Oliver\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed again after I got back to my room while Mommy went to shower. It was Daddy again, and my tummy did that flippy thing it always does when he calls. I thought about not answering, but Daddy always found a way to make things worse when I ignored\u00a0<\/p>\n
him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Daddy,\u2018 I said, trying to sound calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOliver.\u201d His voice was cold, like ice cubes dropping into a glass. \u201cThis is day nine of your latest disappearing act. You\u2019ve broken your previous record.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat up straighter, squeezing my stuffed elephant Mr. Trunks against my chest. \u201cThat\u2019s not fair! Last time wasn\u2019t running away. I was at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s house.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSemantics,\u201d Daddy said, using one of those grown\u2013up words he knows I understand but wishes I didn\u2019t. \u201cThe fact remains that you\u2019ve\u00a0<\/p>\n
been absent from your home for nine days. This behavior is unacceptable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lip, looking across the room where Hunter was pretending not to listen while organizing my architecture books.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not coming back,\u201d I said, trying to sound brave. \u201cI like it better here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t asking for your preference.\u201d Daddy\u2019s voice got even colder. \u201cYou have three days to return home, or there will be consequences.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of consequences?\u201d I asked, though I already knew it would be something awful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor starters, Hunter will be sent on an overseas security assignment for six months.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart dropped like an elevator with broken cables. \u201cYou can\u2019t do that! Hunter is MINE!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can and I will. Three days, Oliver. The clock is ticking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The call ended, and I threw the phone across the room. It bounced off the sofa and landed on the carpet. I was glad Mommy was in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
shower and couldn\u2019t hear me talking to Daddy. She didn\u2019t know who I really was, and I wanted to keep it that way forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat didn\u2019t sound good, Hunter said, picking up my phone and bringing it back to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy says I have to come home in three days or he\u2019ll send you away. I crossed my arms, feeling my bottom lip tremble. He\u2019s so mean!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why does he always ruin everything?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter sat on the edge of the bed. \u201cMaybe we could work out a compromise. You could spend days at the mansion and evenings here with Ms. Wright.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
D\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 56\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the dumbest idea ever!\u201d I said, then immediately felt bad when Hunter\u2019s face fell. \u201cSorry. But don\u2019t you see? If I go back, Daddy will never let me leave again. He\u2019ll hire more security and probably lock me in my room forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a bit dramatic, don\u2019t you think?\u201d Hunter raised an eyebrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think. You just don\u2019t know him like I do.\u201d I flopped back on the pillows. \u201cAnd besides, how would I explain to Mommy why I\u2019m suddenly not staying here all the time?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter sighed and retreated to the corner of the room, his big frame somehow looking smaller. \u201cFollowing you is really exhausting\u00a0<\/p>\n
sometimes, Master Oliver.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, nobody asked you to be tall,\u201d I muttered, which made no sense, but I was too upset to care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next day, morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow across Oliver\u2019s sleeping face. I leaned down and pressed a\u00a0<\/p>\n
soft kiss to his forehead, breathing in the scent of baby shampoo and that indescribable sweetness that only children seem to possess.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes fluttered open, and a smile spread across his face. \u201cMorning, Mommy,\u201d he mumbled, reaching up to touch my cheek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, sleepyhead,\u201d I whispered. \u201cTime to get up. Hunter will be here soon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was still strange to think that just over a week ago, my life had been so different. Now, I found myself naturally falling into the rhythms of motherhood, preparing Oliver\u2019s favorite breakfast and laying out his clothes for the day. The transition had been surprisingly seamless, as if some dormant part of me had always known how to be his mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After helping Oliver brush his teeth and get dressed, I made us pancakes. As we ate, I noticed Oliver seemed distracted, glancing at his\u00a0<\/p>\n
watch more frequently than usual.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything okay, sweetie?\u201d I asked, reaching over to wipe a smudge of syrup from his chin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes! Everything\u2019s super great!\u201d he answered too quickly, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could probe further, there was a knock at the door, Hunter had arrived right on schedule. I was grateful for his reliability\u2013and his willingness to spend long hours with Oliver while I was at work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s pancakes if you\u2019re hungry, Hunter,\u201d I offered as I gathered my things. \u201cI\u2019ll be back around six.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver clung to me a little longer than usual when I kissed him goodbye. \u201cI love you, Mommy,\u201d he said, his voice sounding oddly urgent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you too, sweetheart.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I walked to the bus stop, I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that something was bothering Oliver, But between my new role as a mother and my responsibilities at Nest Design, I barely had time to breathe, let alone analyze a child\u2019s mood swings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 56\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the office, I settled at my desk and began reviewing emails when a headline on my news feed caught my eye: \u201cWright Creatives Heiress in Scandalous Photo Leak, Stock Plummets.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clicked the link, my stomach tightening as I read about how compromising photos of Selena had been \u201cleaked\u201d online after her public humiliation at the gala. Wright Creatives\u2018 stock had dropped nearly 30% overnight, and several high\u2013profile clients\u2013including some I had previously courted\u2013had already announced they were terminating their contracts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Part of me felt a twinge of satisfaction, remembering all the times Selena had tried to sabotage me. But another part\u2013the part that had given her my wrap at the gala\u2013felt uncomfortable with her public shaming. No woman deserved to have her body turned into tabloid\u00a0<\/p>\n
fodder, not even Selena.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed the article and focused on my work. The upcoming design showcase for Nest Design\u2019s new residential concept series was\u00a0<\/p>\n
scheduled for next month, and as Design Director, I needed to finalize the presentation materials and promotional video concept. We\u00a0<\/p>\n
would be revealing our innovative approaches to urban living spaces\u2013something that had become my specialty since joining the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thomas greeted me with unusual enthusiasm when I entered the conference room for our meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Wright! Just the creative mind I\u2019ve been waiting for.\u201d He pulled out my chair with a flourish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust Cedar is fine,\u201d I said, setting down my portfolio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNonsense! A woman of your caliber deserves proper address.\u201d His smile was wide, his tone deferential. \u201cNow, shall we discuss the\u00a0<\/p>\n
showcase timeline?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the next three hours, we went through every detail of the design showcase. Thomas approved all my suggestions with minimal\u00a0<\/p>\n
questions, a stark contrast to his usual critical approach. When I proposed an increased budget for the concept visualization videos and\u00a0<\/p>\n
virtual walkthroughs, he simply nodded and made a note.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Consider it done, Ms. Wright,\u201d he said, not even bothering to check the numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As our meeting concluded, I gathered my notes, feeling satisfied with our progress but unsettled by Thomas\u2019s behavior. In the hallway, I\u00a0<\/p>\n
noticed a group of colleagues glancing my way before quickly averting their eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We Want Mommy, Not You, Daddy!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 57\u00a0<\/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 56 Oliver\u2019s POV\u00a0 My phone buzzed again […]<\/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-30455","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\/30455","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=30455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30455\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}