Fated Marriage Spoiled by My Ice Billionaire novel Chapter 776

Chapter 776 Mommy?

Chapter 776 Mommy?

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Keith glanced at Claudia, a flicker of irritation crossing his expression for reasons he couldn’t quite place.

The mood around the lakeside gathering had grown even more lively than before.

Up at the mountain lodge’s deck, Harold rested his hands on the wooden railing, watching the party belo

“Harold, where’s Zander?” A man who resembled Sebastian walked over–Spencer, Anthony’s second son.

Harold turned. “Didn’t you take him to the restroom?”

Spencer paused. “Weren’t you waiting outside? He came out a while ago…”

Harold didn’t respond.

Spencer had taken Zander to the bathroom earlier, but Harold had stepped away to take a call.

By the time Zander was done, he’d darted off before Spencer could catch him.

When Claudia returned to her seat, Nolan was still buzzing with excitement.

“Claudia, since when did you learn to play guitar? You sounded way better than Keith!” Nolan kept praising her as they walked, completely missing the uneasy look on Keith’s face.

Claudia managed a faint smile, her nerves still on edge. It wasn’t until she sat back down that she began to relax a little.

“I should get going,” she said, not daring to stay any longer.

Nolan looked disappointed. He’d finally talked her into coming out, and now she was leaving so soon.

“Let me walk you to your car,” he offered.

“No, it’s fine,” Claudia replied.

“Alright then. Drive safe–text me when you’re home.”

“Will do.”

Claudia left.

Keith watched her leave and turned to Nolan. “Who was that?”

“I told you–she’s a junior from college,” Nolan said with a chuckle. “Pretty impressive, right? Total straight- A student, but you know how they can be. Kind of intense.”

“Right, Keith murmured. She looked away, swallowing hard as that nervous tension began creeping back4

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19:07 Sat, Jul 4

Chapter 776 Mommy?

Claudia tugged her jacket tighter and stifled a few sneezes.

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The mountain wind had picked up, sharp and cold, and she shivered as she made her way to the parking lot.

When she reached her car and opened the door, the dome light washed over the ground, revealing a small figure crouched beside the passenger side.

She startled so badly she stumbled back, losing her balance and landing hard on the pavement.

It was past eleven at night, and a little boy dressed in dark clothes was standing silently by her car–it scared her half to death.

Still on the ground, she froze, too frightened to move.

“Mommy!”

Before she could process what was happening, the boy rushed into her arms, knocking her flat. The back of her head thumped against the asphalt.

Claudia squeezed her eyes shut, arms rigid at her sides.

For a second she thought she’d seen a ghost. Tears of fright welled in her eyes.

But the child in her arms was soft, warm, undeniably real.

It was Zander.

“Mommy…” He tugged at her sleeve. “Mommy, get up.”

Claudia felt his small, fever–hot hand pulling at her, and slowly her senses returned.

This was a real person–a living, warm little boy.

She drew a shaky breath and looked at him.

“Whose child are you? Why were you hiding behind the car? That’s so dangerous!” Claudia pressed a hand to her chest as she pushed herself up.

If this had happened to someone else, they might’ve had a heart attack on the spot.

Zander burst into tears.

Claudia was at a loss. She didn’t have much experience with kids.

“Hey, shhh, it’s okay,” she said softly, crouching down to wipe his cheeks.

But Zander kept crying, wrapping his arms around her neck. “Mommy…”

Claudia hadn’t even recovered from the scare, and now she really didn’t know what to do.

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19:07 Sat, Jul 4

Chapter 776 Mommy?

His sobs were quiet but relentless.

“I’m not your mommy,” she whispered.

Zander only cried harder, clinging to her even tighter.

Claudia finally picked him up. Within minutes, his crying subsided into sleep.

And he was burning up with fever.

Her stress spiked.

Holding Zander close, she headed back toward the lodge.

The anniversary celebration had wrapped up, and most guests had already left the mountain.

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On the way, she overheard a maintenance guy muttering, “Some kid cut the wires down near the trailhead earlier–what a mess…”

When she reached the security booth, the guard on duty–still buttoning his jacket–stopped her.

“Sorry, miss, we’re fully booked tonight.”

Claudia adjusted Zander’s weight in her arms. “Is there a doctor on site?”

The guard glanced at the child. “Normally, yes, but with the big party tonight, there was a drunk–driving accident halfway down the mountain. The on–call nurse headed down there to help. What’s going on with…?”

“He’s running a fever.”

“Oh, that’s not good.”

Driving down now would mean getting stuck in the post–event traffic.

Claudia tried again, “Has anyone reported a missing child? Maybe this one?”

She shifted Zander so the guard could see his face.

He shook his head. “There were plenty of kids here tonight, but no missing–child alerts so far.”

Claudia’s arms were growing sore, a light sweat forming on her forehead.

“What am I going to do…”

Driving down the mountain would take too long. The boy was already feverish and confused, even calling her “Mommy“.

The guard studied her for a moment. “If you’re okay with a rough walk, there’s a back trail that leads down to the valley. There’s a small town at the base–they’ve got a local clinic. Path’s not paved, but it’s a straight shot. I can have someone guide you. Leaving him like this all night… well, it’s risky. I’ll keep asking around

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Chapter 776 Mommy?

about who he belongs to in the meantime.”

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