\u201cThat\u2019s good. The \u2018family harmony brings success\u2018 belief is true, and good health is the most important thing.\u201c.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine didn\u2019t follow them in right away, stopping in her\u00a0<\/p>\n
tracks. As their voices faded into the distance, she realized she\u00a0<\/p>\n
was smiling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This warm and peaceful family scene made her feel incredibly happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was clear Roderick knew her parents\u2018 preferences well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The nuts, snacks, and fruits on the living room table were all\u00a0<\/p>\n
their favorites.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine felt a bit ashamed, admitting that even as their daughter, she wasn\u2019t this thoughtful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harold, still thinking about his daughter\u2019s comment about being fat, smiled and offered Madeleine a piece of fruit on a fork.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, sweetie, have some fruit. You\u2019re not chubby at all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa chimed in, \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have body anxiety. Being\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 159\u00a0<\/p>\n
healthy is what\u2019s most important.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she spoke, Clarissa smiled and glanced between Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
and Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems to me you two have been getting along well lately?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine didn\u2019t catch the hidden meaning and wiped her\u00a0<\/p>\n
mouth with a napkin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa\u2019s smile widened as she nodded. \u201cGood, that\u2019s good. It\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
about time Kev had a little sister.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCough\u2026 cough, cough, cough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fruit in her mouth hadn\u2019t been fully swallowed, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine choked, coughing repeatedly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, who hadn\u2019t been sitting next to her, quietly moved\u00a0<\/p>\n
over, sat down, and silently patted her back to help her catch\u00a0<\/p>\n
her breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s eyes darted around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was with today? First, it was Kirsten hinting about\u00a0<\/p>\n
postpartum recovery meals, and now her own mother was\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 159\u00a0<\/p>\n
suggesting a little sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s face flushed red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Could it be they knew about last night with Roderick\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine immediately shook her head at the thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s impossible!\u00a0<\/p>\n
She quickly swallowed the fruit, took a sip of water, and said\u00a0<\/p>\n
seriously:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, don\u2019t be ridiculous. We don\u2019t have any plans for that right\u00a0<\/p>\n
now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside her, Roderick\u2019s expression was a bit complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t even ask my opinion\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
How did it become \u201cwe\u201c?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whatever. As long as my wife is willing to like and love me now,\u00a0<\/p>\n
that\u2019s enough. What more could I ask for?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a career woman now. My work, my career, that\u2019s what\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
most important to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 159\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nearby, Minerva raised her small hands and clapped excitedly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Way to go. She wanted to be a career\u2013driven woman just like\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But to Madeleine\u2019s parents, her words just sounded like the kid\u00a0<\/p>\n
was joking again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA career?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harold asked doubtfully, \u201cAren\u2019t you just doing odd jobs at the\u00a0<\/p>\n
company? You call doing odd jobs a career?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine: \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
She suppressed a twitch at the corner of her mouth and looked\u00a0<\/p>\n
at her father, annoyed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, can\u2019t you have a little more faith in your precious\u00a0<\/p>\n
daughter? I was a top student my whole life. I can\u2019t just stay\u00a0<\/p>\n
home and take care of the family now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick didn\u2019t dare to make a sound on the side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taking care of the family\u2026 Madeleine?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t even imagine it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 159\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what is it you want to do? Right, I heard from Mina that\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2019ve started dancing again recently.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Clarissa spoke, she started to feel distressed, grabbing\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s hand and patting it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though you have foundational skills from childhood, Mom\u00a0<\/p>\n
is really worried about you. You\u2019ve already had a child, why push\u00a0<\/p>\n
yourself so hard?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
From Harold and Clarissa\u2019s perspective, it wasn\u2019t that they\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t trust Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was just that after the dark times of the past few years, they\u00a0<\/p>\n
were already very content with this peaceful life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In their minds, nothing was more important than Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
living a healthy, happy, and peaceful life with Roderick and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Mom~\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine wasn\u2019t angry at her parents\u2018 disapproval, she just\u00a0<\/p>\n
sighed and said, \u201cHave you forgotten how you used to raise\u00a0<\/p>\n
me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re the ones who said a girl should have her own\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 159\u00a0<\/p>\n
personality and be ambitious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pouted and shot a sideways glance at Roderick beside her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if one day \u2018someone\u2018 decides I\u2019m just a good\u2013for\u2013nothing freeloader and kicks me to the curb?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After she said that, the atmosphere between them changed for\u00a0<\/p>\n
some reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The look Harold and Clarissa gave Roderick seemed to turn a\u00a0<\/p>\n
little colder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The mood in the room grew heavy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the \u201csomeone\u201d she was hinting at was now staring at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine with wide eyes, as if facing a major threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d been up since early this morning, organizing a big clean\u2013up\u00a0<\/p>\n
and preparing his in\u2013laws\u2018 favorite foods.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All that effort to impress them, and his wife ruined it all with\u00a0<\/p>\n
one little lie!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick was practically jumping out of his skin, scrambling to\u00a0<\/p>\n
explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that\u2019s impossible, Maddie, don\u2019t say things like that, how\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 159\u00a0<\/p>\n
could I\u2026 hey, why would you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A perfectly good alpha male CEO, forced into a stuttering mess.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 160\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 159 \u201cThat\u2019s good. The \u2018family harmony brings success\u2018 belief is true, and […]<\/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-29456","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\/29456","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=29456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29456\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}