My Cold-Hearted Husband Wants Me Back
Chapter 96: Gold Digger

Chapter 96: Gold Digger

Inside the shop, the air was sweet with vanilla and sugar, and everything was coated in pastel colors, from the counter to the napkin holders. It would’ve been perfect, if not for the fact that they were the only customers inside.

Not because it was empty. But because no one else was allowed in.

The security had ’gently’ redirected other customers, murmuring about a "private reservation." Even the staff were whispering amongst themselves behind the counter, sneaking glances at Lunara like she might start glowing any second.

Lunara shifted uncomfortably in her seat, spooning a bit of strawberry ice cream into Mila’s mouth. "Okay, this is... kind of embarrassing."

Naomi was halfway through her sundae, clearly unbothered. She was used to this kind of life, the stares, the extra security, the whispers behind tinted glass.

"This is your first time getting princess treatment?" she teased, raising a brow at Lunara. "You’ll get used to it. Eventually."

Lunara gave her a flat look, glancing toward the window where two of the guards stood like statues. "It’s not a princess treatment. It’s more like we’re dangerous criminals they’re afraid might run."

Naomi grinned. "That’s because he loves you. The more dramatic the guards, the more he cares."

Lunara blinked, unsure how to respond to that. "Love? Isn’t it too early to talk about love?" but she was still smiling thinking about it but then her gaze dropped to Mila, now licking the spoon happily with ice cream all over her chin.

"I just wanted a normal day," she muttered, wiping Mila’s face with a napkin.

"There is no normal day, Ara. The moment you accepted Eryx in your life, ’normal’ packed its bags and left."

Lunara let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "You make it sound like I married chaos."

Naomi shrugged with a smug grin. "You did. Tall, rich, stupidly competent, and grumpy enough to scare off a thunderstorm. Honestly, it’s impressive how he manages to be useful and unbearable at the same time."

Lunara chuckled, finally taking a bite of her own ice cream. "You forgot, controlling."

Naomi pointed her spoon at her. "Oh no, that one’s a given. It’s basically his love language."

They both laughed softly, their shared amusement cutting through the thick cloud of caution that still hovered in the air.

Just as Lunara lifted the spoon to Mila’s mouth, a sharp, annoyed voice sliced through the mellow hum of the ice cream shop.

"Excuse me? What kind of joke is this?" A woman in a designer blazer and oversized sunglasses had planted herself near the entrance, hands on her hips, heels tapping impatiently. "I’ve been waiting outside for ten minutes. And you’re telling me no one else is allowed in because some random woman and her nanny booked out the entire place?"

Naomi didn’t even look up. "And the circus begins," she muttered into her spoon.

A woman stood near the entrance with her arms crossed and an exaggerated sigh. "Seriously? They’re turning people away now?" she said loudly to no one in particular. "What is this, a birthday party? A celebrity sighting?"

Lunara glanced up just as the woman’s eyes found her and stayed there.

"Oh," the woman said, trying to step inside, but the staff guiltily tried to stop her. "Of course. One of those types. Must be nice, throwing money around to play pretend."

Naomi paused mid-spoonful, already sensing where this was going.

The woman smirked. "Let me guess. Some influencer with a rich boyfriend who thinks the world revolves around her." Then her gaze dropped to Mila. "And you’ve got your poor little prop here. Kids don’t belong in places like this especially if she looks that ugly."

Lunara set her spoon down, wiped Mila’s chin gently, and stood up still calm, still smiling as she headed to the main door.

"I’m sorry if it upset you," she said kindly. "We didn’t mean to inconvenience anyone. If you’d like to go in and buy your ice cream, please, don’t let us stop you."

The woman blinked. Her mouth opened, closed, then twisted into a scoff. "Right. Like I’d enjoy it with all this staged nonsense going on. You’re being fake nice."

Lunara didn’t flinch. "That’s okay. I’d rather be fake nice than genuinely rude."

Naomi nearly choked on her spoon, coughing into her napkin to hide a laugh.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. "People like you think you can buy manners and class. But all the money in the world won’t make you one of us."

Lunara gave a slow blink, as if letting the insult pass right through her. "Good thing I’m not trying to be anyone else."

She turned back to Mila, crouching to adjust her shoe as if nothing had happened, her calm composure only adding fuel to the woman’s frustration. "Are you done?" She asked Mila.

Without warning, the woman stormed over, her footsteps sharp and angry on the floor. Lunara barely had time to react before the woman grabbed the drink from their table, a bright pink lemonade, and splashed it all over Lunara’s shirt.

"Mommy..." Mila’s voice was barely a whisper, but the fear in it made Lunara’s chest tighten. Her little hands clutched the edge of Lunara’s dress, eyes wide and glossy. She understood. She didn’t need to understand every word to feel the hate in them.

Lunara crouched beside her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "It’s okay," she whispered gently. "Mommy’s okay."

Then she stood.

Her shirt clung damp against her skin, stained and dripping pink lemonade. But her expression stayed calm, her spine straight, her eyes meeting the woman’s without wavering.

"I think you’ve said enough," she began, her tone steady. "And I suggest—"

Before she could finish, the woman snatched the second glass from the table, Naomi’s unfinished drink and flung the water straight into Lunara’s face.

Gasps rippled through the room. Naomi shot up from her seat with a sharp movement, her chair scraping hard against the floor.

But the woman just sneered. "I was just trying to clean you," she spat coldly. "From all the dirty money you earned."