Chapter 66\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the silence, a sudden explosion of chatter erupted around us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWait, wasn\u2019t that child mute? How is she suddenly talking?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that woman really the kid\u2019s mother? How could she not know whether her own child can speak?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTalk about a plot twist! Anyone want to bet who the real mom is?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The elegant woman who had claimed to be the girl\u2019s mother stood frozen in her designer heels, as if struck by lightning. Her perfectly contoured face drained of color as the child\u2019s words hung in the air between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched the scene unfold near the carousel in Navy Pier, unable to look away. The small girl had turned her dark eyes toward the woman, something unreadable flickering in their depths.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not my mommy,\u201d she\u2019d said in a clear, childish voice that belied the gravity of her words. \u201cYou\u2019re Miss Black, my dance teacher. I\u00a0<\/p>\n
don\u2019t have a mommy like you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The youngest voice speaking the most uncomfortable truth. The woman\u2019s face turned ghostly white beneath her expensive makeup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nerve of her, pretending to be someone\u2019s mother and claiming the poor child is mute!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe accused others of being child traffickers\u2013looks like she\u2019s the suspicious one!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The accusations fell like thunderbolts around the woman. She stamped her heel in frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up! All of you shut up!\u201d She lurched forward and yanked the girl into her arms. \u201cYou deliberately went missing today, Aria. I\u2019m going\u00a0<\/p>\n
to tell your daddy, and you can prepare to face his anger!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice dripped with threats and intimidation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped forward, my instincts sensing something fundamentally wrong with this picture. \u201cExcuse me, but what exactly is your relationship with this child?\u201d I couldn\u2019t stand by and watch this woman bully a child who clearly didn\u2019t want to be with her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat business is it of yours what our relationship is?\u201d she snarled through clenched teeth. \u201cGet out of my way, all of you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl stopped struggling in her grip, but her eyes looked in my direction with longing and attachment. That gaze reminded me of children I\u2019d seen at orphanages during charity design projects in the city, eyes filled with a desperate yearning for love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart constricted, a physical ache I couldn\u2019t explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
9:45 Thu, Nov 6 B\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 66\u00a0<\/p>\n
The woman had already carried the child away toward a waiting black Cadillac while onlookers continued to speculate about their relationship without reaching any conclusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat on a wrought\u2013iron bench, feeling strangely hollow, that child\u2019s eyes appearing again and again in my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly, a fluffy little head appeared before me. Oliver climbed onto my lap with practiced ease. \u201cI heard a lot of noise outside while I was in the bathroom. What happened?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou little busybody,\u201d I smiled, ruffling his hair. \u201cNothing important. Come on, let\u2019s walk around a bit more before heading home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had planned to take Oliver for a children\u2019s meal at The Original Pancake House, but he\u2019d clearly upset his stomach with too much ice cream. Going back to our Wicker Park apartment for something mild would be safer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
96\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as we reached the Navy Pier exit, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and felt my relaxed expression instantly transform into\u00a0<\/p>\n
one of tension and seriousness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why would he call me on a weekend?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath and answered with professional courtesy: \u201cMr. Sterling, hello. This is Cedar.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver stiffened beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an issue with the Lakefront Tower proposal. Come to the office immediately.\u201d The cold, commanding voice hung up before I could\u00a0<\/p>\n
respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at my phone, trying to process what had just happened. He was calling me in for overtime, wasn\u2019t he?\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Wright Creatives, I\u2019d worked overtime almost every day, so this wasn\u2019t new to me. But still-\u00a0<\/p>\n
I crouched down to Oliver\u2019s level and spoke gently: \u201cI promised to spend the day with you, but something\u2019s come up at work. I\u2019ll take you\u00a0<\/p>\n
home, make dinner, and then go to the office. You\u2019ll be good at home, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver\u2019s eyes darted around thoughtfully. \u201cWas that your boss who called?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, my direct superior\u2013the new general manager brought in from the parent company,\u201d I sighed, rubbing my temple. \u201cLooks like overtime will become routine. I\u2019m sorry, Oliver.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, I don\u2019t want to stay home alone. Can I come with you?\u201d Oliver blinked up at me, his expression pitiful and pleading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cThat\u2019s not appropriate. It\u2019s a workplace.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 66\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI could just stay in the children\u2019s innovation center downstairs, please?\u201d he wheedled, looking utterly forlorn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWait, how do you know there\u2019s a children\u2019s innovation center at my office?\u201d I asked, suspicious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver froze momentarily before quickly regaining his composure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMost firms have them now, don\u2019t they? For employees\u2018 kids? I was just guessing. Please, Mommy? I promise I won\u2019t cause trouble.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t beat the thought of leaving him alone at night, so I reluctantly agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We ate a light dinner at a farm\u2013to\u2013table restaurant near Millennium Park before taking a taxi to the Nest Design building in the Near North Side. Nest Design was closed for the weekend, with no one even at the reception desk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 left Oliver at the children\u2019s innovation space next door before taking the elevator to the executive floor. The top floor was eerily quiet,\u00a0<\/p>\n
with only dim corridor lights and the glow from the CEO\u2019s office breaking the silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly I felt nervous, smoothing down my simple weekend outfit that definitely wasn\u2019t office\u2013appropriate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hoped Albert would be there too, so I wouldn\u2019t have to face the intimidating Ridley alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shuffled to the office door and knocked gently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome in.\u201d The man\u2019s crisp voice cut through the darkness like an elegant violin note.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed my lips together and pushed the door open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I feared\u2013Albert wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley sat in his executive chair wearing a crisp white shirt, his expression cold and his bearing aristocratic against the backdrop of\u00a0<\/p>\n
nighttime skyline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
9:45 Thu, Nov 6 G\u00a0<\/p>\n
We Want Mommy, Not You, Daddy!\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 66 Chapter 66\u00a0 Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0 After the […]<\/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-30465","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\/30465","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=30465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30465\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}