Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
He remembered that day vividly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three days ago, Madeleine had fainted. When she woke, she claimed she had lost her memory\u2013and then her personality\u00a0<\/p>\n
seemed to change completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, and today she met with Mary,\u201d Gerry added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGot it,\u201d Roderick said, ending the call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That name brought a sour taste.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For years, Mary had clung to Madeleine, milking her for every\u00a0<\/p>\n
penny.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, she\u2019d even conned Madeleine into investing in a shady shell company, pocketing 800 thousand dollars. Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
had found proof, but Madeleine\u2019s fierce defense of her \u201cfriend\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
had stopped him from pursuing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He massaged his temples and headed toward the bedroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he passed Kevin\u2019s room, he caught the soft lilt of Madeleine\u2019s voice, humming a lullaby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door was ajar, and he paused, peering inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under the glow of the lamp, Madeleine sat on the edge of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
bed, her hand gently patting Kevin\u2019s back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The boy was curled up, fast asleep, his tiny hand clutching the\u00a0<\/p>\n
hem of her shirt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep, sleep, my precious baby\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was a tender whisper, soft as a summer breeze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s heart stirred.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This scene\u2013so warm, so unfamiliar\u2013hadn\u2019t existed in their\u00a0<\/p>\n
home for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He waited another half hour, ensuring Kevin was sound asleep,\u00a0<\/p>\n
before knocking softly and stepping inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine looked up, her expression inexplicably nervous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick gave a small nod, moving to scoop Kevin up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Madeleine asked, her voice sharp with\u00a0<\/p>\n
surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not planning to sleep with him, are you?\u201d Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
replied, raising an eyebrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine froze for a beat, then her eyes widened in horror.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She clapped a hand over her mouth, gasping, \u201cRicki! Don\u2019t tell\u00a0<\/p>\n
me you\u2019re planning to sleep with me!?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick froze mid\u2013reach, the words hitting him like a physical\u00a0<\/p>\n
blow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stayed bent over, his mind completely blank for a long\u00a0<\/p>\n
moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drawing a sharp breath, he finally scooped Kevin up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOther than that one time in Phelrania,\u201d Roderick stated flatly,\u00a0<\/p>\n
pausing as if doing mental math.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t shared a bed in over two years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her hand was still partly covering her mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That sentence stunned her more than her own earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
assumption.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe \u2026 never slept together?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you sleep?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guest room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated, then added, \u201cSometimes, at my parents\u2018 place, I\u00a0<\/p>\n
took the floor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A heavy sadness settled in Madeleine\u2019s chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She felt nothing for Roderick and was sure she could never care\u00a0<\/p>\n
for him, but they were married.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had a child. Remembering her own parents\u2018 loving\u00a0<\/p>\n
marriage made her ache.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How had she, in her twenties, let her own relationship crumble\u00a0<\/p>\n
like this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wanted to say something, but, unsure of what Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
truly felt about her these past years, she just nodded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heat crept into her ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So much for thinking he wanted to sleep with her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d completely misread the situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick watched the play of emotions on her face, trying to\u00a0<\/p>\n
read her mind as he once could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But her thoughts were as unreadable as ever.*\u00a0<\/p>\n
Giving up, he said, \u201cGet some rest. Hospital check\u2013up\u00a0<\/p>\n
tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to leave, then glanced back. \u201cAnd ignore what Dr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clark said. I\u2019m finding Kev a new therapist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She started to say it didn\u2019t bother her, but he was already gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Annoyance flickered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The day had been too much. Her mind was slowing down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cForget it. Sleep first,\u201d she muttered, clicking off the lamp and\u00a0<\/p>\n
sinking into a fitful sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fragmented scenes, too vivid to be mere dreams, raced\u00a0<\/p>\n
through her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They felt like forgotten memories from the lost years, flashing\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
by too quickly to grasp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With great effort, she managed to seize a few clear images.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their wedding day in Quelcia\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
The scene unfolded in her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The venue was blanketed in flowers and dotted with hot air\u00a0<\/p>\n
balloons. She stood in her wedding gown, he in his formal suit,\u00a0<\/p>\n
both faces radiant with smiles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They embraced and kissed, the very air thick with happiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She awoke with a start, the sensation of that kiss lingering\u00a0<\/p>\n
powerfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWas that real?\u201d she murmured, sitting up slowly as her\u00a0<\/p>\n
thoughts gradually cleared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After changing clothes, she found Roderick and Kevin already at\u00a0<\/p>\n
the breakfast table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s my plate?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to fast for the check\u2013up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, right, I\u2019d forgotten.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 33\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin immediately grew anxious, his piece of toast forgotten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, are you sick?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew hospitals were for unwell people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine offered a reassuring smile. \u201cNot at all, sweetheart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just a routine physical.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to come with you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick frowned. \u201cNo, you have to go to kindergarten today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s face fell, especially upon hearing that only the driver and\u00a0<\/p>\n
maid would accompany him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His lower lip jutted out in a pout, and he stared silently at his\u00a0<\/p>\n
plate.\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 33 Chapter 33\u00a0 He remembered that day vividly.\u00a0 Three days ago, Madeleine […]<\/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-29287","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\/29287","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=29287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29287\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}