Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 15
Unexpectedly, the speaker was too loud. She heard everything.
It wasn’t her fault. Roderick’s phone was of too awful quality.
He had no privacy on the phone.
At the sight of Madeleine, he hung up immediately and turned
around awkwardly.
“It’s not…”
“Not what? I heard everything!”
Madeleine twitched her lips sullenly. “Ricki, we grew up together
and have known each other for so many years. Wouldn’t you
know if I were sick?”
She rolled her eyes at him.
“If I were sick, so were you. You were hopelessly sick!”
With a snort, she grabbed her purse, took Kevin’s hand, and
made her way toward the door. Kevin asked her what she and
Roderick were arguing about. She replied without hesitation,
“Your dad has brain damage.”
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Roderick was petrified.
Who was the capricious one here?
***
After they left the hotel, Madeleine was still vexed.
She understood if Roderick wanted to take her to the hospital for a check–up. But the Psychiatry Department? It was insulting.
Kevin was a sweet boy. He tried to smooth things over between
his parents. Holding their hands on either side, he was all
smiles.
Having waited for Roderick for so long, Gerry had almost fallen asleep downstairs. But at the sight of the family of three, he
was wide awake.
Deeply worried, he had called Roderick just now. Roderick told him he didn’t need to do a thing except wait.
Several hours had passed. Finally, there he was, with his wife and son.
Gerry was at a loss as to what to do.
“Mr. and Mrs. Livingston.”
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Gerry stepped forward and greeted them respectfully. He could make a perfect quintessence of a two–faced employee.
Deep down, he still wondered what had happened upstairs.
He couldn’t help but steal glances at Roderick and Madeleine.
It didn’t look like his boss had just caught his wife in the act.
It was more like they had just bickered.
“Gerry, can you take us to the mall? Mommy wants to buy me clothes.”
Gerry looked first at Kevin and then at Madeleine, astonished.
In the past few hours, did his boss threaten Madeleine into shopping for Kevin?
“Well, well, way to go, boss!” Gerry exclaimed inwardly.
On the other hand, he wondered what successful men were thinking nowadays. Why did they cling to women who didn’t love them back?
“OK. The car is parked outside. Let’s go.”
Although he was curious about his boss‘ domestic affairs, he
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did his job dutifully. As a private assistant, he was paid
handsomely. He must prove he was worthy.
The family of three was gonna watch the performance at the
theater. Gerry took two minutes making arrangements for their
shopping and made a reservation at a restaurant for their lunch
and dinner.
On the way, Gerry was prepared for an awkward silence in the
car.
Against his expectations, Kevin and Madeleine never stopped
talking.
They chirped, now saying the big–hooded vehicle passing by
looked like a green humphead parrotfish, and now saying the
clouds in the sky resembled animals.
Gerry listened, amused.
The liveliness was amazing.
It had been a long time since this family last looked so alive.
He looked through the rearview mirror and happened to glimpse the faint smile on Roderick’s face.
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Finally!
His boss‘ suffering had finally come to an end. Madeleine finally
softened.
Gerry hoped she wouldn’t make trouble again and that the three of them could live happily ever after.
Roderick was a wonderful man. If Gerry were a woman, he’d marry his boss.
The car came to a halt. Roderick told Gerry he could do whatever he wanted for the rest of the day. In other words, it was his day off.
Then, Roderick took Kevin’s hand. The family of three entered the mall.
***
Madeleine’s purpose was to replace Kevin’s tacky clothes.
She went straight to the section of children’s wear. Before picking anything, she asked Roderick, “We’re not poor, are we?”
“Not really.”
“We can afford these clothes, right?”
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Roderick looked around.
He was rich enough to buy such malls, so he nodded.
Madeleine rubbed her hands excitedly.
When Madeleine was little, she loved dressing up games. She
bought pretty clothes and shoes for dolls and teddy bears and
dressed them up.
Now that she had a person to dress up, she was glad.
“I’ll take this!”
“I’ll take that!”
“Wrap it up!”
Madeleine bought tons of shoes and clothes for her son. Before
long, Roderick’s hands were full.
With a frown, he had to call Gerry again.
“Your day off is cancelled. Come back and carry things.”
After hanging up, Gerry whined, “An employee deserves to
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catch a break.”
Madeleine was tired from the shopping spree. So was Kevin,
who had been trying on clothes and shoes all the time.
Chapter 18
Chapter 16
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.