\u201cI mean, come on, the guy just took your picture. Did you have\u00a0<\/p>\n
to go that hard?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat made you like a bully, you know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wrinkled her nose, then quickly added, turning to him with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
grin, \u201cI mean back then, okay?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not nearly as insufferable now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick paused, sifting through faded memories. It wasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
easy to dig up the past like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a moment, he said carefully, \u201cYou still don\u2019t know what\u00a0<\/p>\n
those guys were photographing, do you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine stopped in her tracks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWasn\u2019t it just you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s brow creased.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey took pictures\u2026 under your skirt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Madeleine\u2019s voice spiked, her mind reeling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under her skirt? That kid had been snapping photos of that?\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Roderick had fought him over it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d she demanded, her cheeks flushing\u00a0<\/p>\n
with indignation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let me think you were just some hotheaded bully!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick shot her a sidelong glance. \u201cI did tell you. You were\u00a0<\/p>\n
asleep. Didn\u2019t hear a word.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d Madeleine blinked, momentarily stumped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sudden truth hit her like a splash of cold water\u2013she\u2019d\u00a0<\/p>\n
misjudged him, and now a twinge of guilt crept in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rubbing her nose awkwardly, she mumbled, \u201cWell, I was young,\u00a0<\/p>\n
okay? Kids always sleep like a rock. Totally normal.\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eager to move past the embarrassment, she flashed a cheeky\u00a0<\/p>\n
grin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t peg you for such a stand\u2013up guy, though. Tell you what\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
when we sell these cufflinks, I\u2019ll split the cash with you. Deal?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s expression didn\u2019t budge. \u201cI\u2019m the one who paid for\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s grin faltered, the air growing thick with\u00a0<\/p>\n
awkwardness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This conversation was going nowhere fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Forcing a laugh that sounded more like a cough, she pivoted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNice weather today, huh? Oh, where\u2019s our kid? I should check if\u00a0<\/p>\n
he\u2019s eating properly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She darted past Roderick, her movements quick and evasive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned, watching her scurry off, and a soft smile tugged at\u00a0<\/p>\n
his lips before he could stop it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until moments later that he realized he\u2019d been smiling\u00a0<\/p>\n
-truly smiling, from somewhere deep inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He touched his mouth, startled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He could hardly remember the last time he had felt that kind of\u00a0<\/p>\n
warmth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The matter of Edward and the cufflinks was silently buried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither of them brought it up again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a bit more wandering, the family of three headed to the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
grand theater for a performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Madeleine saw her childhood idol, Annabelle, take the\u00a0<\/p>\n
stage, her eyes welled up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eight years had passed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Annabelle, once a bold, youthful swan, had transformed into a poised, elegant goddess of ballet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine watched, her heart twisting as she thought of\u00a0<\/p>\n
herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How could she have given up her own ballet dreams?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d spent countless nights imagining herself on a stage like this, spinning under the spotlight, weightless and free, just like\u00a0<\/p>\n
Annabelle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the performance ended, the audience erupted in applause.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s emotions broke free. Covering her face, she slipped away to the bathroom, her chest tight with unshed\u00a0<\/p>\n
tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin tugged at Roderick\u2019s hand, his small face etched with\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
worry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Mommy okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s brow furrowed, but he said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d seen the shift in Madeleine\u2019s eyes\u2013regret, frustration,\u00a0<\/p>\n
longing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It had to be the ballet. Back then, no matter how others had\u00a0<\/p>\n
urged her, she\u2019d been adamant about quitting the stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019d fought bitterly over it once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d snapped at him, told him he had no right to meddle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His fist clenched, and a pang of regret hit him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe he should\u2019ve pushed harder and forced her to keep\u00a0<\/p>\n
dancing. He felt that if he had, she wouldn\u2019t have looked so\u00a0<\/p>\n
heartbroken just now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Madeleine\u2019s moods were like summer storms\u2013fierce but\u00a0<\/p>\n
fleeting. By the time she emerged from the bathroom, she was\u00a0<\/p>\n
her radiant self again, a little sunbeam breaking through the\u00a0<\/p>\n
clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Catching Roderick and Kevin\u2019s worried glances, she fanned\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
herself with her hand, laughing lightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my idol since forever. Her dancing\u2013it\u2019s just magic. If I\u00a0<\/p>\n
could dance half as well as her, I\u2019d be thrilled.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick hesitated, then said clumsily, \u201cYou dance better than\u00a0<\/p>\n
she does.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s eyes widened, disbelief flickering across her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, of all people, dishing out compliments? The same guy\u00a0<\/p>\n
who\u2019d been sharp\u2013tongued since they were kids?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, you dance too?\u201d Kevin piped up, his voice bright with\u00a0<\/p>\n
curiosity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s smile turned bittersweet. She took his hand,\u00a0<\/p>\n
leading him toward the exit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I used to. Haven\u2019t in a while, though. Next time, I\u2019ll dance\u00a0<\/p>\n
for you, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYay!\u201d Kevin\u2019s enthusiasm was infectious, his innocent grin\u00a0<\/p>\n
wiping away the last of her melancholy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKids,\u201d she thought, \u201care just too adorable.\u201d One look at her\u00a0<\/p>\n
son\u2019s beaming face, and her heavy heart lifted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d lost eight years, sure. But she had so many more ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d live them vibrantly, she promised herself.\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 20 \u201cI mean, come on, the guy just took your picture. Did […]<\/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-29238","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\/29238","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=29238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29238\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}