69\u2013The Messy Family\u00a0<\/p>\n
Graham:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you all to go back to your room. We\u2019re not here for a picnic,\u201d I said sharply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was supposed to work on this case, and here you are, all over my head, in my business.\u201d I finally snapped at them at the dinner table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was getting frustrating. I came here for work, and they all just tagged along.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou definitely didn\u2019t come here for work,\u201d Kaylee commented with a scoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even after Madeline lied to her to calm her down, she returned in a sour mood and told me that coming here by lying to her only meant I wanted to spend time with Madeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what are you suggesting? You all just stay here while I try to work?\u201d I hissed at her, watching her glance at my father for help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCalm down, son. It\u2019s not like you\u2019re actively working. And when you are, we stay out of your way. You spend the rest of the day in Madeline\u2019s suite. Did any of us say anything to you? No. So what\u2019s the problem with us staying here?\u201d my father replied, chewing on the steak in front of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time Penny was in sight, I didn\u2019t even want to speak to my father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But since she was around most of the time, I had to bear it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you\u2019ve all made your point. Now can you please just go back home? I can\u2019t focus on work when you\u2019re all here,\u201d I said, trying one more time to make them leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the smile on my father\u2019s face told me he\u2019d rather stay here and irritate me than go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen are you giving your father an heir?\u201d Penny spoke up, making me clench my fists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the first time she\u2019d done that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019d talked about it before, I\u2019d told her not to act like she was my mother or speak to me about anything, but she never cared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was as if she enjoyed getting on my nerves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her comment about the heir had already soured my father\u2019s mood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But this time, I had the perfect response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you give him a child since you two want a baby so badly?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as I said that, she snapped her head up and glared at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the first time I\u2019d seen Penny angry and it felt like a good start.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I realized I could always get under her skin like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I liked it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father\u2019s head turned toward her, and I began to wonder if what they said about not wanting a child at their age\u00a0<\/p>\n
was even true.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh,\u201d I choked, smiling widely. \u201cYou know, sometimes karma works that way. Women who are so cunning never\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
69\u2013The Messy Lamy\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
conceive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as I said that, clearly hinting that Penny had made my mother suffer, Kaylee took it the wrong way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She slammed her hand on the table and stood up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaylee, sit down. It wasn\u2019t meant for you,\u201d I said, but she didn\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was already walking away to her room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath and tossed my fork aside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to see what Madeline is up to. I\u2019m here for work, unlike you all,\u201d I remarked, standing from the chair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you going to make amends with your wife?\u201d Penny asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I flicked my hand at her, letting her know I wasn\u2019t going to entertain her, and walked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The argument earlier with Baxter had me worried for Madeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time I tried to make amends with her, to win her back, either Elgin or Baxter would show up and ruin things.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were messy people, and I didn\u2019t understand why they had to come between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt like our friendship existed not only to support each other but also to ruin each other\u2019s happiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I left my suite, I noticed Baxter already heading toward Madeline\u2019s suite, with Elgin following him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sped up, but they got inside before me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time I arrived, the atmosphere was heavy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The kids were restless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara sat in the corner of the living room surrounded by toys, Gina cried on the couch, and Bodhi annoyed Nina, pestering her for something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina, the nanny, looked like she was going through hell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d I asked, joining Baxter and Elgin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elgin hurried to sit beside Elara to check on her. Baxter asked Nina what Bodhi wanted while I walked over to Gina and sat beside her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on? Where\u2019s Madeline?\u201d I asked, glancing around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bodhi seemed to have eaten too many candies, but he was still throwing a fit for another one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter wrapped his arm around him and lifted him into his arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was strange to see Baxter being gentle with a child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He then placed Bodhi on the couch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, the three of us sat with the children, while Nina stood beside exhausted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeline left for some work, and it\u2019s been hours since she returned,\u201d Nina said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words made my stomach drop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
-The Messy Furnity\u00a0<\/p>\n
The three of us shared a glance, then turned back to her, waiting for more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean she left earlier? Where did she go?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
425 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was part of our agreement that one of us would accompany her wherever she went, since we had covered most of her expenses here and had practically hired her for this job.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For her to go out alone was unnecessary and risky.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEarlier today, she got a call from someone named the librarian,\u201d Nina explained. \u201cShe picked up and left in a hurry. She said she\u2019d be back soon, but I\u2019ve been trying to call her, even reach the driver, and there\u2019s been no response.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter and Elgin looked lost, while I felt cold sweat forming on my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGraham, is there something you know about it? Who\u2019s this librarian?\u201d Baxter asked, placing Bodhi down from his lap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember the outing we had that you called a date?\u201d I replied. \u201cWe were actually at the library. We were interested in some things, and\u2026\u201d I paused, noticing Nina listening to us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you take the kids inside? We\u2019ll go find Madeline and bring her home. She\u2019s probably with the librarian,\u201d I mumbled with a smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I felt odd about the whole thing for some reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby\u2019s writing style is bold and irresistible\u2014perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.<\/p>\n
69\u2013The Messy Family\u00a0 Graham:\u00a0 \u201cI want you all to go back to your room. We\u2019re not here for a picnic,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-no-daddy-novel-by-novelnozi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19065"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19270,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19065\/revisions\/19270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}