Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s knuckles tightened, his hands gripping the steering\u00a0<\/p>\n
wheel as a hostile energy filled him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t even take the time to drive the car into the garage. He\u00a0<\/p>\n
stopped at the entrance, told the security guard to park it, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
got out with the flowers in one hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes turned cold, his pace quickened, and the sound of his\u00a0<\/p>\n
leather shoes on the marble floor was heavier than usual.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he pushed the door open, he heard Madeleine gently chiding\u00a0<\/p>\n
her son, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Kev. This conversation isn\u2019t for kids. Go back\u00a0<\/p>\n
to your room for now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Roderick entered, his gaze immediately locked onto\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward in the center of the living room, who was standing in\u00a0<\/p>\n
front of Madeleine with a somewhat condescending posture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona was standing next to him, her brow slightly furrowed, lost\u00a0<\/p>\n
in thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin spotted Roderick and immediately ran over to tattle, \u201cThat\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
bad uncle said he was going to touch Mommy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Uh\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine didn\u2019t even have time to react.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, son, you misunderstood!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was suddenly at a loss, worried that Roderick would\u00a0<\/p>\n
misunderstand something again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as she was thinking about how to explain, Roderick\u2019s gaze\u00a0<\/p>\n
fell on her, as gentle as the spring sunlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He walked over, picking up his son with one arm, and handed\u00a0<\/p>\n
the lilies to Madeleine with his other hand, his voice low and\u00a0<\/p>\n
gentle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLilies are in season, blooming beautifully. Do you like them?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine took the bouquet of pink lilies, her fingertips gently\u00a0<\/p>\n
brushing against the delicate petals, a soft smile blooming in\u00a0<\/p>\n
her eyes. \u201cI love them. They smell wonderful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The corner of Roderick\u2019s mouth curved up. He then used his\u00a0<\/p>\n
free hand to cover Kevin\u2019s eyes before leaning in to place a kiss\u00a0<\/p>\n
on her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
The gesture was as natural as breathing, but it made Edward,\u00a0<\/p>\n
who was standing opposite them, instantly clench his fists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had never seen Madeleine look so shy and lovely. The\u00a0<\/p>\n
woman who was once so obedient to him was now shining so\u00a0<\/p>\n
brightly in front of another man.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKirsten.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kirsten had been waiting nearby and came over immediately\u00a0<\/p>\n
when she heard Roderick\u2019s voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTake Kev back to his room for now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kirsten nodded, knowing it wasn\u2019t good for the child to be\u00a0<\/p>\n
present in such a situation, and quickly picked him up and\u00a0<\/p>\n
headed for the elevator.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once the elevator doors closed, Roderick turned and glanced at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward, his eyes filled with contempt as if he were looking at\u00a0<\/p>\n
something dirty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you going to get lost? Or does Mr. Carroll not know\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
where my front door is?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s face turned livid, veins bulging on his forehead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRoderick, don\u2019t be so arrogant!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cArrogant?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr. Carroll breaks into my home and harasses my wife, and I\u2019m\u00a0<\/p>\n
the arrogant one?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the tension in the room mounted, Fiona, who had been\u00a0<\/p>\n
silent, stepped forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Livingston, everything that just happened was a\u00a0<\/p>\n
misunderstanding. I can vouch for it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pressed her lips together and said, \u201cEdward didn\u2019t do\u00a0<\/p>\n
anything inappropriate to your wife. The child is young and just\u00a0<\/p>\n
misheard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick shot Fiona a sideways glance but said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scoffed, \u201cYou\u2019re quite generous, Miss Bell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He finished, his gaze turning sharp. \u201cBut it\u2019s not for an outsider\u00a0<\/p>\n
to make excuses for my wife.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned and held out his hand to Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
Confused, Madeleine walked over, and he smoothly pulled her\u00a0<\/p>\n
into his embrace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s eyes were deep as he asked her, \u201cDid Edward harass\u00a0<\/p>\n
you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine froze when she heard that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Uh, how should I put this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was it harassment?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think so\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shook her head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Roderick saw those two seconds of hesitation, and his eyes\u00a0<\/p>\n
filled with jealousy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he looked up again, Roderick glared at Edward as if he\u00a0<\/p>\n
wanted to eat him alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cracked his knuckles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Carroll, want to fight?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward sneered and loosened his tie, \u201cMy thoughts exactly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, no!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine dashed forward and clung to Roderick\u2019s arm like a\u00a0<\/p>\n
koala. \u201cHoney, we live in a society with laws!\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll go to jail for fighting!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Are you kidding me? Edward is the super\u2013popular male lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick would only be at a disadvantage fighting him. You\u00a0<\/p>\n
should just avoid trash when you see it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pulled Roderick off balance. He looked down at the little\u00a0<\/p>\n
woman hanging off his arm, his tone softening. \u201cLet go first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine rubbed her face against his arm. \u201cWould you really\u00a0<\/p>\n
want to make me a widow?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s brows furrowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A widow?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did she have so little faith in him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside them, Fiona quickly grabbed Edward. \u201cEdward, don\u2019t be\u00a0<\/p>\n
rash\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 169\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet lost.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward, already furious at Madeleine\u2019s reaction, didn\u2019t even\u00a0<\/p>\n
notice who was pulling at him. He shoved her away violently,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and Fiona twisted her ankle in her high heels, nearly falling over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 170\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 169 Chapter 169\u00a0 Roderick\u2019s knuckles tightened, his hands gripping the steering\u00a0 wheel […]<\/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-29466","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\/29466","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=29466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29466\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}