hapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
The excitement in his eyes dimmed slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was she having second thoughts?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKevin,\u201d Madeleine said suddenly, her tone serious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s face immediately paled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho bought you these pajamas? You look like a little old man,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
she declared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin was dumbfounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was she talking about?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked down at his dark blue silk pajamas. They were a\u00a0<\/p>\n
simple, classic style without any fancy designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were exactly like the ones Roderick wore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did that make Roderick an old man?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis won\u2019t do. I\u2019m taking you shopping tomorrow for some new\u00a0<\/p>\n
clothes. You\u2019re much too cute to be dressed so plainly. It\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
practically a crime.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had wanted to complain when she saw him in that stuffy\u00a0<\/p>\n
little suit jacket earlier in the day\u2013it was far too formal and not\u00a0<\/p>\n
at all suitable for a child his age.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you still standing there? Aren\u2019t you cold? Come over\u00a0<\/p>\n
here. I\u2019ve warmed up your side of the bed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She patted the empty space beside her, her own heart fluttering\u00a0<\/p>\n
with a mix of anticipation and excitement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She got to sleep cuddling such an adorable little boy tonight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The very thought of it made her incredibly happy. No one had\u00a0<\/p>\n
ever told her that having a child\u2013and skipping all the pain of\u00a0<\/p>\n
childbirth\u2013could feel this wonderful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin was overjoyed. His face lit up as he scrambled onto the\u00a0<\/p>\n
bed toward her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was so warm and carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. Was this\u00a0<\/p>\n
what Mommy smelled like?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had never felt happier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, Kev, time for sleep. Tomorrow, after we get up, we\u2019ll go\u00a0<\/p>\n
shopping, and then you\u2019ll accompany me to a performance in\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
the evening. Sound good?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat. Now, time for some bedtime stories,\u201d Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
offered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin stared at her, his eyes wide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Really? Was she going to tell him stories? Roderick was always\u00a0<\/p>\n
the one who did that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having no experience in coaxing a child to sleep, Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
thought for a moment and began telling him classic tales like\u00a0<\/p>\n
Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he listened with rapt attention, occasionally interrupting to\u00a0<\/p>\n
ask, \u201cAnd then what happened?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was surprised. \u201cYou\u2019ve never heard these stories before?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy has never told me any of these.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what does he tell you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thinking for a while, Kevin answered, \u201cLately? \u2018Einstein\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
Autobiography\u201c.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was rendered speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world had truly gone mad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick had been the most rebellious and unruly child she knew. How, during the years she couldn\u2019t remember, had he morphed into such a serious figure?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin was just a little boy. Why did he need to know about Einstein\u2019s life? This was the age for him to be filled with fairy\u00a0<\/p>\n
tales!\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKev,\u201d she promised, \u201cif you like the stories I tell, I\u2019ll tell you one every single day from now on. How does that sound?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin was on the verge of tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This felt like a dream\u2013a wonderful, happy dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why else would Madeleine suddenly be so kind to him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He fought back the tears and nodded vigorously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After she finished another story, they both yawned, nestling close to each other before drifting into a deep, sound sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even as he fell asleep, Kevin kept a tight grip on Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
finger, afraid that if he let go, he would wake up and find it all\u00a0<\/p>\n
had been a dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At 5:30 a.m. in Phelrania.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The plane touched down. Roderick and Gerry switched on their\u00a0<\/p>\n
phones simultaneously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A bank notification about his card being used abroad\u00a0<\/p>\n
immediately popped up on Roderick\u2019s screen, which he\u00a0<\/p>\n
forwarded to Gerry. Within five minutes, Gerry had traced the\u00a0<\/p>\n
transaction to a downtown hotel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a hotel\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
With each step, Roderick\u2019s footsteps grew heavier, a bitterness\u00a0<\/p>\n
so profound it threatened to suffocate him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine came all this way just for Edward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many rooms did she book?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Gerry could finish speaking, Roderick halted abruptly, his\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes burning with fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only one room? Where was Kevin supposed to be?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was Madeleine so shameless that she would bring Kevin with her while she was doing it with Edward?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew her. She\u2019d probably left Kevin waiting outside the door!\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine, how could you? How could you be so heartless?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cursed under his breath, his eyes reddening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew she didn\u2019t love him, but to treat Kevin with such cruelty\u2026 Kevin had never done anything to deserve this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following behind, Gerry felt a lump form in his own throat, his eyes distressed as he watched Roderick\u2019s rigid back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t understand. Roderick was exceptional in every way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why was his affection fixated solely on Madeleine?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was it merely because they were childhood sweethearts? Yet,\u00a0<\/p>\n
she had shattered his heart so ruthlessly\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the hotel,\u201d Roderick commanded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOK.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerry nodded and quickly retrieved the car from the airport, a\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
sense of unease growing inside him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was now driving Roderick to catch Madeleine in the act. Now, only one thought filled his mind\u2013would he be silenced\u00a0<\/p>\n
afterwards?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He could only hope the impending confrontation wouldn\u2019t be\u00a0<\/p>\n
too ugly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 11 hapter 11\u00a0 The excitement in his eyes dimmed slightly.\u00a0 Was she […]<\/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":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29229","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=29229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29229\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}