Chapter\u00a0<\/b>2\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
The\u00a0memory\u00a0of\u00a0her\u00a0own\u00a0words\u00a0felt\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0stinging slap across<\/p>\n
the\u00a0face.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0twenty\u2013seven\u2013year\u2013old\u00a0Roderick\u00a0was\u00a0utterly\u00a0cold\u00a0and\u00a0seemed to\u00a0be\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0hurry.\u00a0He\u00a0gave\u00a0a\u00a0brief explanation\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0police\u00a0and\u00a0then\u00a0walked out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0station,\u00a0carrying Kevin\u00a0in\u00a0one\u00a0arm\u00a0and\u00a0grabbing\u00a0Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0hand\u00a0with\u00a0the other.<\/p>\n
After\u00a0he\u00a0dragged\u00a0her\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0car, Madeleine\u00a0took\u00a0a deep<\/p>\n
breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cRicki,\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0something\u00a0to\u00a0tell\u00a0you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roderick had\u00a0just\u00a0secured\u00a0Kevin\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0child\u00a0seat.<\/p>\n
Hearing\u00a0her\u00a0words,\u00a0he\u00a0slowly\u00a0looked\u00a0up\u00a0at\u00a0her.\u00a0\u201cWhat did\u00a0you<\/p>\n
call\u00a0me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRicki,\u00a0your nickname.\u00a0What\u2019s\u00a0wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s\u00a0gaze\u00a0darkened,\u00a0betraying no\u00a0emotion.\u00a0He\u00a0had\u00a0lost\u00a0count\u00a0of\u00a0how\u00a0long\u00a0it\u00a0had\u00a0been\u00a0since she\u00a0had\u00a0called\u00a0him\u00a0that.<\/p>\n
He\u00a0closed\u00a0the\u00a0door\u00a0and\u00a0sat in\u00a0the\u00a0driver\u2019s\u00a0seat.<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0<\/b>2<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/b>What\u00a0<\/b>do\u00a0you\u00a0want\u00a0to\u00a0say\u00a0<\/b>to\u00a0me?\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact,\u00a0I-\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Madeleine\u00a0paused,\u00a0turning\u00a0to\u00a0look\u00a0at\u00a0Kevin,\u00a0who\u00a0was\u00a0gazing\u00a0at<\/p>\n
her.<\/p>\n
If she said\u00a0she\u00a0had\u00a0traveled\u00a0through\u00a0time,\u00a0would\u00a0it\u00a0scare\u00a0him?<\/p>\n
She\u00a0then\u00a0decided\u00a0to\u00a0tell Roderick\u00a0in\u00a0private\u00a0when\u00a0they\u00a0got<\/p>\n
home.<\/p>\n
Putting\u00a0on her best\u00a0gentle\u00a0mother\u00a0act,\u00a0she\u00a0smiled at\u00a0Kevin.<\/p>\n
\u201cKev,\u00a0did\u00a0I\u00a0scare\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin\u00a0gawked\u00a0at\u00a0her,\u00a0slack\u2013jawed.<\/p>\n
Was\u00a0this really\u00a0his mommy?<\/p>\n
Why was\u00a0she\u00a0so\u00a0gentle\u00a0all\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0sudden?\u00a0Was\u00a0it\u00a0because\u00a0she\u00a0\u2026<\/p>\n
finally\u00a0decided\u00a0to\u00a0abandon\u00a0him\u00a0for\u00a0good?<\/p>\n
Pouting,\u00a0he\u00a0looked at\u00a0Roderick.\u00a0\u201cDaddy,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0okay.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0here,\u201d\u00a0Roderick\u00a0said.<\/p>\n
With that,\u00a0he\u00a0glanced\u00a0at\u00a0Madeleine\u00a0through the\u00a0rearview\u00a0mirror.<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a02<\/p>\n
The\u00a0smile\u00a0on\u00a0her\u00a0face\u00a0froze,\u00a0and\u00a0she shrank back\u00a0awkwardly<\/p>\n
before\u00a0looking\u00a0out the\u00a0window,\u00a0pretending nothing\u00a0had<\/p>\n
happened.<\/p>\n
So,\u00a0<\/b>it\u00a0was\u00a0really\u00a0an\u00a0act?<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s\u00a0grip\u00a0tightened\u00a0around the\u00a0steering\u00a0wheel,\u00a0his\u00a0jaw<\/p>\n
clenching.<\/p>\n
Soon,\u00a0he\u00a0pulled\u00a0up\u00a0to\u00a0the entrance\u00a0of\u00a0a riverside\u00a0villa.\u00a0Looking<\/p>\n
