Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s lips curved into a knowing smirk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So her instincts had been right all along. The nouveau riche\u00a0<\/p>\n
were never truly secure. Just a few years, and Mary\u2019s family\u00a0<\/p>\n
fortune had already crumbled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She sighed, pulling out her card. \u201cI used to cover you, sure. But\u00a0<\/p>\n
things are different now. My husband\u2013my legal husband\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
works hard for his money.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She handed the card to the waiter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re splitting the bill.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d the waiter said. \u201cThe total is 20 thousand dollars-\u00a0<\/p>\n
10 thousand each.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s jaw nearly dropped. 20 grand for lunch? If it weren\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
for Roderick\u2019s wealth, she\u2019d be eating bread for a month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mary\u2019s face twisted, her teeth practically grinding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t believe Madeleine was making her pay her share.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wanted to argue, but with the waiter hovering, she swallowed her anger and dug out her credit card.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she\u2019d known it\u2019d come to this, she wouldn\u2019t have ordered\u00a0<\/p>\n
those two bottles of wine just to flex for Instagram. They\u2019d cost\u00a0<\/p>\n
a fortune.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWeren\u2019t you saying something about shopping after this?\u201d Madeleine asked, tucking her card away with a teasing smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mary\u2019s expression soured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNah, I\u2019m good. Got stuff to do,\u201d she muttered, grabbing her bag\u00a0<\/p>\n
and making a quick exit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d already spent enough today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In fact, she had hoped to trick Madeleine into buying her a few\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cgifts\u201d at the mall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But today\u2019s Madeleine wasn\u2019t the same fool she had been\u00a0<\/p>\n
before. Mary knew there was nothing to gain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once Mary was gone, Madeleine glared at the perfume bottle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a spoiler,\u201d she grumbled, tossing it into a nearby trash\u00a0<\/p>\n
can with a decisive flick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Better to get rid of it than risk Roderick getting the wrong idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wandered the mall alone, picking out gifts for Kevin and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With millions in her account, she figured she deserved a bit of\u00a0<\/p>\n
fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she headed out, she passed the mall\u2019s first\u2013floor ballet studio, where a class had just ended. Tiny dancers in tutus\u00a0<\/p>\n
spilled out, their laughter echoing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine paused, leaning over the railing to watch, a soft\u00a0<\/p>\n
smile tugging at her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d been one of those girls once, twirling and dreaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In that moment, a spark ignited in her heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wanted to dance again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As dusk settled over the city, Madeleine returned home, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
arms laden with gifts for Kevin and Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spotting Roderick\u2019s car in the driveway, she knew he must have finished work early.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the moment she stepped through the door, the scene in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
living room stopped her cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A young woman with a low ponytail sat cross\u2013legged on the\u00a0<\/p>\n
floor, laughing softly as she helped Kevin with a sand painting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nearby, Roderick knelt beside them, gently wiping sand from\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s cheeks with a damp cloth, his movements tender and\u00a0<\/p>\n
attentive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a fleeting moment, Madeleine felt like she\u2019d stumbled into a\u00a0<\/p>\n
dream. The warmth of the scene\u2013so domestic, so whole-\u00a0<\/p>\n
made her question her place in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She suddenly felt that it was the real world, and in it, Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
had married someone else, and they were raising their sweet\u00a0<\/p>\n
boy together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stood here, feeling like an outsider gazing into a life that\u00a0<\/p>\n
wasn\u2019t hers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She lingered in the doorway, frozen, until Roderick noticed her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He glanced up, his expression unreadable. \u201cYou\u2019re back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rose to his feet, brushing his hands on his jeans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019ve you been?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine didn\u2019t answer, her mind still reeling from the sight\u00a0<\/p>\n
before her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her gaze slid toward the woman. She was beautiful, with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
gentle, elegant air about her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine could almost feel the warmth of motherhood\u00a0<\/p>\n
radiating from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick noticed her silence, and a shadow flickered in his\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHas she remembered everything?\u201d he wondered. \u201cIs she\u00a0<\/p>\n
slipping back into the old Madeleine?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was out shopping and grabbed lunch with a friend,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine said finally, her gaze lingering on the woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd\u2026 who\u2019s this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The woman smiled, unfazed. \u201cMrs. Livingston, don\u2019t you remember me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin scrambled to his feet and ran to Madeleine, his face lighting up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, this is Dr. Clark!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
The name clicked. Madeleine recalled the conversation from earlier that morning and realized this must be Kevin\u2019s therapist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She managed a polite smile. \u201cDr. Clark, nice to see you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette\u2019s smile was impeccable, warm yet professional. \u201cGood to see you too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick gestured for Kevin to step away. \u201cKev, go wash your hands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Kevin scampered off, Roderick turned to Madeleine, his voice low. \u201cDr. Clark was just helping Kevin with some sand art therapy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette pointed to the colorful creation on the floor. \u201cDrawings like these give us a window into a child\u2019s emotions,\u201d she \u00b7\u00a0<\/p>\n
explained, her tone calm and measured. \u201cKids often struggle to\u00a0<\/p>\n
express their inner world with words, but art makes it easier.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stepped closer, her smile softening as she glanced at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\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 27 Chapter 27\u00a0 Madeleine\u2019s lips curved into a knowing smirk.\u00a0 So her […]<\/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-29280","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\/29280","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=29280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29280\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}