Kirsten watched Kevin struggling to keep his eyes open, his\u00a0<\/p>\n
little head nodding, and her heart completely melted at the\u00a0<\/p>\n
pitiful sight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She walked over and gently stroked his hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBe a good boy, Young Master. Your mom and Aunt Rebecca\u00a0<\/p>\n
have something very important to discuss, so they might be\u00a0<\/p>\n
back a little late.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She coaxed him softly, \u201cYou go to sleep first. When you wake\u00a0<\/p>\n
up tomorrow morning, you\u2019ll definitely see your mom, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s little lip jutted out even more, his eyes shimmering with\u00a0<\/p>\n
sleepy tears, but he still stubbornly shook his head. \u201cNo\u2026 What\u00a0<\/p>\n
if I fall asleep, and Mom comes back, just takes one look at me,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and leaves?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just like this morning\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice trailed off, thick with hurt and unease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though he was doing much better, needing his mom and fearing separation were still the most basic instincts for a kid\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 278\u00a0<\/p>\n
his age.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as Kirsten was wondering what else to say, the soft click\u00a0<\/p>\n
of the front door came from the living room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s sleepy little head shot up, his eyes instantly lighting up\u00a0<\/p>\n
like a puppy hearing its owner\u2019s footsteps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He slid off the piano bench almost instantly, not even bothering\u00a0<\/p>\n
to fix his slippers, and padded quickly toward the living room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine had just changed her shoes when she looked up to\u00a0<\/p>\n
see her son barreling toward her like a little cannonball,\u00a0<\/p>\n
throwing his arms around her legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She still carried the slight chill of the night air, but her heart\u00a0<\/p>\n
instantly melted at her son\u2019s warm embrace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKev?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was a little surprised. She bent down, scooped her\u00a0<\/p>\n
son up, and stroked his warm little cheek. \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you\u00a0<\/p>\n
asleep yet?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s so late.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 278\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin hugged his mom\u2019s neck tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He took a deep breath of her familiar scent\u00a0<\/p>\n
before lifting his head, content, his sleepiness seeming to fade\u00a0<\/p>\n
away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I missed you so much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin buried his face in Madeleine\u2019s neck, his voice muffled,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and you could barely make out the sadness in it unless you\u00a0<\/p>\n
listened closely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine felt her heart melt instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She quickly turned and kissed the little one\u2019s head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Kev miss Mommy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMhm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin nodded gently in her arms, his soft hair brushing against\u00a0<\/p>\n
her chin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine could feel his small hands gripping the corner of her\u00a0<\/p>\n
clothes tightly, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy\u2019s been too busy lately, I\u2019ve really been neglecting my\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 278\u00a0<\/p>\n
little Kev.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine said softly, her fingertips combing through her son\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
hair, \u201cIt\u2019ll be over in a little more than two months. When it is,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mommy will definitely spend lots of time with you, take you to\u00a0<\/p>\n
the aquarium, and we can go camping together, just like you\u00a0<\/p>\n
mentioned last time, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unexpectedly, the little one gently shook his head after hearing\u00a0<\/p>\n
this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked up, his eyes a little red as if he might have been\u00a0<\/p>\n
crying secretly, but they were exceptionally clear and bright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, you don\u2019t have to make it up to me on purpose.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He spoke word by word, his childish voice carrying a maturity\u00a0<\/p>\n
beyond his years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something Mommy likes to do. Mommy should live for\u00a0<\/p>\n
herself, not for me, and not for anyone else. As long as Mommy\u00a0<\/p>\n
is happy, that\u2019s the best thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those weren\u2019t words you\u2019d expect a four or five\u2013year\u2013old child to\u00a0<\/p>\n
say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 278\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at her son\u2019s round face, her heart filled with both\u00a0<\/p>\n
surprise and tenderness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKev, who\u2026 who told you all this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She asked softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin blinked his big eyes and said honestly, \u201cDaddy said it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He loosened his grip on his mother slightly and gestured as he\u00a0<\/p>\n
spoke:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy said Mommy is a person who shines, and she\u2019s doing\u00a0<\/p>\n
something very important. He said I have to learn to wait, like\u00a0<\/p>\n
waiting for the stars to come out. Even though you have to wait\u00a0<\/p>\n
until it\u2019s dark, the stars are especially bright and totally worth it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s heart felt as if it were enveloped in the warmest\u00a0<\/p>\n
current, and her eyes grew a little hot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t expected Roderick to explain her busyness to their\u00a0<\/p>\n
child this way; he not only protected her image in their child\u2019s heart but also taught him understanding and respect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She pulled her son back into her arms, kissed the top of his head, her voice a little choked up, \u201cDaddy\u2019s right, but Mommy still missed you. Thank you for being so understanding, Kev.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 278\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin snuggled in his mother\u2019s arms and said softly:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be like Mommy too, doing things I like. I\u2019m learning to\u00a0<\/p>\n
paint new pictures now. Daddy bought me new paintbrushes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guilt in Madeleine\u2019s heart was soothed away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 279\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 ` 278 Kirsten watched Kevin struggling to keep his eyes open, his\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-29575","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\/29575","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=29575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29575\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}