Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Such a small request\u2013how could I possibly refuse?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took Aiden\u2019s hand, smiling gently. \u201cOf course you can. If you don\u2019t mind, why not stay for dinner before you go?\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally? I can?\u2018 Aiden\u2019s eyes widened, his question careful and hesitant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt a tug at my heart seeing that vulnerable expression. My voice grew softer: \u201cSure, as long as you don\u2019t mind my modest apartment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aiden pressed his lips together, offering a shy, subtle smile that transformed his face. Dimples appeared, making him look remarkably handsome\u2013like an ice sculpture suddenly melting in warmth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I observed him fondly. \u201cYou should smile more often.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This made Aiden even more self\u2013conscious. He lowered his head, lips pressed tightly together, the tips of his ears turning bright red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re adorable,\u201d I couldn\u2019t resist giving his cheek a gentle pinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Sterling Design, everyone described the young heir as a \u201clittle iceberg,\u201d but I wondered how anyone could see him that way. Wasn\u2019t he just a normal, shy\u00a0<\/p>\n
little boy? How could Ridley ever bring himself to scold such a sweet, well\u2013behaved child?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I held Aiden\u2019s hand as we walked toward my apartment building.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly, his phone rang in his pocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and his expression immediately hardened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Withdrawing his hand from mine, he said quietly, \u201cMs. Wright, I need to take this call.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded and stepped aside to give him privacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While on the phone, his entire demeanor radiated coldness, his speech precise and formal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I observed from a distance, seeing a miniature version of Ridley Sterling. My feelings grew complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Children from wealthy families truly were different. Ordinary six\u2013year\u2013olds were still babies needing constant attention and comfort, but this young heir already possessed such a commanding presence that even I, a grown woman, felt slightly intimidated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
I paced restlessly in my upstairs room, my small eyebrows knitted together in concern. \u201cIt\u2019s almost 6:30, and Mommy isn\u2019t home yet. What if something happened to her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter maintained his composure. \u201cYoung master, that\u2019s the tenth time you\u2019ve asked since four o\u2019clock. As I\u2019ve repeatedly told you, Ms. Wright is an adult\u00a0<\/p>\n
and can take care of herself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why isn\u2019t she back yet?\u2018 I felt my eyebrows twisting like pretzels. \u201cI bet Mr. Coleman gave her too much work, and she\u2019s stuck at the office overtime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 35\u00a0<\/p>\n
That must be it! Hunter, give me Mr. Coleman\u2019s number\u2013I need to ask him some questions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter sighed. I could tell he was getting a headache.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know my daily concerns drive Hunter crazy, but Mommy promised to be home by 6:30! I can\u2019t help worrying about her. What if she was in trouble?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter turned away, probably not wanting to deal with me anymore. But then as he glanced out the window, he froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Young Master, look-\u00a0<\/p>\n
I quickly rushed to the window and looked down. There was Mommy, holding hands with\u2026 Aiden? What was my big brother doing here? He was trying to steal Mommy from me! No way! I worked so hard to find Mommy, and now he just shows up and gets her attention so easily? Not fair!\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt anger bubbling inside me. After everything I\u2019d done to find Mommy\u2013running away from the estate, searching all over Chicago, even having to deal\u00a0<\/p>\n
with those mean kids at the playground\u2013Aiden thinks he can just walk in and take her? I grabbed my phone and angrily called him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aiden answered, his posture stiffening even from this distance. \u201cOliver, make it quick. What do you want?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBig brother, where are you right now?\u201d I tried to sound innocent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aiden scanned the area but didn\u2019t spot me. His voice turned cold. \u201cMy whereabouts aren\u2019t your concern.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can see you, Aiden. You\u2019re with Cedar, aren\u2019t you?\u201d I couldn\u2019t keep the accusation out of my voice. \u201cThe only reason I\u2019ve been spending time with Cedar is\u00a0<\/p>\n
because she saved me once. I like her, which is why I call her \u2018Mommy! She\u2019s not actually our mother, so stop trying to steal her from me!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Uninished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 35 Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0 Such a small request\u2013how […]<\/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-30434","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\/30434","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=30434"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30434\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}