected this lunch to be tense, yes, but manageable. Just her, Evander, and Ashton. A chance to ease her way back into her son’s life without any unnecessary distractions. But then, Delphinia had stepped in, and in an instant, everything had crumbled.

She shouldn’t have been surprised. She should’ve known Evander would bring his wife. He was never the type to make things easy. But still, she hadn’t expected her.

The worst part was, Delphinia hadn’t even done anything. She had been perfectly polite, sitting there with that quiet grace, her presence effortlessly slipping into the conversation, into the moment. Lydia had come into this lunch determined to reestablish her presence in Ashton’s life, but now, every second Delphinia sat there, she felt more and more like the outsider instead.

Her fingers curled tightly around the napkin in her lap. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go.

She had told herself that this was important—for her, for Ashton. She had to push forward, no matter how difficult it got. Yet Delphinia’s presence only made it harder.

And Lydia hated that. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She wasn’t here to start a fight. She wasn’t foolish enough to think she could erase Delphinia’s existence overnight. But how was she supposed to reconnect with her son when this woman was right there, in the picture?

Evander set his glass down with a soft thud. "You think I planned this?" he asked, his tone dangerously mild. "It wasn’t me, Lydia. Ashton wanted Delphinia to come." He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "Would you rather he refused to come just because she wasn’t here?"

Lydia felt her pulse quicken. "Stop making excuses, Evander." Her voice was strained, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "You knew she would come. You knew exactly what kind of position this would put me in."

Evander exhaled through his nose, a humorless smirk ghosting over his lips. "You should be grateful to my wife, Lydia." His words were precise and hit like a dagger. "Because without her, Ashton wouldn’t be sitting at this table right now."

Lydia’s grip on her napkin tightened. "Why wouldn’t my son want to see me?" she snapped, her voice unsteady. "I’m his mother."

Evander chuckled, low and mirthless. "I assume you’re rich enough to afford a mirror, Lydia. Maybe you should look into it and ask yourself that question."

The words cut deeper than she wanted to admit. Lydia’s nails dug into the fabric of her dress, but she forced herself to hold her ground. She knew exactly what Evander meant. She had been the one to leave. She had been the one to turn her back on their son.

But she wasn’t that person anymore. She wouldn’t be.

"I want to change," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "I want to fix everything."

Evander tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing her. "Then do it," he said simply. "Stop wasting your time arguing with me and start focusing on how to mend your relationship with our son."

Lydia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe he was truly encouraging her. She studied his face, searching for insincerity, but she found none.

"You actually want me to fix things with Ashton?" she asked, almost disbelieving.

Evander’s expression remained neutral. "Don’t misunderstand me, Lydia. I’m not supporting you. But I don’t want Ashton to suffer because of conflict between his parents. It isn’t fair to him."

Lydia’s lips parted slightly in surprise. It wasn’t a warm sentiment, but it was honest.

"Take it slow," Evander continued, his voice steady. "Don’t push him too hard. It will only make things uncomfortable. And most importantly—" He leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking onto hers. "Don’t hurt him again."

Lydia swallowed, absorbing the weight of his words. She had expected Evander to be indifferent, or perhaps even cruel. But instead, he was giving her something she hadn’t anticipated—a chance.

A small, knowing smile played at the corner of her lips. "You’ve changed," she noted. "You care more about our son now, not just yourself."

Evander leaned back again, his lips curving into the slightest of smiles. "I’m a father," he said. "And now, I’m also a husband."

Lydia watched him carefully, her fingers slowly curling into fists beneath the table.

Lydia’s chest tightened as she watched Evander.

Even during all the years they had been together, she had never seen him smile like that. Not with her.

Back then, his smiles had been fleeting, polite at best. A mask of charm he wore when necessary, but never something that truly reached his eyes. She used to tell herself that was just who he was—distant, reserved, not the type to get caught up in emotions. But now, watching him, his expression subtly softening at the mere mention of his wife, she realized she had been wrong.

This was different.

Evander wasn’t just being civil, wasn’t just going through the motions. He was serious about Delphinia.

The way he spoke about her, the way he carried himself, the way his gaze flickered in her direction without hesitation—it all told Lydia everything she needed to know. He wasn’t just protecting Ashton; he was protecting them.

She had seen everything.

And she wouldn’t forget it.