The Ending She Read (And the One He Rewrote) novel Chapter 21

It felt like a soft cloud had landed on his wrist.

Jason looked down at a flash of fair skin.

Harriet's hand was cool and soft, gripping his arm so tightly that her pale pink nails were turning white at the edges.

She didn't look nearly as relaxed as she had when she was demanding a divorce.

When he glanced up again, Harriet shot him a vicious glare.

She slipped off the barstool, crouching in front of the two kids with a gentle smile. "Mommy is going to visit Grandpa and Grandma tomorrow. Do Archer and Seraphina want to come with me?"

She could feel Jason watching her, his eyes brimming with amusement, silently mocking her for being a paper tiger.

Harriet pretended not to notice. "Archer?"

Archer hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Grandpa had a really grumpy temper. Grandma was way too loud, always fussing over him and Seraphina. Then there was Caleb, who looked at them like a big bad wolf, and Serena, who always wore a fake, plastic smile.

Archer didn't like the Sargent family. "I'm not going."

Harriet's heart sank. She turned to the little girl. "Seraphina, will you come with Mommy? Please?"

Seraphina kept looking over at Archer, her face a perfect picture of inner conflict.

Harriet held her little hands and gently swung them. "Come on, please? Mommy will be so lonely all by herself. Besides, Grandma really misses Seraphina, and Archer..."

Harriet reached over to gently shake Archer's little arm. "Look, Seraphina really wants to go. You're the big brother, the little man of the house. You have to protect Mommy and your sister, right?"

Seraphina hugged Archer's little body, swaying him back and forth. "Archer, let's go, please..."

"Fine..."

Archer compromised.

Seraphina cheered, hugging him tightly. "You're the best, Archer!"

Hand in hand, the two of them scurried off toward the indoor slide like little monkeys.

Harriet straightened up, meeting Jason's amused gaze. "Why didn't you ask me if I was going?"

He didn't get an answer.

Just another epic eye roll.

Even her back seemed to radiate pure annoyance as she walked away.

His phone buzzed.

A message popped up on the screen.

[Jane: Jason, Professor Sinclair saw your economic interview from last week. She mentioned she had a few differing opinions and wondered if you'd like to debate them? *chuckling emoji*]

[You went to see the former Dean? How is she doing?]

She walked down to the nursery and found both kids fast asleep.

The little ice prince slept in a rigid, perfectly straight posture.

Seraphina, on the other hand, was clutching her favorite stuffed dinosaur, smacking her lips and smiling sweetly at whatever she was dreaming about.

Honestly, skipping the pregnancy and instantly becoming a mother was a pretty fantastic deal.

Harriet planted a loud kiss on Seraphina's cheek. She walked to the door, paused, then tiptoed back to Archer's bed and leaned down. Mwah.

Yep, no playing favorites here!

She was such a good mom!

Harriet quietly slipped out of the nursery.

The heavy rain was washing the lush greenery outside the window, making the leaves look so vibrant you could appreciate their beauty even in the dark.

Holding a mug of warm honey-lemon tea that Lana had made, Harriet sat by the bay window and admired the view for a long time.

Her former self used to think the Summit Villa was too far from the city center—like a haunted house, too quiet, and a tedious thirty-minute drive to get anywhere fun.

Harriet felt the exact opposite.

It was a perfectly elegant sanctuary tucked away from the chaos.

The villa had a home theater and a state-of-the-art gym. Fresh organic produce was delivered every morning before dawn, and seasonal designer wardrobes were brought straight to the house for her to pick from first.