The Ending She Read (And the One He Rewrote) novel Chapter 10

She remembered the sheer terror of standing by the fountain, unable to find her mother.

She remembered the smiling old lady who said she would take her to Mommy, only to cover her mouth, drag her into a smelly restroom, chop off her hair with scissors, and threaten to beat her to death if she dared to cry.

And then...

She opened her eyes and saw her mommy, whose eyes looked like they held the stars.

Mommy had felt so soft. She had kissed her cheeks, patted her back, and sung to her so gently.

Then the image flashed, turning into the fierce, scary mommy. “Don't run around! If you get lost, the big bad wolf will eat you!!!”

“Waaaaah!!!”

Seraphina burst into loud sobs.

“What's wrong? What is it, Seraphina?”

The door swung open, and Harriet lunged in, wearing loungewear, her hair still dripping wet.

Her face pale with worry, Harriet swept Seraphina into her arms, gently rubbing her back. “Baby, what's wrong?”

“Sob... sob...”

Seraphina wailed, shaking her head, unable to speak.

Harriet didn't rush her. She sat down on the playmat, gently rocking and patting her. “Then let's just cry for a little bit, okay?”

???

Archer stared at Harriet in pure amazement.

The old bad woman used to get incredibly annoyed the second they started crying: 'Cry, cry, cry, that's all you know how to do! You're so annoying!'

Or she would impatiently order the nanny to take them away.

How had she changed?

What kind of trick was she playing now?

At the Whitaker Group executive suite.

His phone rang, and Jason answered it.

It was Jane. “Jason, how is Seraphina? Is she traumatized? I bought a bunch of...”

Jane kept talking.

Jason subconsciously glanced at the time in the corner of his computer screen, his mind drifting.

Harriet hadn't bothered him a single time today.

The butler hadn't called to say the madam was on a shopping spree or throwing another fit, asking if he should come home to check on her.

Even Seraphina, who usually bombarded him with texts asking when he was coming home, hadn't sent a single message today.

“Jason? Jason?”

Jane noticed his silence.

When Jason looked down again, Harriet had handed the spool to Seraphina and knelt beside her, covering her small hands with her own.

“Archer, come play...”

Sitting on the picnic mat, Archer was as immovable as a stone.

Seraphina planted a loud kiss on Harriet's cheek, then ran toward Archer with the kite.

Even if he acted like an old man, he was still a child, and he couldn't resist Seraphina's clinging.

Soon, the two kids were off the mat, running and playing together.

“Harriet...”

The man's voice sounded from behind her.

Harriet turned around abruptly.

She met a pair of deep, dark eyes.

Jason stood with his hands in his pockets, the wind catching his shirt and billowing it out behind him.

His hair was ruffled by the breeze.

It stripped away some of his usual cold stoicism, adding a dash of handsome, boyish charm.

The man looked at her scrutinizingly and asked, “What kind of trick are you planning now?”