Chapter 117\u00a0<\/p>\n
We held each other tightly, and in that moment, it felt like nothing\u00a0<\/p>\n
else in the world mattered\u2013just us, together in this small sanctuary\u00a0<\/p>\n
we\u2019d created.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The kitten meowed, demanding attention, and we both laughed\u00a0<\/p>\n
through our tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The morning light filtered through my curtains, warming my face. As I stirred awake, I realized I wasn\u2019t alone in my bed. Somehow, Oliver had migrated from the guest room and was sleeping soundly beside me, his small arm draped across mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When had he sneaked in? I had no recollection of him climbing into my bed during the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lay sprawled out in that carefree way only children can manage, his pajama top riding up to expose his little belly. At the foot of the bed, our rescue kitten had also made itself comfortable, curled into a perfect gray circle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shifted slightly, and Oliver\u2019s eyes fluttered open immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 117\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning, Mommy,\u201d he mumbled, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he sat\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gently pinched his cheek. \u201cHey there. So, what\u2019s the plan today? Are you staying here or heading back to your dad\u2019s place?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He yawned before answering, his voice still thick with sleep. \u201cDaddy doesn\u2019t even know I\u2019m back in Chicago yet. I should go home first, but I can come back for dinner tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to drive you?\u201d I offered, though I already suspected\u00a0<\/p>\n
the answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need. I already texted my driver,\u201d he replied with that peculiar mix of childishness and sophistication that never failed to amaze me. \u201cBe careful on your way to work today, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d always known Oliver came from extraordinary wealth, so I didn\u2019t push the matter. After we both got ready, I headed to work while he waited for his driver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crisp morning air felt good against my face as I approached the Sterling Design Group building. Just as I reached the entrance, a sleek black Bentley pulled up to the curb. The back door opened, and two figures stepped out\u2013one tall and imposing, the other small but carrying himself with the same commanding presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 117\u00a0<\/p>\n
No matter how many times I saw them together, I couldn\u2019t help but marvel at how Aiden was practically a miniature clone of Ridley. The genetic resemblance was uncanny\u2013same sharp jawline, same intense eyes, even the same way of standing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I started to wave at Aiden, then hesitated, yesterday\u2019s confrontation with Ridley flooding back into my mind. He had accused me of deliberately getting close to his children, of crossing boundaries. The sting of his words hadn\u2019t faded overnight; if anything, the hurt felt more acute in the cold light of day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I settled for a quick smile in Aiden\u2019s direction before turning away, careful to avoid meeting Ridley\u2019s gaze. I walked briskly toward the building entrance, feeling their presence behind me like a physical\u00a0<\/p>\n
force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From my peripheral vision, I saw Aiden start to move toward me, and I felt an instinctive urge to scoop him up into a hug. My arms actually twitched with the impulse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I couldn\u2019t. I wouldn\u2019t give Ridley more reason to misinterpret my\u00a0<\/p>\n
actions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I turned to a colleague from the design department who happened to be walking nearby. \u201cGood morning! Did you drive in today?\u201d I asked, injecting false cheerfulness into my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 117\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked surprised that I was speaking to him. We weren\u2019t exactly friends\u2013just coworkers who exchanged polite nods in the hallway. He was in his mid\u2013thirties, with a forgettable face and sensible shoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, yes, I did,\u201d he replied, clearly caught off guard by my sudden interest in his commute. \u201cTraffic wasn\u2019t bad at all today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great,\u201d I continued, desperation making me chatty. \u201cWhere do\u00a0<\/p>\n
you live, anyway? How long does it take you to get here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout thirty minutes, not too far,\u201d he said, warming to the conversation. \u201cWhat about you, Cedar?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We stepped into the elevator together, and I launched into an unnecessarily detailed description of my commute from Wicker Park, painfully aware of the two Sterling men watching us from the lobby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Unfinished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 117 Chapter 117\u00a0 We held each other […]<\/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-30516","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\/30516","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=30516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}