Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a final glance at Gerry, who took the hint to handle the\u00a0<\/p>\n
rest, Roderick walked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their earlier price negotiations had already tried Roderick\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
patience. Now they dared joke about Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019d crossed a line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Frankly, even Gerry found it unacceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching Roderick leave, Benny sobered instantly, cold dread\u00a0<\/p>\n
washing over him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s leaving? I was just joking! I didn\u2019t mean it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His assistant pleaded, \u201cMr. Hammond, please explain! Our boss\u00a0<\/p>\n
is drunk! We can\u2019t cancel this deal!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cApologies,\u201d Gerry stated professionally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision is final. All future collaborations are terminated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Benny staggered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Livingston Group was their biggest client. They\u2019d committed their entire cash flow to this partnership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cancellation meant immediate financial crisis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWait! We\u2019ll keep the original price.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll lower it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Observing their desperation, Gerry allowed himself a faint,\u00a0<\/p>\n
contemptuous smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a curt nod, he left with the team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick had made the right call. Some people weren\u2019t worth\u00a0<\/p>\n
working with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick returned home after midnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Late returns were normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the company\u2019s expansion, he\u2019d worked most nights and\u00a0<\/p>\n
attended numerous dinners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming back to an empty villa had become routine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tonight felt different.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d just removed his shoes when he noticed the figure on the\u00a0<\/p>\n
sofa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The soft glow from the floor lamp illuminated Madeleine, fast\u00a0<\/p>\n
asleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A blanket draped over her had slipped halfway to the floor, a\u00a0<\/p>\n
book resting loosely in her hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His heart clenched. His body stiffened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she waiting for me?\u201d he wondered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t dare hope. The pain of disappointed hopes was too\u00a0<\/p>\n
familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Removing his jacket, he approached and gently took the book\u00a0<\/p>\n
from her hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stirred, kicking the blanket off completely. He smiled\u00a0<\/p>\n
faintly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The early autumn night was cool. Her hands and feet felt cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick lifted her into his arms to carry her to bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a few steps, she mumbled in her sleep, rubbed her eyes,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and woke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm? Ricki?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was thick with sleep, mind still foggy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His face hovered so close she couldn\u2019t tell dream from reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A moment later, she realized he was carrying her, her arm\u00a0<\/p>\n
around his neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re\u2026 back?\u201d she said, feeling awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019d known each other since they were in diapers, so ending\u00a0<\/p>\n
up as his wife and now being held so intimately felt completely\u00a0<\/p>\n
cringeworthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Why sleep on the sofa?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Noting she woke and didn\u2019t resist, he continued upstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust tired. Wanted to wait for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His heart softened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t wait next time. Rest early.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad made you soup. Made me promise to watch you drink it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s probably cold now. Let me heat it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need. I\u2019ll handle it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tone sounded different tonight. She leaned closer, sniffing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much did you drink?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t realize her movement brought her scent washing\u00a0<\/p>\n
over him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His breath caught, heartbeat stuttered. His arms tightened\u00a0<\/p>\n
almost imperceptibly around her, his Adam\u2019s apple bobbing in a\u00a0<\/p>\n
hard swallow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick answered instinctively, his voice huskier than before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He quickened his pace, carrying Madeleine back to the master\u00a0<\/p>\n
bedroom and laying her on the bed before he lost control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as he was about to leave, his eyes fell on her feet, and his\u00a0<\/p>\n
brows instantly furrowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to your feet?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine had studied ballet from a young age, so her toes\u00a0<\/p>\n
were slightly deformed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later, when she grew up, Edward once mocked her feet as ugly,\u00a0<\/p>\n
so she never wore ballet shoes again. She had even undergone\u00a0<\/p>\n
some cosmetic surgery to restore her toes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although her toes were still not in perfect shape, they no longer\u00a0<\/p>\n
looked weird.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now, her feet bore deep marks, and in some places, blood\u00a0<\/p>\n
even seeped out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI practiced dancing today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine said with a sigh of frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy body feels like a block of wood, so stiff.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick almost refuted her. Her body was anything but stiff. It\u00a0<\/p>\n
was soft and smelled good. It was nothing like a block of wood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He went to fetch the medicine box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t push yourself too hard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sat by the bed, placed her feet on his knees, and began\u00a0<\/p>\n
carefully disinfecting and applying medicine with a cotton\u00a0<\/p>\n
swab.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine, who had been a little drowsy, was now completely\u00a0<\/p>\n
awake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Looking at his side profile, she felt that her heart suddenly skipped a beat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His long fingers held her ankle so gently, as though he were\u00a0<\/p>\n
handling a fragile treasure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His warm palm pressed against her cold feet, and her whole\u00a0<\/p>\n
body grew warm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it hurt?\u201d Roderick suddenly lifted his head, his deep gaze\u00a0<\/p>\n
meeting hers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She quickly averted her eyes, the tips of her ears turning red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Compared to what she had endured before, it was nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His gaze lingered briefly on her flushed ears, and the corner of\u00a0<\/p>\n
his lips curved.\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 44 Chapter 44\u00a0 Chapter 44\u00a0 After a final glance at Gerry, who […]<\/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-29303","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\/29303","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=29303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29303\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}