Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 670

"Leo, are you still mad at me?" Andre asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"Zip it, I've got to wrap up today's work in half an hour," Leo replied, his eyes glued to the computer screen.

Molly peeked over Leo's shoulder, curious about the document on his desktop. She grabbed a paper from the pile and flipped it open. "Leo, what does this word mean?" Without missing a beat, Leo said, "Amendment."

Molly looked at him, impressed. "And what does that mean in context?"

Leo sighed. "Molly, I've got a mountain of work to finish in half an hour. I don't have time to play tutor."

"Okay, okay, I'll leave you to it," she said, backing off.

Juggling work and family, Leo was the picture of multitasking, holding his little brother Henry in one arm while typing away with the other.

Henry, perched on Leo's lap, was happily gnawing on his chubby fingers, occasionally babbling and reaching for the papers on the desk, only to be gently deterred by Leo.

Half an hour later, Leo, still cradling Henry, strode into Andre's office. "All done. Can I finally take Henry out for some fun?"

Andre dialed an internal number, calling in Noah. "Hand over the company's strategy for next quarter to Leo." Leo groaned, "Uncle!"

Andre glanced at Henry in Leo's arms. "Hand over my little champ."

Henry, drooling on his tiny fists, looked from his brother to his dad, oblivious to the adult world's complexities.

Later, Leo was seen leaving, still balancing work and baby care.

Chad was puzzled. "Andre, what's this all about?"

Andre, eyes on the monitor, simply said, "Teaching him a lesson."

Chad and a timid Molly soon left Cedillo Inc., stepping out into a world that suddenly seemed brighter.

Leo, tirelessly working with Henry in tow, contrasted Andre's newfound image as a doting dad occasionally stepping out to feed his son formula.

When Mia arrived at the office after school, the dynamics shifted again. With mom around, dad and big brother were no longer the centers of Henry's world.

Seeing his mom, Henry forgot all about his bottle, his eyes fixed on her, signaling his hunger.

"Has today been another day of tears for all to hear?" Mia asked.

Henry's response was a babble, his attention fully on his mom as she began to feed him, all his fussiness fading away.

Molly, upon returning home, found herself under Chad's watchful eye, eventually making her way into their bedroom.

Chad followed, locking the door behind them.

As night fell, Leo returned home, still buried in work. Anya felt for Chad, witnessing his struggle and often sneaking extra meals to Leo.

Leo was at a crossroads in life, torn and hesitant.

Andre, too, was restless at night, often replaceing solace in tending to his family's comfort in the quiet hours.

At the Byrne household, Molly lay next to Chad, feeling a gap between them despite their physical closeness.

"Chad, don't you think there's something off with Leo?" Molly asked, concerned.

Chad, half-covered and displaying his toned arm, reassured her. "Just a phase. Andre's handling it."

As they talked, the conversation turned intimate, with Chad seizing every moment to express his love for Molly.

The next day, plans to visit Molly's family were shelved as she and Chad opted for a countryside escape, seizing the joy of spring.

Back at the Cedillo family, tensions and expectations stirred, leading Andre to decide it was time to retreat to their Maplewood Estates. Leo, returning home to replace the house empty, was engulfed in silence, his worries unspoken.

Anya, sensing Leo's turmoil, lost her appetite, her concern for him evident.

As the night deepened, the question of where Chad had disappeared to lingered, marking just another twist in their complex family saga.

Leo leaned back in his chair, eyeing the vast rows of books around him in the library. "The library," he mumbled to himself, a place of refuge and a symbol of the quest for understanding.

Anya, sitting across from him, shifted her gaze from a book to Leo. "Aunt Carol left a message for you before she left today," she said, her voice carrying a mix of concern and mystery. "Running away gets you nowhere; just keep on living."

Leo paused, absorbing the words. Aunt Carol had always been the type to cut to the chase, a woman of few words but profound wisdom.

Observing Anya's worried expression, Leo inquired, "How do you interpret your aunt's message?"

Anya leaned forward, her eyes reflecting a depth of thought. "She meant for Chad to stand up for himself, to say no to things he doesn't want to do. Running away just wears everyone down. No matter how tough Uncle Mike might seem, he wouldn't go as far as harming his own nephew."

"Surviving means there's still a chance to pursue what truly matters to us," she added, a hint of resilience in her voice.

Leo, impressed by Anya's occasional bursts of insight, couldn't help but smile. "Anya, if I decided to take on something, something I'm not even sure I can succeed at, would you back me up?" Without hesitation, Anya nodded firmly.

"And what about your parents?" Leo ventured further, his smile turning into a grin as he awaited her response.