\u201cWe already ate, Madeleine. If you\u2019d woken up any later, my\u00a0<\/p>\n
aunt and uncle would already be here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine froze. \u201cMy parents are coming?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. They were supposed to go on a trip this weekend, but\u00a0<\/p>\n
their flight was canceled due to bad weather, so I invited them\u00a0<\/p>\n
over.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine paused, looking around the spotless house. \u201cDon\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
tell me you\u2019re doing all this cleaning just because they\u2019re\u00a0<\/p>\n
coming?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine laughed dryly. \u201cYou really don\u2019t have to go to all this\u00a0<\/p>\n
trouble. My parents aren\u2019t picky or neat freaks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick looked at her and replied seriously, \u201cEven so, I will\u00a0<\/p>\n
always treat their visits as an important occasion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because they are her parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People who are important to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 158\u00a0<\/p>\n
To Roderick, they are just as important.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine didn\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now when she looked at Roderick, she found him perfect in\u00a0<\/p>\n
every way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thinking this, Madeleine grinned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll join in too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u104b\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to. Go eat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Minerva looked over, displeased. \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t Madeleine have\u00a0<\/p>\n
to? I\u2019m already helping. Brother\u2013in\u2013law, you\u2019re using child labor,\u00a0<\/p>\n
that\u2019s illegal!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick turned and said coolly, \u201cThen do you still want the\u00a0<\/p>\n
concert tickets?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That shut Minerva up. She immediately started spraying the plants in her hand with more energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After all, her brother\u2013in\u2013law was her most powerful connection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time she chased her idols, she could get a close\u2013up view\u00a0<\/p>\n
thanks to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was urged to go eat breakfast. The breakfast Kirsten\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 158\u00a0<\/p>\n
prepared was low\u2013calorie and delicious, and Madeleine praised\u00a0<\/p>\n
it repeatedly as she ate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kirsten was even happier to be praised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as you like it. I\u2019ve been researching a lot of nutritious\u00a0<\/p>\n
meal recipes lately, especially postpartum recovery meals. They\u2019re delicious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPfft\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine almost spat out a mouthful of water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPost\u2026partum recovery meals?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kirsten came over to clear the table with a smile, completely\u00a0<\/p>\n
oblivious to Madeleine\u2019s face instantly turning red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, they\u2019ll always come in handy. But you don\u2019t have to worry\u00a0<\/p>\n
about it. Reproductive freedom, we won\u2019t say anything out of\u00a0<\/p>\n
line.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReproductive freedom\u201c\u2026 right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine gave a dry laugh and nodded, not continuing the\u00a0<\/p>\n
conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not long after breakfast, the sound of a car came from outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 158\u00a0<\/p>\n
It seemed Madeleine\u2019s parents had arrived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine hadn\u2019t seen her parents in a few days, so she eagerly\u00a0<\/p>\n
ran outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t that Madeleine didn\u2019t want to see them. Every time she\u00a0<\/p>\n
suggested visiting them over the weekend or after work, the old\u00a0<\/p>\n
couple would hastily say they were busy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At first, Madeleine thought that since they were in a better\u00a0<\/p>\n
mood now, they must have more recreational activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only after asking for details did she find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They did have more recreational activities. The two of them had\u00a0<\/p>\n
gotten into playing Poker\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Madeleine found out, she couldn\u2019t help but sigh and\u00a0<\/p>\n
complain to Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Somehow, Poker had become more important than their own\u00a0<\/p>\n
daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She ran out and joyfully threw herself into her parents\u2018 arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, Dad, I missed you so much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSweet daughter, we missed you too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 158\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa chuckled and reached out to pinch Madeleine\u2019s cheek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot bad, not bad. My daughter is looking better and better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing this, Madeleine looked as if her world was ending.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Around here, saying someone is \u201clooking better\u201d is just a nice\u00a0<\/p>\n
way of saying they\u2019ve put on weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine quickly patted herself down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI got fat!? Seriously? Oh my god, why did I eat that half a cake\u00a0<\/p>\n
yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harold gave Clarissa an annoyed look after hearing that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook what you said. You scared the kid. Where did she get fat?\u00a0<\/p>\n
My daughter is so slim, takes after me!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTakes after you? I can\u2019t even be bothered to mention that beer\u00a0<\/p>\n
belly you\u2019ve grown since you retired.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, you\u2019re one to talk. You\u2019ve got a dowager\u2019s hump.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, this won\u2019t do. Starting tomorrow, let\u2019s play one less\u00a0<\/p>\n
hour of Poker and go running, do Tai Chi, or go public square\u00a0<\/p>\n
dancing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 158\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couple went back and forth, no one noticing Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
breakdown at that moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine: \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Roderick came over just then, walked up behind\u00a0<\/p>\n
her, and whispered, \u201cYou haven\u2019t gained weight. Your waist is\u00a0<\/p>\n
even slimmer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s face flushed, and worried her parents would see, she shot Roderick an annoyed glare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the culprit straightened up, pretending not to notice, with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
smile playing on his lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, Dad, let\u2019s go inside. I just made some tea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood, good. It\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve had Roderick\u2019s tea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you two haven\u2019t been over for a while.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s your father?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s doing great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Mrs. Miller?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s an older mother\u2013to\u2013be, so she has to be careful about\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 158\u00a0<\/p>\n
everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick nodded, replying as he followed them inside, \u201cI hired a\u00a0<\/p>\n
professional team for their in\u2013home care, and they have regular\u00a0<\/p>\n
check\u2013ups. There are no issues.\u201d\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 158 \u201cWe already ate, Madeleine. If you\u2019d woken up any later, my\u00a0 […]<\/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-29455","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\/29455","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=29455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29455\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}