Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Livingston, would it be alright if I spoke with Mrs. Livingston alone for a moment?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick nodded. He\u2019d been involved in Kevin\u2019s therapy for years and knew much of his son\u2019s struggles stemmed from Madeleine\u2019s past behavior. With a quiet glance at both women, he headed upstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette picked up a colored pencil drawing from the table and\u00a0<\/p>\n
handed it to Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is Kevin\u2019s latest work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine took it, her lips curving into a smile. The drawing was\u00a0<\/p>\n
vibrant, with bold lines depicting a family of three holding\u00a0<\/p>\n
hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She opened her mouth to praise Kevin\u2019s talent, but Nanette\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
voice cut through, hesitant yet pointed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Livingston, Kevin\u2019s drawings make it clear he\u2019s carrying\u00a0<\/p>\n
deep emotional wounds,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you can\u2019t give him the\u00a0<\/p>\n
love he needs, at the very least, please don\u2019t hurt him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s smile froze, her fingers tightening around the\u00a0<\/p>\n
paper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with this picture? It looks so\u2026 happy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette paused, then let out a soft, almost pitying laugh. \u201cMrs. Livingston, you don\u2019t think that\u2019s you in the drawing, do you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pointed to the gentle figure holding the boy\u2019s hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s face paled at her words, her breath catching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The paper crinkled in her grip as Nanette\u2019s words sank in. \u201cIn Kevin\u2019s mind, I\u2019m the one playing the role of his mother, not\u00a0<\/p>\n
you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air seemed to thicken, pressing against Madeleine\u2019s chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stared at the blurred outline of the woman in the drawing,\u00a0<\/p>\n
her heart thudding painfully, as if struck by an invisible force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette turned to her bag, pulling out another drawing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve kept some of Kevin\u2019s earlier work. This one is titled \u2018My\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mommy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She handed it over, and Madeleine\u2019s stomach twisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
The page was a chaos of dark, jagged lines, dominated by heavy black scribbles. The figure in the center\u2013a woman\u2013was distorted, her face a smear of shadow, radiating anger and\u00a0<\/p>\n
menace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis\u2026 this is me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s voice trembled, barely audible, as she clutched the\u00a0<\/p>\n
paper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Nanette replied, her tone cool and detached. \u201cHe drew\u00a0<\/p>\n
this five months ago. When I asked him why, he said his mother\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t like him\u2013that your eyes scared him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s legs felt weak. Seeing her reaction, Nanette gently\u00a0<\/p>\n
took the drawing back, her expression unreadable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Livingston, I don\u2019t mean to meddle in your family affairs,\u00a0<\/p>\n
but Kevin is my patient. I have a responsibility to protect him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her gaze locked onto Madeleine\u2019s, sharp and unwavering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s at a critical point in his therapy. Your presence could\u00a0<\/p>\n
make things worse.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She paused, then continued, \u201cIf you truly care about him, you\u00a0<\/p>\n
might consider\u2026 keeping your distance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s chest tightened, her breath shallow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t understand how she could have rejected her own\u00a0<\/p>\n
son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What kind of mother could be so cold to her own flesh and\u00a0<\/p>\n
blood?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But as the shock settled, she noticed something in Nanette\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a glint of hostility beneath the professional facade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s mind sharpened, her voice steadying. \u201cAre you\u00a0<\/p>\n
suggesting I divorce my husband, Dr. Clark?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette flinched, caught off guard by the bluntness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A flicker of panic crossed her face before she masked it with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
practiced smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re misunderstanding me, Mrs. Livingston. I\u2019m only\u00a0<\/p>\n
discussing Kevin\u2019s condition. For his sake, I recommend you\u00a0<\/p>\n
give him some space.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine felt as if a boulder had settled on her heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. \u201cThank you for\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
the advice, Dr. Clark. It\u2019s noted. But let\u2019s be clear\u2013this is the last\u00a0<\/p>\n
time you\u2019ll offer it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stepped closer, her eyes blazing with quiet fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Kevin\u2019s real mother, and you should remember that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She snatched the drawings from Nanette\u2019s hands, her voice steady and fierce. \u201cI\u2019ll keep these. They\u2019ll remind me of every\u00a0<\/p>\n
way I\u2019ve failed my son\u2013and how I\u2019m going to make it right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette\u2019s brow furrowed, her composure slipping. Before she\u00a0<\/p>\n
could respond, Madeleine pressed on, her voice laced with ice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd as for your professional advice, Dr. Clark?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA therapist who tries to drive a wedge between a mother and\u00a0<\/p>\n
her child hardly seems qualified to talk about professionalism.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nanette\u2019s face flushed with anger, but she caught herself as\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s footsteps echoed down the stairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pivoted smoothly, her tone softening. \u201cMrs. Livingston, I\u00a0<\/p>\n
know you don\u2019t like me, but I\u2019m Kevin\u2019s therapist. You may\u00a0<\/p>\n
neglect your son, but you can\u2019t stop me from helping him. He\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
innocent in all this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s frown deepened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t tried to stop Kevin\u2019s therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She opened her mouth to retort, but then she felt Roderick\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
gaze. It was cold and sharp as a blade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s heart sank like a stone in deep water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d never seen Roderick like this before. His eyes burned with a dark, unsettling intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 29\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 28 Chapter 28\u00a0 \u201cMr. Livingston, would it be alright if I spoke […]<\/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-29281","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\/29281","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=29281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29281\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}