# Chapter 424: Flowers, Fans, and an Unspoken Choice
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 424 of *"The Untouchable Ex Wife"* — a chapter that proves sometimes silence is the loudest answer, and that a woman recovering from her wounds still has to face the battlefield of the heart.
A week had passed since Leia was admitted to the hospital. Her body had slowly healed, and although her throat was still on the mend, the doctors finally allowed her to leave. But while her physical recovery was promising, her heart was restless. The very first person she wanted to see was Renee. She had been texting her friend constantly during her stay, sending message after message, hoping to bridge the distance—but Renee had not replied to a single one.
To Leia, that silence was deafening. Concern wrapped around her chest like a tight knot. She couldn't just lie in bed wondering and worrying anymore. The instant she was discharged, she made up her mind: she needed to go to Renee’s house and see her with her own eyes.
As she stepped out of the hospital, her two shadows were already waiting—Santiago and Xavier. They flanked her like two rival guard dogs, each unwilling to give the other an inch of ground.
“Let’s go. I want to go to Renee’s house too. It’s on the way,” Xavier said smoothly, stepping forward as if he had every right to be by her side. He immediately reached for Leia’s luggage with the eagerness of a devoted boyfriend, ready to carry her burden without being asked.
But Leia snatched her luggage back before his fingers could even close around the handle. Her movements were quick, sharp, and clearly annoyed. She dug her phone out of her pocket, typed a few pointed words, and shoved the screen in Xavier’s face.
*“Didn’t I ask you to stay away from me? I don’t want to see you.”*
Her words were cold, direct, and unmistakable. There was no warmth in her digital delivery, no room for misinterpretation. She wanted space from this man who kept appearing in her life like a stubborn storm.
But Xavier was not the type to be easily shaken. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He delivered his retort with infuriating calmness: “Just close your eyes if you don’t want to see me.”
It was such a cheeky, unshakable response that it would have made any woman’s blood boil. Leia was no exception.
Before she could even react, Xavier turned his sneering gaze toward Santiago. “You don’t have to go. After all, they’re *our* friends, not yours. It’ll only be awkward if you tag along.” The words dripped with territorial dismissiveness, as if he were trying to erase Santiago from Leia’s world entirely.
Santiago, however, refused to be provoked so easily. His stare was calm and steady as he answered, “Leia should be the one who decides that. It’s not up to you, Mr. Stuart.”
That brief retort carried a quiet challenge. He wasn’t about to let Xavier dictate who could accompany Leia. The decision wasn’t his to make. It was hers.
Leia rubbed her temples, feeling the beginning of a headache pulse behind her eyes. These two men were sizing each other up like knights fighting for the right to guard a queen who wanted nothing to do with either of them. Their constant bickering was exhausting. She just wanted to see Renee, to catch up with her friend, to make sure she was okay—not to referee a silent war between two egos.
So she made her choice: neither of them.
She typed three simple words and held the screen up for both men to see: *“I’ll go alone.”*
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed her luggage and strode toward the exit. No matter how they tried to follow, she was determined to make this journey by herself. Renee matters were personal, and Leia didn’t want the awkwardness of two men fighting over her to interrupt a much-needed reunion.
It wasn’t supposed to be so difficult from there. She just needed a cab.
But fate seemed to have other plans.
The area in front of the hospital was a chaotic sea of people. Cars crawled through traffic, pedestrians moved in every direction, and empty taxis were stubbornly rare. Leia lifted her hand, trying desperately to hail one, but every vehicle that approached was already occupied.
Then she heard a voice, bright and shocked with recognition: “Miss Osborne, is that you?”
Leia turned toward the sound and found two college students staring at her with wide, sparkling eyes. Their excitement was unmistakable.
“Ah, it really is Miss Osborne! We’re your fans, and we love watching you on *The Choice of Love*! Here—this is for you!” Without a moment of hesitation, the two women rushed over and shoved a beautiful bouquet into Leia’s hands.
Leia froze, staring down at the flowers in bewilderment. Only a few months ago, the world had seen her as someone disposable—someone to mock and discard. Now strangers were calling her their favorite, showering her with gifts and admiration. How had her life turned upside down so quickly? How could someone like *her* possibly have fans?
Before she could process the strange warmth blooming inside her heart, the students pressed further with bubbly voices: “Miss Osborne, can we get a photo with you? You’re okay with it, right?”
The words were barely a question—they were already bundling delightfully beside Leia, flashing peace signs and lifting their phones to capture the moment. Leia couldn’t even protest. She simply stood there, bouquet in hand, frozen in a moment she had never imagined.
After the photos were taken, one of the girls turned to Leia with bright, curious eyes. “By the way, who did you pick finally? We’re very curious.”
Leia’s heart stuttered.
That question again—the one everyone in the world seemed to want answered. She pointed at her throat and shook her head gently, grateful for the inability to speak. For once, silence was a shield. She couldn't say which man she truly chose, because even she didn’t seem to have the answer.
The two students didn’t wait for her to find her voice. They launched into an animated debate right there on the sidewalk.
“I think you’ll pick Mr. Dalton. He suits you better,” one girl said dreamily. “You two are like the protagonists in a college romance—gentle, warm, meant for each other.”
The other girl scoffed, clearly not convinced. “No, Mr. Stuart suits her better. People only reveal their true selves around the people they love. Miss Osborne is only herself in front of Mr. Stuart. I’m taking Mr. Stuart’s side.”
And so, they went back and forth, each arguing passionately about which man should win Leia’s heart.
Left with a bouquet in her hands and two bubbly fans debating her love life, Leia could only watch helplessly. The two women bickered as if they were the ones who had to make the choice. Yet deep down, Leia knew the truth: the choice was never as simple as picking a side. Some loves heal you; some loves stir you. And sometimes, the one who makes you feel most alive is also the one who makes you lose yourself.
The fans saw her as the star of a romance program, someone whose story would end happily ever after with a handsome man. But Leia knew real love was never that clean or clear. She was still standing at a crossroads in her life, throat raw, heart heavy, with two different futures calling her name.
And as she held those bright flowers from strangers who believed in her, Leia could only wonder: would anyone give her a sign to show her which way to go?
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**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
What a beautifully human chapter! I love how this moment of normal attention catches Leia off guard—it's such a reminder of how far she has come. At the same time, the tug-of-war between Santiago and Xavier continues to stir complex feelings for both fans and Leia herself. The two college girls debating who she should choose mirror exactly what we, the readers, are struggling with! Xavier's witty "close your eyes" moment gave me butterflies, while Santiago’s mature respect for Leia’s choice makes me root for him in a different way. It's a deceptively light chapter filled with emotional weight, and it leaves us thinking about identity, love, and self-worth.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars
**Next Chapter Prediction:**
Get ready—this quiet moment will not stay quiet for long. Renee’s silence cannot be ignored forever, and Leia will likely uncover something shocking when she reaches her friend’s house. Meanwhile, with Xavier and Santiago still circling each other like rivals, Leia may soon be forced into an emotional meltdown where she can no longer hide behind texts or her silent throat. Perhaps one of the men will chase after her anyway, and that moment of confrontation will finally bring buried secrets and true feelings to the surface.
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