Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNext time, we shouldn\u2019t let them drink so much. Mr. Adler and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley drank quite a bit last night, didn\u2019t they?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Simon gave a dry laugh from the side. \u201cYeah, I completely\u00a0<\/p>\n
blacked out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember Bradley being a lightweight too. I\u2019m surprised he\u00a0<\/p>\n
managed to make it back to his room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Kline can hold his liquor a little better than I can.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that so?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine smiled, glancing at Charlotte\u2019s expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was obvious that when she mentioned Bradley, Charlotte\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes darted away for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t keep you any longer. Text me when you get there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. You should get back inside, it\u2019s windy out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte waved to Madeleine and got into the car with Simon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the car drove away, Madeleine stood there, stroking her chin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She felt that beneath Charlotte\u2019s calm expression, there was a\u00a0<\/p>\n
hint of some indescribable\u2026 annoyance?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes, that was it. The subtle irritation of not wanting to talk\u00a0<\/p>\n
about something but having to remain polite.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Between her and Bradley\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
It seemed like another doomed relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Charlotte left, Bradley finally cheered up. He started\u00a0<\/p>\n
playing a board game with Kevin, and he seemed to be doing\u00a0<\/p>\n
okay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine went over and hugged Kevin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKev, are you winning?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin kept a straight face, staring intently at the board.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley grinned, tossing a game piece in his hand and catching it. \u201cYour uncle here is an unbeatable board game master. You\u2019ll have to practice more if you want to beat me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was beating a four\u2013year\u2013old really something to be proud of?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unconvinced, she held Kevin and played a couple of rounds\u00a0<\/p>\n
against Bradley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t know how to play Go, but how could she not know\u00a0<\/p>\n
how to play this board game?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two games later, Madeleine was utterly defeated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alright, she had to admit that Bradley was indeed an expert.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGeez, you\u2019re no good at this either. Why don\u2019t you call the kid\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
dad over? The three of you can take me on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine pursed her lips, whispered something in Kevin\u2019s ear,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and the little guy nodded and left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine rolled up her sleeves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne more game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine, fine. I\u2019ll let you lose one more time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This time, Madeleine played more seriously. She painstakingly\u00a0<\/p>\n
set a trap, waiting for Bradley to fall into it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he could notice, Madeleine suddenly spoke up:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlotte doesn\u2019t want you anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s hand faltered, and the game piece he was holding\u00a0<\/p>\n
clattered onto the board.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Realizing Madeleine was deliberately trying to mess with his head, Bradley shot her an annoyed glare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine giggled, her face full of cunning satisfaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying it here, are you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She watched the piece that had fallen from Bradley\u2019s hand\u00a0<\/p>\n
bounce twice and land in a nearby spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She immediately placed her piece.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s face was dark, and he looked furious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, come on, why so upset over losing one game?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did that on purpose, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYep, yep.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine nodded, not hiding her thoughts at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pouted and said irritably, \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for you, do you think I\u00a0<\/p>\n
would have lost that bet to Rebecca?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat bet?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout you and Isabella, of course. We bet on whether you two\u00a0<\/p>\n
were a real couple.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley opened his mouth, his Adam\u2019s apple bobbing up and\u00a0<\/p>\n
down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t look like a real couple?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHeh.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s lips twitched into a smirk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe seems more interested in my son than in you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley: \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned back in his chair, troubled, and didn\u2019t say a word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the very beginning, when he asked Isabella to come and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
act the part, Bradley had considered the day he would meet\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t thought that much about it at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His mind was filled with the thought that if Charlotte really\u00a0<\/p>\n
found a boyfriend, then he would find one too, just to show her\u00a0<\/p>\n
how well he was doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But last night, Charlotte really did show up, and with Simon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching them stand together, that childish thought of revenge\u00a0<\/p>\n
in Bradley\u2019s heart shattered completely, leaving only\u00a0<\/p>\n
embarrassment and frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The alcohol he\u2019d chugged burned his stomach, and even more,\u00a0<\/p>\n
it made his heart pound with panic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte didn\u2019t even spare him more than a few glances. That\u00a0<\/p>\n
complete disregard was more painful to him than any mockery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew from that moment that he had lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t keep up the act. His heart and his eyes were filled with nothing but Charlotte.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 261\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s voice was a little hoarse. He stared at the reset\u00a0<\/p>\n
chessboard but didn\u2019t make a move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you here to laugh at me now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sly smile on Madeleine\u2019s face faded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at Bradley. His usual playful, devil\u2013may\u2013care attitude\u00a0<\/p>\n
was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Replaced by a rare exhaustion and\u2026 disappointment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
C\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 ` 261 Chapter 261\u00a0 \u201cNext time, we shouldn\u2019t let them drink so […]<\/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-29558","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\/29558","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=29558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29558\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}