Runaway Mommy: My Boss is the Father novel Chapter 24

This way, he would stay far away from her daughter.

Lily asked quietly, "Mommy, do you and that handsome man not get along?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because every time you see him, you get really nervous. And when you get nervous, you squeeze my side really tight."

Whenever Phoebe felt anxious, she instinctively gripped whatever was in her hands. Because she had been holding Lily during those recent run-ins with Jaxson, it meant she kept clutching the poor girl's side.

Phoebe immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. Did Mommy hurt you?"

"No, but I know Mommy doesn't like him."

A child's logic was beautifully simple. When her mom saw her and Grandma, she smiled, which meant she liked them.

When she saw the handsome man, she got nervous, which meant she didn't like him.

Phoebe felt a tangle of complicated emotions. "What about you? Do you like the handsome man?"

"If Mommy doesn't like him, then I don't like him."

Lily thought about it for a second, planted a kiss on Phoebe's cheek, and said affectionately, "I only like Mommy."

Phoebe's heart melted completely as she carried her daughter the rest of the way home.

Lily spoke up again. "Mommy, that handsome man is Theo's uncle. I have an uncle too!"

Phoebe almost dropped her keys. It took her several shaky attempts to get the key into the lock, but the door just wouldn't open.

"...Uncle?"

"I heard Theo call him that."

Inside, Mrs. Lennox heard the commotion and opened the door, taking the groceries from Phoebe's hands. "You're back? I'll start dinner. You go play with Lily for a bit."

"Let me do the cooking. You shouldn't overwork yourself."

Mrs. Lennox scowled. "I've been cooped up in this house all day, how could I possibly be overworked? Do you think I'm completely useless? I need to contribute somehow!"

In her youth, Mrs. Lennox had been a formidable businesswoman, building a successful company right alongside Edward.

With her husband gone and the family bankrupt, she felt like her failing health was dragging her daughter down. If she didn't do something to help out, the guilt and overthinking would drive her crazy.

Understanding this, Phoebe didn't argue. "Alright, just don't push yourself. Call me if you need help."

"Go rest, you've been working all day. I can handle making a meal."

She never caused any trouble, which only made a wave of immense sorrow wash over Phoebe.

Finding the right bulb in the balcony cabinet, Phoebe glanced at the instructions and froze when she saw the brand name.

Hayes Lighting.

It was probably just a coincidence. Or maybe The Hayes Group's empire was just that massive, making their name inescapable in every industry.

When she had read the corporate background upon getting hired, Phoebe learned that their reach extended everywhere—from real estate, medical tech, cars, and gaming, all the way down to soap, lightbulbs, and napkins.

Phoebe thought of Jaxson.

As the heir to The Hayes Group, Jaxson controlled unfathomable wealth. Money, to him, was probably nothing more than a string of numbers.

Phoebe had recognized the watch Jaxson wore; that single timepiece could buy her entire apartment complex.

It made their shared past feel even more absurd and fleeting.

Jaxson didn't lack money. Everything she had shared with him was just a momentary, entertaining game for a bored rich kid.

Their relationship had essentially started as an accident.