Owen: Kev, my dear, have you missed Grandpa? Want to come\u00a0<\/p>\n
over and play this weekend?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin raised his hand, held down the voice message button,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and said in his little kid voice: I can\u2019t, Grandpa. My dad and\u00a0<\/p>\n
mom, and my other grandpa and grandma are doing something\u00a0<\/p>\n
that\u2019s bad for their health, so I can\u2019t go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that moment, Owen, who was sitting on a wicker chair in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
yard looking at his phone with a happy smile, had his expression\u00a0<\/p>\n
change completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shot straight up, and Mrs. Miller, who was reading next to\u00a0<\/p>\n
him, looked over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Kev say to scare you like that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owen frantically played the voice message again, and after\u00a0<\/p>\n
hearing it, Diane\u2019s face changed in shock too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat on earth are they doing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 161\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owen was about to call Roderick when another voice message came from his precious grandson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad and the others went to play poker. Grandpa, why is poker\u00a0<\/p>\n
bad for your health?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWill it hurt Mom and Dad?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the voice message finished, Owen and Diane fell silent\u00a0<\/p>\n
together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Diane burst out laughing and settled back into her seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFeeling better now? The things kids say are so funny.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Owen\u2019s face fell even further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tone was stiff. \u201cThat brat Roderick! He\u2019s playing poker with\u00a0<\/p>\n
his in\u2013laws instead of coming home to play chess with me!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the game room, the Poker machine hummed as the\u00a0<\/p>\n
automatically shuffled cards were neatly arranged on the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was at the table, with Roderick behind her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She fumbled with the Poker cards, her movements clumsy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust so you know, I really don\u2019t know how to play. You guys\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 161\u00a0<\/p>\n
have to go easy on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harold chuckled, \u201cOh, my dear daughter, even close brothers\u00a0<\/p>\n
settle accounts clearly. At the card table, we play for real.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley crossed his legs, a smug, punchable grin on his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSince your dad said we\u2019re playing for real, I definitely can\u2019t go\u00a0<\/p>\n
easy on you. That would be disrespectful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick leaned in and squeezed Madeleine\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, I\u2019ll teach you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rules of Poker were complicated. Although Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
mostly understood after Roderick explained them once, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
brain still felt stuck when she actually had to play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was clumsily arranging her cards; the player before her had\u00a0<\/p>\n
already played a card, but Madeleine hadn\u2019t even sorted hers\u00a0<\/p>\n
yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick leaned over, his chest pressing against her back, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
reached his hands around her to help her sort them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLike this. Separate the suits, and put the face cards over here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was right by her ear, his breath warm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 161\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley watched from the side, resisting the urge to roll his\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seriously\u2026 Roderick only called and asked him to be a fourth\u00a0<\/p>\n
for Poker, he didn\u2019t say he was coming here to watch their PDA.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as he was about to turn and complain to Harold and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa, telling them to get their son\u2013in\u2013law under control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley saw Harold busy arranging his cards with one hand,\u00a0<\/p>\n
while using the other to feed Clarissa a piece of fruit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, alright, I\u2019m not eating anymore. It\u2019s distracting me from\u00a0<\/p>\n
my cards.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you like Nectarines? This one is really sweet!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley felt a pang of pity for himself, suddenly feeling like a\u00a0<\/p>\n
lonely single who had wandered into a couples\u2018 theme park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He picked up a fork and stuffed a piece of Nectarine into his\u00a0<\/p>\n
mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sweet?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tsk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s sour as hell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 161\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was a quick learner. After Roderick taught her for\u00a0<\/p>\n
two rounds, she could play on her own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t win much, but making her parents happy was worth it\u00a0<\/p>\n
in the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley was good at Poker, but he didn\u2019t dare to win in a game\u00a0<\/p>\n
like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Winning against the elders would be inappropriate, and if he\u00a0<\/p>\n
won against Madeleine\u2026 Roderick wouldn\u2019t let him get away\u00a0<\/p>\n
with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So he was constantly pulling out money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the game ended, Bradley\u2019s wallet was a lot thinner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rubbed his sore shoulder, watching Roderick casually\u00a0<\/p>\n
massage Madeleine\u2019s fingers, and couldn\u2019t help but mutter, \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0<\/p>\n
the one who lost money, so why do you two look like the tired\u00a0<\/p>\n
ones?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick gave him a \u201cyou\u2019re single, so mind your own business\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
look, which made Bradley\u2019s chest tighten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sitting down at the dining table, Bradley took out his phone and\u00a0<\/p>\n
habitually opened his sister Charlotte\u2019s moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 161\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still nothing posted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley thought for a moment, then posted on his moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Several surgeries every day, no time to eat at all, so hungry\u2026]\u00a0<\/p>\n
After about a minute, Charlotte sent him a private message.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Charlotte: How are you so busy you don\u2019t even have time to\u00a0<\/p>\n
eat?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
A corner of Bradley\u2019s mouth lifted, his eyes filled with an\u00a0<\/p>\n
unconcealable scheming look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Bradley: Too busy.]\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 161 Owen: Kev, my dear, have you missed Grandpa? Want to come\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-29458","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\/29458","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=29458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29458\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}