The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 588

Petty pressed her lips together.

It was her.

No wonder Wendy had looked so familiar. She was the woman from the old photograph—the one who had posed as Franco's wife during his dangerous undercover operation years ago.

Petty knew she was a fiercely territorial woman. When she had stumbled upon that photo on the island late last year, it had planted a deep, thorny seed of jealousy in her heart.

A full year had passed, and even though she had tried to suppress those forbidden feelings, the image was still burned into her brain.

She cursed her flawless memory.

"Mama?" Manley stared down at Petty's hand, which was currently curled into a white-knuckled fist against his leg.

He poked it with his little index finger. Poked it again. It was hard as a rock. Scary!

Petty instantly snapped out of her trance.

Looking down at her deeply confused son, she seamlessly transitioned back into gentle-mother mode. "Mama is just doing some muscle exercises, sweetie. It's called resistance training. Come on, let's go see Uncle Hans."

Yet, the second the words left her mouth, she remembered the other night when Manley had begged them to sleep in the same bed. She had tried to coax the boy with a white lie, and Franco had sternly warned her: He's only two. Don't make a habit of lying to him.

Petty frowned. Screw him.

A stunning deep-blue sports car idled in the winter-dead rose garden.

Hans and Dr. Ian Cavanaugh stepped out.

Hans, holding a box in one hand, tossed his keys casually to a Misty Vale guard to park.

"My beautiful baby!" Hans cheered, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair as he closed the distance with long, confident strides in his dark leather boots.

Hans shot him a look of absolute disgust. "Everything out of your mouth is either about asses or parasites. Did you skip basic social etiquette in medical school?"

"Worms?" Manley echoed, catching the fun new word.

Petty shot Ian a withering glare.

Ian rubbed his temples, a wry smile touching his handsome features. "Got it, got it. I'll filter myself around the kid."

Inside the house, Franco had just finished signing a document. He glanced out the curved floor-to-ceiling windows, just in time to see Hans lifting Manley into the air, while Petty watched them with a brilliant, effortless smile.

The phrase Family of Three flashed vividly through Franco's mind, instantly plunging his expression into darkness. He aggressively shifted his gaze to include Ian in the frame.

Seeing four people standing together was far less infuriating than watching three.

The group headed inside. Ian lugged the heavy box through the door, his lazy eyes drooping as he turned his head slightly toward Petty. "Your ex-boyfriend is radiating an ungodly amount of jealousy right now."