Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 567 Otherwise, it just wouldn't carry enough weight.

Normally, an engagement party doesn't require this level of attention. You just invite family and close friends to offer their blessings, and save the big announcement for the actual wedding.

But Mila wanted to make this engagement public-broadcast it to the world, right from the start.

This changed everything.

For most of the guests, this wasn't just another engagement. What truly mattered was the deeper meaning behind today's celebration.

Rumors had already begun swirling- After Lysander Montgomery's sudden death, Mila, one of the two most influential figures at the helm of Montgomery Holdings, had decided to resign from the board and cut all ties with the company. In other words, the sChairman Sutherland who, as Lysander's widow, had stepped up and steered Montgomery Holdings through those turbulent times, was now walking away from the Montgomery family? And not just resigning quietly, but tically and irrevocably severing all connections.

Now, she was getting engaged to Forrest the very man who had openly clashed with Lysander. Coupled with all the rumors floating around, this engagement took on a whole new significance.

Naturally, everyone wanted to see how this would play out.

No one really knew what had happened between Mila and the Montgomery family, but today's engagement party would set the tone for the relationship between the Montgomerys and the Sutherlands going forward. Everyone was keenly aware that this would also determine how they should interact with Mila-and with the soon-to-be- married couple-in the future.

After all, the Montgomery family was not to be trifled with.

Still...

Once inside, the guests-each lost in their own thoughts-kept stealing glances at a spot beneath the floral archway, where a few plainly dressed, scholarly-looking middle-aged men had just arrived. Among them stood an elderly gentleman with silver hair, dressed in a simple suit, his face kind and gentle as he chatted with Forrest, holding his hand.

The crowd stared in surprise.

It was no wonder.

Though the old man looked mild-mannered, he was in fact a giant in the world of academic research-a leading figure in aerospace and computer science, a member of the National Academy, Dr. Townsend Ayers. He had led countless major national research projects as chief scientist, especially in the field of aerospace innovation, and his achievements were legendary.

Everyone knew who he was.

But why was he here at an engagement party, of all places? Dr. Ayers never attended private gatherings; he was always traveling the world, impossible to pin down. Yet here he was, chatting amiably with Forrest. Even if Forrest was an up-and-coming genius in computer science, that hardly seemed enough to draw Dr. Ayers away from his work.

It wasn't simply a matter of seniority.

Their areas of expertise were miles apart.

Aerospace computing and artificial intelligence-hardly the sthing. Unless... wasn't Dr. Ayers's recent research moving toward Al applications? People exchanged subtle glances, their expressions thoughtful.

No matter what anyone else was thinking, Forrest himself was genuinely surprised, though he hid it well. He greeted the old man politely, extending his hand. "Dr. Ayers, I had no idea you would be here. I—” Before he could finish, Dr. Ayers clasped his hand with a firm grip and scolded in a warm but stern tone, "Where did you learn to speak like that? Can't you just say hello properly?" Forrest could only smile helplessly. "Dr. Ayers, what brings you here?" Aren't you supposed to be incredibly busy these days? "It's your mentor's fault," Dr. Ayers replied, feigning exasperation. "Tyrell couldn't make it himself, so he called me-insisted I csee for myself what kind of woman his star student is marrying." Forrest's smile grew more resigned. "Dr. Ayers..." "All right, I'll admit it-I wanted to see for myself, too." Forrest was speechless.

Dr. Ayers chuckled, eyes crinkling. "You're still as serious as ever. It's a shyou didn't inherit even a fraction of your mentor's sense of humor But enough teasing. I really did cto have a look, though I also have sbusiness to discuss. We'll talk after your engagement-no rush. I imagine you're not in the mood to talk shop with an old man right now." Forrest laughed, a little embarrassed. "Either way, thank you for coming, Dr. Ayers." He knew how rare it was for

someone of Dr. Ayers's stature to attend a student's engagement, no matter the reason. That he had taken the tlargely thanks fo Tyrell's invitation, since the two had always been close-meant a great deal. If they hadn't know and respected Forrest, Dr. Ayers would never have come.

Of course, if Tyrell had asked Dr. Ayers to come, it was certainly not just out of idle curiosity. He musth have heard the srumors that Forrest and Mila had subtly allowed to circulate: that this engagement was no simple affair, and that there was tension brewing with the Montgomery family. So Tyrell had called in Dr. Ayers for support.

That old man... Forrest couldn't help but smile with affection, thinking of his mentor-so much a father figure, rarely as serious as he pretended to be. Warmth flooded Forrest's chest.

Once the engagement party was over, He would have to introduce Mila to the old man in person.