2<\/p>\n
Chapter 112\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
M\u4f1a29%\u552e\u00a0<\/p>\n
My face remained impassive despite the throbbing pain radiating across my back. The acupuncture session should have lasted at least two hours, but the needles had been removed prematurely when I received the news about Aria going missing. The pain hardly registered then\u2013my\u00a0<\/p>\n
mind consumed with finding my daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now that Aria was safe, the sensation returned with vengeance. It felt as hand into my pocket, maintaining my composure as I addressed Cedar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
someone was tearing the muscles beneath my skin. I slipped one\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you believe you\u2019re better qualified to care for Aria than Ms. Black?\u201d My voice was deliberately measured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what I said!\u201d Cedar immediately protested. \u201cI met Aria once before at the amusement park. She was terrified of Ms. Black but felt compelled to follow her. That kind of environment is damaging to a child\u2019s psychological development. She took a breath before continuing. \u201cMr. Sterling, I know this is your family business and I shouldn\u2019t interfere, but Aria seemed so vulnerable. I couldn\u2019t stand by watching her remain in what appears to be an unsafe situation\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I narrowed my eyes, studying her face closely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under my scrutinizing gaze, Cedar suddenly stiffened, seeming to realize her misstep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was just an employee, yet here she was, meddling in her superior\u2019s family affairs frequently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now she was suggesting Daisy Black should be removed from Aria\u2019s life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d touched a nerve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedar bit her crimson lips until they paled. After drawing a deep breath, she said, \u201cI apologize, Mr. Sterling. I overstepped my boundaries. Aria is your daughter, and whatever happens is strictly Sterling family business. It doesn\u2019t concern me.\u201d She paused. \u201cI should get back to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned away, bending down to carefully pick up the barely\u2013conscious stray cat from the ground. I watched as she walked down the tree- lined path, cradling the animal against her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed my lips together and turned toward the Sterling Group headquarters, my back still burning with pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedar\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
I asked the security guard about the cat and learned it was a stray that survived on handouts from passersby. My heart couldn\u2019t bear leaving it\u00a0<\/p>\n
there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After work, I took the cat to a veterinary clinic where they administered medication. I purchased a cat bed, officially adopting the little stray. On my way home, I stopped to buy a fish\u2013the pet store owner had advised that fish broth would help speed the cat\u2019s recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the cat carrier in one hand and the fish in the other, I headed home through the fading evening light. As I walked, my mood suddenly\u00a0<\/p>\n
plummeted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mind flashed between images of Aria\u2019s pale, fragile face and Ridley\u2019s cold stare. I desperately wanted to know how the little girl was doing, but any inquiry would only reinforce Ridley\u2019s belief that I had some hidden agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
|||\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
19:25 Sat, Feb 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 112\u00a0<\/p>\n
Its hail three children, and I\u2019d somehow gotten two of them actually to him, keen I found it hard to believe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
* 5.29%\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was pure coincidence a strange alignment of fate between me and the children that had absolutely nothing to do with their father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedar Wright! Stop right there! So your wings have grown so strong now that you don\u2019t even acknowledge your adoptive parents when you see them? A shrill voice cut through my thoughts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up to find two people standing at the entrance to my apartment Complex, Jonathan and Elara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Remembering what happened at old Mr. Wright\u2019s birthday celebration, myxpression instantly hardened. Whatever happened to Selena afterward, the trap had initially been set for me. If Ridley hadn\u2019t intervened, my entire life would have been destroyed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away without acknowledging them and continued walking toward the building entrance,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop!\u201d Jonathan commanded sharply, quickly blocking my path.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I halted, my voice ice\u2013cold when I spoke. \u201cRegarding last night\u2019s events, I reserve the right to pursue legal action. I advise you both to leave me alone. Push me too far, and I\u2019m capable of anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ungrateful little bitch! You dare mention last night!\u2018 Elara lunged forward, her face contorted with rage. \u201cIt\u2019s because of you that my Selena was violated! Why couldn\u2019t it have been you? Why don\u2019t you just die?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her fury had reached a breaking point, making her look deranged. I calmly sidestepped her attack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe brought it on herself,\u201d I replied with cold derision. \u201cHow can you blame others?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou encouraged Ridley Sterling to ruin my Selena! You\u2013this ungrateful wretch\u2013destroyed our family! What sin did we commit to adopt someone like you? If I could go back, I would have smothered you in your grib rather than raise a viper who would turn our family into this\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara covered her face, wailing dramatically. The haughty Wright family matriarch was nowhere to be seen in this broken woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough!\u201d Jonathan shouted. Elara immediately quieted down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar,\u201d Jonathan softened his tone, \u201cI came to tell you something important. At eight this morning, Wright Creatives officially filed for bankruptcy. Our headquarters building has been mortgaged to the court, and our family home will likely be auctioned. Our family\u2026 we\u2019ve hit\u00a0<\/p>\n
rock bottom.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I regarded my adoptive father with detached interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For years, he had towered over me, barking orders as if I were beneath him Sometimes I wondered if he even remembered my name, as he never used it during my childhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, this once\u2013imposing figure was speaking to me with a gentle voice, asking for help. The irony wasn\u2019t lost on me, and I felt a perverse satisfaction rise within me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar, what happened last night\u2013your mother and sister made a terrible mistake. Please don\u2019t take it to heart. Besides, you emerged unscathed while your sister is still in the hospital. The doctors say Selena may never be able to have children,\u201d Jonathan said somberly. \u201cHer life is ruined. She\u2019s suffered enough consequences. Can we please put this behind us?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled coldly. \u201cEven if her entire life is ruined, I will never forgive her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
23\u00a0<\/p>\n
19:25 Sat, Feb 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 112\u00a0<\/p>\n
My face showed nothing but contempt. Once, I had considered Selena myter, but that thin thread of tally affect on had been pay\u00a0<\/p>\n
by countless betrayals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Unfinished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 112 2 Chapter 112\u00a0 Ridley\u2019s POV\u00a0 M\u4f1a29%\u552e\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-30511","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\/30511","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=30511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}