We Want Mommy, Not You, Daddy!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 82\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAm I a monster now?\u201d I asked, my voice betraying my annoyance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hesitated before silently moving to the passenger seat beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drive was painfully quiet. Neither of us spoke, and I deliberately left the sound system off. The silence filled the car like a tangible substance,\u00a0<\/p>\n
occasionally punctured by the honking of passing vehicles,\u00a0<\/p>\n
What should have been a twenty\u2013minute drive felt interminable. When I finally parked outside her building, she visibly relaxed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for driving me, Mr. Sterling,\u201d she said politely, already poised to escape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped out of the car. \u201cAren\u2019t you going to invite me in for coffee?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The flash of knowing vindication in her eyes confirmed she\u2019d expected this, but her voice remained steady. \u201cOf course, if you\u2019d like to come up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we entered the apartment complex, I was genuinely shocked by its condition. The concrete walkway was cracked and uneven, most of the outdoor lighting fixtures were broken, and the building\u2019s facade was weathered beyond mere character into obvious neglect. This place made our planned urban renewal projects look upscale by comparison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long have you lived here?\u201d I asked, keeping my voice neutral despite my growing concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just over a year,\u2018 she replied absently, as if her mind was elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw tightened. Sterling Design Group had rejected properties in better condition than this as unsafe for habitation. The building was clearly neglected, likely damp and mold\u2013prone. Living here would be a health hazard, especially for a child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever gave you that expensive ring couldn\u2019t manage to provide decent housing?\u201d I commented, unable to keep the edge from my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked puzzled. \u201cWhat does a ring have to do with housing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced pointedly at her finger. The ring worth tens of thousands of dollars seemed grotesquely out of place in these surroundings. What kind of man would give a woman jewelry like that but let her live in such conditions? If he truly cared for her, wouldn\u2019t her living situation be his priority?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy place is all the way in the back\u2013pretty dim lighting,\u201d she said, ignoring my comment. \u201cAre you up for it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I followed her into the dark passage without responding. The interior was even worse\u2013poorly lit, stuffy, with a pervasive smell of mildew. My frown deepened with each step.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was absolutely unacceptable for human habitation, let alone for a child. I wanted to turn around and leave, but I needed answers about the boy. The uncertainty had been affecting my concentration all day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We walked in silence. She navigated the dark passage, clearly familiar with every obstacle. I, however, fumbled for my phone\u2019s flashlight after nearly tripping, only to immediately kick over a garbage can.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho leaves a garbage can in a passage?\u201d I muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe apartments are tiny,\u201d she explained, already rearranging the fallen shoes. \u201cEveryone stores things in the passage. Watch your step as we continue.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
2:51 pm P\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 82\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d never experienced housing like this. In my thirty\u2013one years, I\u2019d gone from my family\u2019s Gold Coast mansion to premium high\u2013rises. Even our lowest\u2013end properties were luxurious compared to this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why was I even here? Was learning about the boy worth this trouble?\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we reached the end of the narrow alley, a small apartment came into view. Just then, the door of a neighboring apartment suddenly swung open. An older\u00a0<\/p>\n
woman in a bathrobe emerged, carrying a garbage bag.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar! Working late again?\u201d she called out cheerfully before her eyes landed on me. Her gaze traveled from my face to my tailored suit with undisguised\u00a0<\/p>\n
interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stiffened at her scrutiny, my expression cooling automatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This must be Oliver\u2019s father,\u2018 she stage\u2013whispered to Cedar, leaning closer. \u201cHe\u2019s even more handsome than that actor in my TV show! Listen, honey, it\u2019s not easy raising a boy alone. If he\u2019s bringing you home this late, he still cares. Tonight\u2019s your chance\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver?! How did she know Oliver was my son? That information was never made public. Wait\u2026 or could it be that her son was also named Oliver? What were the odds of that? And Oliver was so spoiled at home\u2013what would he be doing in a place like this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Unfinished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 82 We Want Mommy, Not You, Daddy!\u00a0 […]<\/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-30481","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\/30481","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=30481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30481\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}