Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 686

Little Henry seemed to know just how much his dad adored him. Whenever his dad gently offered him warm water or marveled at his tiny, tender fingers, Henry stayed calm and cooperative, happily letting his dad hold him close.

Mia nudged Naomi, "Naomi, check out my husband."

Naomi glanced over and chuckled, "Andre's such a doting father now. He's completely smitten with the baby."

Anya was the same way; wherever the baby was, she was right there beside him, keeping watch.

Lately, Leo had been running on empty, barely getting any sleep. As soon as he got home, he'd crash in his room. Naomi, knowing her son was slowly taking on the CEO role, figured he was just worn out and told the staff not to bother him. Mia, bumping into her best friend by chance, exclaimed, "Molly, what brings you back?"

Molly replied, "Missed Dad. Thought I'd get to the office early today and spend more time with him over the next few days."

Mia glanced over at Chad and let out a soft "Oh," before sitting next to her husband.

Molly wasn't planning on leaving. Chad, noticing his wife's sulky mood, thought about leaving before it got too late.

Hansen tried to keep his son-in-law from leaving. "Why the rush? Isn't the Cedillo family your family too?"

Chad saw his wife's distracted demeanor as she played with Henry and realized she didn't want him to stay. So, he reasoned, "Dad, I've got a meeting in the city tomorrow, and my suit's at home. Let Molly stay here for a few days; she wanted to come home. I'll come to pick her up."

After that, Chad went over to give his adorable nephew, Henry, a cuddle. "Uncle's got to go," he said, holding the baby like a pro despite not having kids of his own.

"Goo goo ga ga," Henry cooed.

Chad handed Henry back to Molly, saying, "I'm off," before leaving.

Not only did Mia sense something was off, but even the usually clueless Anya noticed that the aunt and uncle seemed to have had a spat!

And Hansen, married for decades, certainly noticed too.

The old man kept silent, watching his son-in-law leave, then glanced at his daughter, choosing to stay out of her marital issues.

Later, as the evening turned chillier and a light rain began to fall, the atmosphere grew melancholic.

Shortly after Chad left, Mia and Molly huddled together. Molly mused, "Leaving him be makes me unhappy, yet letting him go alone feels oddly satisfying. He probably hasn't eaten yet, coming straight here after work to pick me up." Mia asked, "You two are newlyweds, weren't you all lovey-dovey just the other day? What happened now?"

Molly vented, "Can you believe Chad? He actually asked if I loved him or my 'brother' more. As if it's not all the same person! I didn't realize married men had so many demands."

Leaning against the window, Mia whispered, "Maybe it's because you still call him 'brother' like before, making him feel like you didn't marry him out of love?"

Molly sighed, "A man's desires are never fully satisfied. Chad's just keep growing, spreading, wanting to conquer everything. At first, him wanting to marry me was enough... Then, he was content when we got the marriage certificate." And so their life went on, stepping together into marriage, continuously chasing after Molly's consent to satisfy him.

Now, having achieved all that, he was ambitiously seeking Molly's love as well.

Mia offered a simple solution, "Just tell Chad you love him, and that's that. If you didn't love him, why marry him so young?"

Molly stubbornly refused, "I won't say it."

All these times, Molly felt she was coaxed into her decisions. This time, she was adamant, refusing to confess her love.

Mia teased, "Just a while ago, you were worried about Chad not having dinner. Now, you're here, and who knows if he's eaten yet."

When her son needed her, Mia immediately stood up, locking eyes with her little one's pouting face, "My baby's sick, your issue can wait. I'm off to care for my love."

As Mia approached, Henry all but rolled towards his mom in anticipation.

Molly stood by the window for a moment before decisively calling Chad.

Officer Chad, feeling a bit lonely and preparing for a night shift, had just swapped duty shifts with a colleague when his phone rang. Seeing it was Molly, he pulled his car over to answer, "Hey, Molly?"

"Drive safe in the rain, and remember to eat something when you get home!"

Chad couldn't help but smile, reassured by Molly's concern.

"Tonight, I'll be away. Don't stay up late on your phone. If you want to come home, just call, and I'll come get you."

Molly, head bowed, acknowledged with a hum, then hung up.

Chad, smiling, felt a wave of warmth. Molly did care.

After the call, Molly leaned against the window, feeling perhaps too easygoing.

Setting her phone aside, she returned to her duties as the favorite "plaything" of the Cedillo family.

Wherever Henry appeared, he was destined to be the center of attention. Anya, upon noticing his slight cold, immediately began searching online for remedies, ready to roll up her sleeves and cook something to make the little guy feel better. Later, as the adults ended up eating Anya's gentle porridge, Henry could only drool in envy.

Bruce fetched the thermometer, constantly checking Henry's temperature, worriedly considering calling the family doctor whenever it slightly exceeded 98.6°F.

"Brother, it's normal for babies to run a bit warmer," they reassured him.

Yet, Bruce became more cautious.

Before bed, he handed the thermometer to Molly and her husband, advising, "Check his temperature every two hours."

Molly had to kiss Henry goodnight, "Henry, if you weren't feeling poorly, your parents wouldn't have left you with me. I'd have loved to cuddle you to sleep tonight."

Hansen expressed his concern, "Ah, my poor grandson, looking all skinny because of his illness."

The family was puzzled, realizing how much a simple cold affected them all, demonstrating the deep connection between a mother and her child. Henry, even in his sleep, moaned softly, replaceing solace only in Mia's arms.

"Mia, let me hold him for a while. You should rest; you have classes tomorrow."

Mia insisted, "You rest, honey. You have a meeting tomorrow. Besides, he won't let you hold him; only I can do it right."

Last night, I skipped bathing the little guy, and at times when his nose got stuffy, I, being a newbie mom, had no clue what to do.

In the dead of night, Leo went downstairs for a glass of water and found Mia, cradling their child, pacing back and forth in the living room. "Mia, you're back? What's up with wandering around here in the middle of the night, holding him?" He was clueless about the evening's events at home.

Mia replied, "Henry's caught a bit of a cold and is a bit fussy. If he cries in the bedroom, it might disturb your Uncle Mike's sleep, so I thought I'd just carry him down here for a bit."