Chapter 69\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The little boy clung to my neck for dear life, his tiny arms wrapped around me like a lifeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, a phone vibrated on the desk, and Ridley\u2019s hand pulled back abruptly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, let\u2019s go!\u201d Oliver cried out, his grip tightening around my neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Sterling, we\u2019re leaving!\u201d I seized the opportunity and hurried out with the child in my arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
95\u00a0<\/p>\n
I carried Oliver all the way down to the lobby, my heart racing with each step. Once we reached the ground floor, I helped him remove the\u00a0<\/p>\n
small trench coat he was wearing and examined it curiously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you get this coat, sweetie?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA strange man gave it to me\u2026\u201d Oliver patted his little chest dramatically, still catching his breath. \u201cMommy, that big bad wolf upstairs\u00a0<\/p>\n
was so scary. My little heart almost stopped beating!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tapped the tip of his nose gently. \u201cAnd that\u2019s exactly why you shouldn\u2019t come to Mommy\u2019s workplace anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, can\u2019t you just quit?\u201d Oliver\u2019s expression grew serious, his eyes pleading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hailed a cab and sat in the back seat with him on my lap. \u201cOliver, remember this job was actually your suggestion for me to try. Now\u00a0<\/p>\n
that I\u2019ve started here, I need to see it through. Besides, the salary is good\u2013enough for me to take care of you properly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
$150,000 a year is nothing! You should be making at least $500,000!\u201d He pouted, clearly having no concept of money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch a silly thing to say.\u201d I laughed, but my smile quickly faded as reality sank in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two more days. In just two days, Oliver would have to go back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought tore at my heart. I couldn\u2019t bear it. This child was the light of my life, my softest, warmest light, and I couldn\u2019t stand the\u00a0<\/p>\n
thought of him being taken away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I knew this separation was inevitable. Our stolen time together could never last forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the cab weaved through Chicago\u2019s evening traffic, I held him tighter, memorizing the weight of him in my arms, the scent of his hair,\u00a0<\/p>\n
the sound of his breathing. The Gold Coast\u2019s glittering high\u2013rises reflected in the taxi window seemed to mock me with their permanence while my happiness remained so fleeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 69\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched her flee with the child, a bitter smile twisting my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was I doing, getting worked up over this woman? The adopted daughter of the Wright family\u2013looking into her background would be effortless. An unmarried woman with a child\u2013in our circles, that could hardly be a well\u2013kept secret.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d have someone investigate tomorrow. There was no need to rush.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!\u00a0<\/p>\n
The insistent vibration from my desk cut through my thoughts. I walked back to my office and picked up the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Daisy Black.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In all these years, Daisy had been discreet enough not to call me in the evening. A call this late suggested something urgent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I answered the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRidley, come quickly! Aria spoke!\u201d Her voice was breathless with excitement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My expression hardened instantly. I grabbed my suit jacket and headed for the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Daisy\u2019s apartment building loomed against the darkening Michigan shoreline. I pulled up to the entrance and got out, my usual\u00a0<\/p>\n
composure replaced by urgent strides.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRidley, slow down, don\u2019t rush.\u201d Daisy hurried to meet me. She wore casual home attire, the neckline loose while the waist was cinched to\u00a0<\/p>\n
accentuate her figure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I barely glanced at her. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d My voice was cold, focused only on the matter at hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctors said Aria needs more interaction with the outside world to create connections, so I took her to the amusement park this\u00a0<\/p>\n
afternoon,\u201d Daisy explained carefully,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe seemed to enjoy herself there. I took many photos\u2013look, Aria\u2019s not smiling, but her expression is relaxed, don\u2019t you think?\u201d\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 69 Chapter 69\u00a0 Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0 The little […]<\/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-30468","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\/30468","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=30468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30468\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}