Their plan had been to stay one more night after the show and\u00a0<\/p>\n
head home the next day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Roderick got a call about urgent work that needed him back\u00a0<\/p>\n
at the office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine thought it over. Leaving him to go alone didn\u2019t sit right. After a quick chat with Kevin, they decided to head back\u00a0<\/p>\n
that night as a family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBesides, you\u2019ll get a day to chill tomorrow, Kev, and still make it\u00a0<\/p>\n
to kindergarten without missing a beat,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s expression faltered for a split second before he nodded,\u00a0<\/p>\n
his smile returning. \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine caught the flicker in his eyes, her maternal instincts\u00a0<\/p>\n
kicking in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKev, you don\u2019t like kindergarten?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick glanced down at their son, his gaze steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s small frame stiffened briefly before he flashed a bright\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
grin, shaking his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I love it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine didn\u2019t respond, but she wasn\u2019t fooled. That smile\u00a0<\/p>\n
was a little too forced, and she knew her boy was hiding\u00a0<\/p>\n
something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time they rolled back into Valenburg, dawn was breaking\u00a0<\/p>\n
on the second day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The jet lag had taken its toll. Madeleine, yawning relentlessly,\u00a0<\/p>\n
collapsed onto the bed the moment they got home, sinking into\u00a0<\/p>\n
a deep, exhausted sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, pressed for time with urgent work, tucked Kevin in\u00a0<\/p>\n
and headed straight to the office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the way, Gerry, his assistant, couldn\u2019t resist his curiosity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Livingston, is Mrs. Livingston\u2026?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, who\u2019d been resting his eyes, snapped them open at\u00a0<\/p>\n
the mention of her name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerry, realizing he\u2019d overstepped, clamped his mouth shut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, Mr. Livingston. I shouldn\u2019t have brought it up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was an unspoken rule. No matter how outrageous\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s actions were, Roderick never tolerated a word\u00a0<\/p>\n
against her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not even a whisper of gossip was allowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rumors swirled in the office that Roderick must be under some\u00a0<\/p>\n
kind of love spell, bewitched by his wife\u2019s charm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep going,\u201d Roderick said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick didn\u2019t rebuke him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerry blinked, caught off guard, then cleared his throat,\u00a0<\/p>\n
choosing his words carefully. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026 Mrs. Livingston\u00a0<\/p>\n
seemed different this trip. More\u2026 normal, I guess.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Compared to the old Madeleine, these past few days she\u2019d\u00a0<\/p>\n
seemed refreshingly human.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick didn\u2019t interrupt, so Gerry pressed on, treading lightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore, whenever Mrs. Livingston spoke with you, it was like a\u00a0<\/p>\n
robot. You two couldn\u2019t go three sentences without quarreling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And toward Mr. Kevin, she treated him like he was someone\u00a0<\/p>\n
else\u2019s child. But these past few days, I\u2019ve noticed\u2026 she\u2019s been\u00a0<\/p>\n
very good to Mr. Kevin.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fearing he\u2019d gone too far, Gerry quickly added, \u201cNot that she\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
ever been unkind to you, sir.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s face remained unreadable, but Gerry, who\u2019d worked\u00a0<\/p>\n
for him for years, could read the subtle signs. The slight\u00a0<\/p>\n
softening in Roderick\u2019s eyes betrayed a flicker of quiet joy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the office, Roderick gave Gerry a task.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFind out what Madeleine was doing the past few days\u2013where\u00a0<\/p>\n
she went, who she met, and, if possible, what they talked\u00a0<\/p>\n
about.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood,\u201d Gerry replied, nodding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back in his office, Roderick made a call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The line picked up quickly, and a carefree, teasing voice came\u00a0<\/p>\n
through.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Livingston, finally coming around? I told you, too much\u00a0<\/p>\n
abstinence isn\u2019t good for a man\u2019s health. Since you called, I\u2019ll\u00a0<\/p>\n
throw a party tonight\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShut it,\u201d Roderick cut him off, his voice sharp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man on the other end choked on his words, pausing for a\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
beat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine, fine, have it your way. No wonder your wife\u2019s giving you\u00a0<\/p>\n
the cold shoulder.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chuckled, then turned serious. \u201cAlright, no more joking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re calling me at this hour, so it\u2019s gotta be something big.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What\u2019s up?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI need you to arrange a medical checkup.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor whom? You? Look, it\u2019s nothing to be ashamed of. I\u2019m a\u00a0<\/p>\n
doctor, and you can tell me\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick pinched the bridge of his nose, barely containing his\u00a0<\/p>\n
irritation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If this fool had been in front of him right now, he would have\u00a0<\/p>\n
punched him senseless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man, sensing Roderick\u2019s rising temper, dropped the act.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, alright, I\u2019m serious now. What kind of checkup? What\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
the focus?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBrain,\u201d Roderick said, pausing before adding, \u201cIt\u2019s for\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man gasped, his tone turning grave. \u201cWell, it\u2019s about time. I\u2019ve said it all along\u2013your wife\u2019s brain definitely isn\u2019t normal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick hung up before the guy could say another word, his\u00a0<\/p>\n
patience worn thin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One more jab, and he\u2019d have driven across town to deck him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine woke in the early afternoon, her body heavy with the\u00a0<\/p>\n
lingering haze of sleep. A hot shower and a fresh change of\u00a0<\/p>\n
clothes finally revived her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she headed downstairs, she spotted Kirsten arranging a\u00a0<\/p>\n
bouquet of freshly bought flowers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKirsten, where\u2019s Kev?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Livingston, Mr. Kevin\u2019s in his room with Dr. Clark,\u201d Kirsten\u00a0<\/p>\n
replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Clark?\u201d Madeleine\u2019s heart skipped, her voice tightening with\u00a0<\/p>\n
worry. \u201cIs something wrong with Kev?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 22\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 21` Their plan had been to stay one more night after the […]<\/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-29260","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\/29260","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=29260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29260\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}