Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 80

But his clothes were perfectly pressed. His collar was straight, and his hair was immaculately styled. There wasn't a single trace of post-coital dishevelment, and if anything, he looked even more terrifyingly distinguished than usual.

And that only made Quinn's brain spin faster.

Stop it, Quinn! What is wrong with you? You're acting worse than Tara right now!

"Ray!"

Thankfully, a sharp, joyous little voice broke her spiral of inappropriate thoughts.

Leo, who had been miserably sipping his milk, shot up like a rocket. The heartbreak vanished instantly, replaced by starry-eyed adoration.

Gripping his bottle by the handle, his little slippers slapped against the floor as he sprinted past the sofa and launched himself straight at Raymond.

The sweet-smelling toddler crashed into his legs. Raymond looked down at him.

Leo had a thick milk mustache circling his mouth. Raymond scoffed, looking utterly disgusted. "You're filthy."

Despite the complaint, he crouched down and grabbed a tissue to wipe the boy's face.

His movements weren't exactly gentle, and he looked incredibly awkward doing it, but Leo was thrilled. He took full advantage, throwing his arms around Raymond's neck.

He buried his face into his shoulder, refusing to let go.

With Leo clinging to him like a koala, Raymond let out a sigh of defeat. His dark gaze drifted over to Quinn.

"The kid is way too clingy. I'm going to need another raise."

A second later, he realized Quinn was sitting frozen on the sofa, staring at him. And the look in her eyes was—

Bizarre.

Their eyes locked, and Quinn instantly snapped her gaze away. "Oh... yeah. Sure."

Raymond stared at her for a long moment before walking into the living room.

Leo dragged him to the play area, demanding attention. But since the little guy had skipped his nap, he lasted about ten minutes before passing out right against Raymond's side.

Lydia quickly carried the sleeping boy upstairs to his room.

Quinn was still anchored to the sofa when Raymond turned his attention back to her.

"I need to work on some designs. You can head to your room if you're done."

Before she could stand, he stepped closer.

Bending down slightly, he planted a hand on the armrest, effectively trapping her in his shadow.

With the subsidiary company's IPO approaching, he urgently needed to retrieve a notarized asset document locked in his mother's study.

The staff was thrilled to see him. Martha hurried over with a warm smile. "Mr. Hayes, I made your favorite dishes last time, but you never came home to eat them."

"Now that you're here, you must stay for dinner."

"I can't. I have a dinner meeting tonight," Dante declined. "Where is my mother?"

"She went out to play cards with Mrs. Vance and the others. I'm not sure when she'll be back."

Dante nodded and headed upstairs to his mother's study.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. One of the windows was cracked open, allowing a breeze to sweep through the room, gently rustling the papers on the desk.

He dug through the drawers, entirely focused on finding his document. His fingers brushed past a thick stack of archived files.

He noticed that tucked beneath the heavy stack was a standard government envelope, its corner peeking out.

Looking closer, he realized it bore the faint, official insignia of The City Clerk's Office, the seal pressed firmly over the flap.

Dante froze.

What possible business did his mother have at the clerk's office?