Oliver\u2019s POV<\/p>\n
I woke up in Cedar\u2019s apartment, sunshine filtering through unfamiliar curtains. For a split second, confusion clouded my mind before memories of yesterday rushed back. I sat up quickly, scanning the room for her.<\/p>\n
She was already dressed in a pantsuit that made her look like those important ladies at Daddy\u2019s company, but prettier. Her hair was neatly pulled back, and she moved about the kitchen with purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, Oliver,\u201d she said when she noticed me watching. \u201cI made you cereal and orange juice.\u201d<\/p>\n
I rubbed sleep from my eyes and padded to the kitchen table. The cereal was store-brand, not the organic imported kind we had at home, but somehow it looked more appealing.<\/p>\n
Cedar knelt beside me, meeting my eyes. \u201cOliver, I have to go to work. There\u2019s money on the counter if you want to order food.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart sank a little, but I nodded bravely.<\/p>\n
She handed me a small piece of paper. \u201cThis is my phone number. If you need anything\u2014anything at all\u2014call me right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
I accepted the paper with reverence, as if receiving a precious artifact. \u201cOkay, Mommy. Can I call if I just miss you too?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cedar\u2019s fingers gently combed through my hair. \u201cYes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned into her touch, savoring the moment. It felt so natural, so right.<\/p>\n
Mommy didn\u2019t bring up sending me back yesterday, and she didn\u2019t correct me when I called her mommy. She seemed to be adapting to her role as my mom now. That\u2019s wonderful!<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy\u2026 I can keep calling you that, can\u2019t I? Forever?\u201d I asked hopefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Oliver\u2026\u201d She paused, her expression softening. \u201cIf calling me that makes you feel safe, then I\u2019m okay with it. And you\u2019re welcome to stay here as long as you need to. I\u2019ve grown quite fond of you, you know.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you won\u2019t force me to go back?\u201d I asked, my voice small.<\/p>\n
She sighed gently. \u201cI think we should contact your family when you\u2019re ready. But even if they come for you someday, we can still keep in touch. I\u2019d like that, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n
My smile faltered a bit. Not exactly the answer I was hoping for, but it was something. At least she wasn\u2019t pushing me away.<\/p>\n
After she left, I carefully folded the paper and tucked it into my pocket, patting it twice to make sure it was safe. Then I positioned myself by the window, watching until she disappeared down the street.<\/p>\n
Yesterday had been perfect. I smiled, remembering how I\u2019d convinced Hunter to help me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter, I need a favor\u2026\u201d I\u2019d whispered into my smartwatch. \u201cI want to surprise my mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung master, that\u2019s against protocol\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d I\u2019d begged. \u201cI want to make her happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventually, Hunter helped me to tidy the apartment and deliver dinner. The look on Mommy\u2019s face when she came home had been worth every bit of Hunter\u2019s grumbling.<\/p>\n
Later, she\u2019d given me one of her T-shirts to sleep in. \u201cIt\u2019ll be big, but probably more comfortable than sleeping in your clothes,\u201d she\u2019d said.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d buried my face in the soft fabric. \u201cIt smells like you.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the bedtime stories! She\u2019d read three whole books, not just one like the nannies at home. Aiden only got to discuss boring charts with Father, but I had Mom\u2019s hugs and stories.<\/p>\n
As morning turned to afternoon, boredom crept in. I flipped through design magazines, arranged her colored pencils by shade, but couldn\u2019t stop thinking about her. What was she doing? Was she missing me, too?<\/p>\n
I lifted my smartwatch. \u201cHunter, I\u2019m bored. I want to see where Mommy works.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s alarmed voice came through clearly. \u201cYoung master, that would risk exposing your\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she needs me?\u201d I interrupted. \u201cWhat if she\u2019s in trouble? I should protect her. I\u2019m her son.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis directly contradicts your father\u2019s instructions\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled out my secret weapon\u2014the pleading look Hunter could never resist. \u201cIf you won\u2019t help me, I\u2019ll go by myself. I saw the address on her business card.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter sighed, the sound of surrender. \u201cFine. But we maintain complete discretion.\u201d<\/p>\n
I changed into my cleanest outfit, and Hunter promised to have a hat and sunglasses ready for disguise. My heart raced with excitement as we arranged for a taxi to Wright Creatives. I was going to see my mommy at work!<\/p>\n
Cedar\u2019s POV<\/p>\n
I sat on the L train, watching Chicago\u2019s skyline glide past as my fingers absently traced the edges of the document in my bag. Last night\u2019s overheard bathroom conversation at the design exhibition still echoed in my mind\u2014the raw truth of how my adoptive family viewed me.<\/p>\n
Once I arrived at Wright Creatives, I walked directly to Jonathan\u2019s office, where he and Elara waited, their expressions hardening as I placed the family severance legal portfolio on the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want freedom from family obligations?\u201d Jonathan\u2019s voice was clinical. \u201cThen win the Wilson Group contract back. Eight million dollars. That\u2019s your exit price.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elara\u2019s perfect posture didn\u2019t falter. \u201cIt\u2019s a fair exchange. We invested in your education, your career. Now you can repay us with this project.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get the contract this time,\u201d I replied evenly, \u201cbut I\u2019ll do it with my design, not my body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elara\u2019s laugh was brittle. \u201cHow noble. Let\u2019s hope your principles are worth eight million dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back at my desk, I exhaled slowly. Family shouldn\u2019t operate like a business transaction. Love shouldn\u2019t come with invoices. Yet here I was, negotiating my freedom like a corporate merger. The realization brought an odd mix of clarity and determination\u2014I would win my independence through my work, not compromise.<\/p>\n
I immersed myself in perfecting the Wilson project, integrating Chicago\u2019s architectural heritage with sustainable materials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be my final work for Wright, and it will be my best,\u201d I murmured to the rendering on my screen.<\/p>\n
Hours passed. The office light shifted as colleagues departed, but I remained focused. When I finally completed the adjustments, satisfaction washed over me. I organized everything into a sleek black portfolio.<\/p>\n
Just then, my phone buzzed with an email notification. I glanced down to see a reply from Emily Parker, Wilson Group\u2019s procurement director. I\u2019d met her briefly at last month\u2019s Chicago Design Expo and had been impressed by her professionalism.<\/p>\n
[Ms. Wright, I\u2019ve reviewed your preliminary concepts and would like to discuss them further. Could you meet me at the Preston Hotel, Room 412, at 7:00 PM today? I have a meeting there. We can meet before that. I believe we could find common ground that satisfies both our companies\u2019 interests.]<\/p>\n
Relief washed over me. Emily\u2019s involvement changed everything\u2014she had a reputation for being fair and focused purely on design merit. This was exactly the opportunity I needed\u2014a chance to present my work to someone who would judge it on quality alone.<\/p>\n
Checking my watch, I called a car to the Preston Hotel. This meeting would determine my trajectory\u2014continued servitude to the Wright family or finally, freedom.<\/p>\n
In the elevator, I took deep breaths, centering myself. \u201cYou can do this. For your freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I found Room 412, my hand raised to knock, when sounds from inside stopped me cold\u2014moaning and shouting that couldn\u2019t be mistaken. My hand froze midair as shock rooted me to the spot, undecided whether to retreat or proceed.<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Unfinished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 8 Chapter 8 Oliver\u2019s POV I woke […]<\/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":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zero-stars-for-daddy-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30407","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=30407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30407\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}