up,\u00a0Madeleine\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0help\u00a0but\u00a0be\u00a0impressed.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d\u00a0been\u00a0such\u00a0a\u00a0bum\u00a0back\u00a0then,\u00a0yet\u00a0now he\u00a0had\u00a0made\u00a0it\u00a0this<\/p>\n
big.\u00a0Good\u00a0for\u00a0him.<\/p>\n
Before\u00a0she\u00a0could finish\u00a0taking\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0sight of\u00a0the\u00a0villa,\u00a0Roderick<\/p>\n
grabbed\u00a0her\u00a0wrist,\u00a0pulled\u00a0her\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0bedroom,\u00a0and\u00a0slammed<\/p>\n
the door\u00a0shut.<\/p>\n
\u201cW\u2013What\u00a0are\u00a0you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u00a0immediately\u00a0covered\u00a0her\u00a0chest\u00a0with\u00a0both\u00a0arms.<\/p>\n
Before\u00a0she\u00a0could\u00a0finish\u00a0speaking,\u00a0Roderick snapped,<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine,\u00a0the\u00a0next time you\u00a0decide\u00a0to\u00a0cheat\u00a0on\u00a0me,\u00a0could\u00a0you\u00a0at\u00a0least\u00a0have\u00a0the decency not\u00a0to\u00a0bring\u00a0Kevin\u00a0along?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a02<\/p>\n
What\u00a0had\u00a0Roderick\u00a0just\u00a0said?<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u00a0wondered\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0had\u00a0misheard.<\/p>\n
Her?\u00a0Cheating\u00a0on\u00a0him?<\/p>\n
Had she\u00a0truly\u00a0done\u00a0something\u00a0so\u00a0shameless?\u00a0And to\u00a0have<\/p>\n
brought\u00a0Kevin along?<\/p>\n
How\u00a0despicable!<\/p>\n
Her\u00a0eyes\u00a0widened\u00a0in\u00a0shock,\u00a0and\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0moment,\u00a0she almost<\/p>\n
forgot\u00a0to\u00a0breathe.<\/p>\n
Slowly,\u00a0she\u00a0raised\u00a0her\u00a0head and\u00a0met\u00a0Roderick\u2019s\u00a0gaze,\u00a0which was<\/p>\n
burning with\u00a0rage.<\/p>\n
\u201cRicki,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0said,\u00a0her\u00a0voice trembling,\u00a0\u201cif\u00a0I\u00a0told\u00a0you\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0lost\u00a0my<\/p>\n
memory\u00a0and\u00a0only remember being\u00a0eighteen,\u00a0would\u00a0you\u00a0believe<\/p>\n
me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s\u00a0fury\u00a0was\u00a0visibly\u00a0replaced\u00a0by\u00a0stunned\u00a0silence.<\/p>\n
But\u00a0soon,\u00a0a\u00a0cold\u00a0understanding\u00a0seemed\u00a0to\u00a0dawn\u00a0on\u00a0him.\u00a0He<\/p>\n
arched an\u00a0eyebrow\u00a0and\u00a0let out\u00a0a\u00a0derisive\u00a0snort.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll\u00a0really\u00a0stop\u00a0at\u00a0nothing to\u00a0get\u00a0a\u00a0divorce,\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0<\/b>2<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u00a0instantly\u00a0gathered\u00a0another\u00a0piece\u00a0of\u00a0crucial<\/p>\n
information.<\/p>\n
She had an\u00a0affair and\u00a0was demanding\u00a0a\u00a0divorce from\u00a0Roderick.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0turned\u00a0out she\u00a0had\u00a0grown\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0villainess.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0help\u00a0but\u00a0feel\u00a0a\u00a0pang\u00a0of\u00a0self\u2013disgust.<\/p>\n
But then,\u00a0it\u00a0was understandable.\u00a0This\u00a0was\u00a0Roderick,\u00a0after\u00a0all\u2014\u00a0her\u00a0sworn enemy,\u00a0the boy\u00a0she had grown\u00a0up\u00a0with\u2026\u00a0To\u00a0be\u00a0more\u00a0accurate,\u00a0the\u00a0boy she\u00a0had\u00a0grown up\u00a0fighting with.\u00a0Of\u00a0course,\u00a0there wasn\u2019t\u00a0a\u00a0trace\u00a0of\u00a0affection\u00a0between\u00a0them.<\/p>\n
Even now,\u00a0looking\u00a0at\u00a0his\u00a0face,\u00a0she\u00a0could still\u00a0vividly\u00a0remember the time\u00a0when\u00a0he was\u00a0five\u00a0and\u00a0had\u00a0the seat of\u00a0his\u00a0pants\u00a0bitten<\/p>\n
off\u00a0by\u00a0a\u00a0dog.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0help\u00a0but\u00a0giggle\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0memory.<\/p>\n
