Fated Marriage Spoiled by My Ice Billionaire novel Chapter 779

Chapter 779 Zander at Southhall

Chapter 779 Zander at Southhall

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“Honestly, I don’t have much experience with kids. Besides, his parents must be worried sick by now. When a child goes missing, they’ll definitely file a police report. Finding them shouldn’t be too difficult.”

The officer nodded and signaled over a female colleague.

“How about we help you find your dad, sweetie?” The woman reached out to take Zander from Claudia.

“No! I want Mommy!” Zander cried, clinging tightly to Claudia with both arms and legs wrapped around her. “Mommy, Zander’s being good… Don’t leave Zander here, please…”

Claudia’s chest tightened at his words, but she still allowed the officer to gently take him.

What if his family came looking for him?

“Your dad will come find you soon, okay? Just wait here and be brave.” She softly brushed his cheek.

Zander tried to grab her hand but missed.

“Mommy! Mommy, don’t go… Zander will be good…” He sobbed desperately, struggling in the officer’s

arms.

The female officer spoke gently to him, carrying him inside toward the reception area.

His cries slowly faded down the hall.

Claudia stood frozen for a moment, took a steadying breath, and turned back to the officer at the front desk. “Thank you for your help.”

She left her phone number and ID details. “Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything else.”

“Will do.”

Claudia glanced one last time toward the hallway where Zander had been taken, then turned to leave.

Before she even reached the exit, a small figure in a celestial–blue outfit came rushing from a side corridor.

“Mommy!”

Zander ran toward her, tears streaming, one of his little sneakers missing.

Claudia froze–before she could react, he was already wrapped around her leg.

He wept into her pants, his face streaked with tears, eyes red and puffy. The skin around his eyebrows was blotchy, and his nose was bright red.

“Mommy, don’t go….” He tugged weakly at the hem of her blouse. “Zander’s being good, really…”

Claudia looked up and saw the female officer following him, looking apologetic and a little helpless.

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Chapter 779 Zander at Southhall

Her resolve melted. She bent down, lifted him into her arms, and gently patted his back.

By now, a few other officers had stepped out into the lobby.

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Claudia swallowed. “How about I take him home with me for now? You can contact me once you locate his

parents.”

The officers exchanged glances.

Claudia pulled a business card from her bag. “I’m Claudia, from Southhall Compound.”

A male officer took the card. Printed under her name was the title CEO.

He paused briefly, then looked up at her with a more attentive expression.

In the end, Zander left with Claudia.

Back in the car, she used a wet wipe to gently clean his tear–streaked face.

“Mommy, please don’t leave me,” he mumbled between soft sobs, the tears still not fully stopped.

“I’m right here,” Claudia reassured him, smoothing his hair.

Judging by the quality of Zander’s clothes from the night before, he likely came from a comfortable home. Aside from his confusion recognizing people, he was clearly a well–behaved child.

“The security cameras just happened to go offline at that exact time? What are the odds?”

Harold frowned as he walked through the Southhall Compound grounds, phone to his ear. He was still in his crisp, formal military uniform.

Spencer was quiet on the other end.

They had organized search teams the previous night and combed the hillside trails thoroughly, but found

no trace.

The bed–and–breakfast up there had been operating safely for years, but the area was laced with unofficial paths and wildlife. The thought of what could happen to a small child after dark weighed heavily on him.

A three–year–old alone in the hills–once night fell, the situation would turn dangerously grim.

Harold ended the call. Pressed for time before a briefing, he phoned Lucas to assist with the search.

“Mommy, is this where you work?”

Zander followed Claudia into Malus House, contentedly licking a lollipop she’d given him.

Claudia held his small hand. “Yes, it is. Can you play quietly for a little while? Mommy has some things to finish.”

“Zander will be good.”

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Chapter 779 Zander at Southhall

+5 Free Coms

Zander’s small, clear voice carried just as Harold stepped into a private meeting room down the hall.

Harold thought he’d imagined it, but still turned and walked back toward the courtyard to look.

By then, Claudia and Zander had already gone upstairs, and the sound faded as quickly as it had come

“Everything alright?” a colleague walking with him asked.

“Yeah,” Harold replied after a beat, his gaze lingering toward the staircase before he turned back into the

room.

Upstairs, Zander stood quietly by the balcony doors watching koi swim in the ornamental pond below.

Darren glanced from the boy to Claudia. The last time he’d seen her with Harold had been surprising enough–now she showed up with a child no one knew, and the kid kept calling her Mommy.

While Nora kept an eye on Zander, Darren and Claudia reviewed plans for upcoming Columbus Day

events.

Zander truly was well–mannered–it was clear he’d been raised with care.

Claudia rested her chin in her hand. She’d originally aimed to wrap up her projects by mid–September, but now it looked unlikely.

She and Harold still had their wedding photos to schedule.

“For the main venue pieces,” she told Darren, “I’ll send you an address to a property upstate. Take whatever works–decorations, furniture, anything that fits the theme. Feel free to look around and decide what you need. If something inspires you, just bring it back.”

She texted him the address to the country house.

Darren lowered his voice slightly. “About what you mentioned last time, Ludi…”

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