And really,\u00a0could\u00a0she\u00a0be\u00a0blamed?\u00a0She\u00a0was,\u00a0after\u00a0all,\u00a0a\u00a0girl\u00a0of\u00a0only\u00a0eighteen.\u00a0How\u00a0could she\u00a0be\u00a0expected\u00a0to\u00a0perfectly\u00a0hide\u00a0what\u00a0she<\/p>\n
felt?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u00a0are\u00a0you\u00a0laughing\u00a0at?\u201d\u00a0Roderick\u2019s frown\u00a0deepened,\u00a0his<\/p>\n
teeth\u00a0gritting\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0wave\u00a0of\u00a0humiliation.<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a02<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine,\u00a0am\u00a0I\u00a0really that\u00a0much\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0joke\u00a0to\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u00a0wiped\u00a0the\u00a0grin\u00a0off\u00a0her\u00a0face\u00a0at\u00a0once.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0and\u00a0Roderick\u00a0had\u00a0always\u00a0been\u00a0at\u00a0odds,\u00a0and\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0long<\/p>\n
accustomed to\u00a0his\u00a0stern\u00a0tone.<\/p>\n
Yet, for\u00a0some\u00a0reason,\u00a0this\u00a0grown\u2013up\u00a0version of him frightened<\/p>\n
her.\u00a0She couldn\u2019t\u00a0shake\u00a0the\u00a0feeling\u00a0that\u00a0before,\u00a0when\u00a0he\u00a0was<\/p>\n
angry\u00a0with\u00a0her, it\u00a0had just\u00a0been\u00a0him\u00a0messing\u00a0around. But\u00a0now,\u00a0he\u00a0was\u00a0genuinely\u00a0furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not\u00a0what\u00a0I\u00a0meant,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0said,\u00a0spreading\u00a0her hands\u00a0in\u00a0a<\/p>\n
helpless gesture.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0really\u00a0have\u00a0lost\u00a0my\u00a0memory.\u00a0The\u00a0last thing\u00a0I\u00a0remember\u00a0is<\/p>\n
being a\u00a0freshman,\u00a0trying\u00a0to\u00a0study\u00a0for finals\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0library when<\/p>\n
you\u00a0came\u00a0over\u00a0and switched my\u00a0textbook\u00a0with\u00a0\u2018Ten\u00a0Ways\u00a0to<\/p>\n
Make\u00a0Your\u00a0Child\u00a0Smarter\u2018.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0memory\u00a0reignited\u00a0her\u00a0indignation,\u00a0and she\u00a0glared\u00a0at\u00a0him.<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a03\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Chapter 3\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter\u00a02\u00a0 The\u00a0memory\u00a0of\u00a0her\u00a0own\u00a0words\u00a0felt\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0stinging slap across the\u00a0face. The\u00a0twenty\u2013seven\u2013year\u2013old\u00a0Roderick\u00a0was\u00a0utterly\u00a0cold\u00a0and\u00a0seemed to\u00a0be\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0hurry.\u00a0He\u00a0gave\u00a0a\u00a0brief explanation\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0police\u00a0and\u00a0then\u00a0walked out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0station,\u00a0carrying Kevin\u00a0in\u00a0one\u00a0arm\u00a0and\u00a0grabbing\u00a0Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0hand\u00a0with\u00a0the other. After\u00a0he\u00a0dragged\u00a0her\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0car, Madeleine\u00a0took\u00a0a deep breath. \u201cRicki,\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0something\u00a0to\u00a0tell\u00a0you.\u201d Roderick had\u00a0just\u00a0secured\u00a0Kevin\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0child\u00a0seat. Hearing\u00a0her\u00a0words,\u00a0he\u00a0slowly\u00a0looked\u00a0up\u00a0at\u00a0her.\u00a0\u201cWhat did\u00a0you […]<\/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":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","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-29231","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\/29231","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=29231"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29286,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29231\/revisions\/29286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}