The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 245

"Is that so..."

Rhys slowly stood up, his legs feeling heavy. "Is he good to you?"

"Of course he is," Felix answered without hesitation.

Rhys stared blankly for a moment, then forced a smile. "That's good."

Right. What did a child know about bloodlines? In their pure, simple world, the person who was there was the only one who mattered.

The four-year void was created by his own hands.

The title of "Father" had long since been assigned to someone else.

Felix looked at him strangely. This man was getting weirder by the second.

Why did it look like he was actually going to cry?

It made Felix's chest feel tight just watching him.

"Sir, are you..."

Just as Felix was about to ask "are you going to cry", a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb.

The door opened, and Noah's gentle, refined face appeared.

Felix's eyes lit up. The cool, detached attitude he had shown Rhys vanished instantly.

"Daddy Noah!"

He launched himself forward on his little legs.

Rhys shoved his hands back into his pockets, lifting his gaze to look at the newcomer.

Noah bent down and scooped up the small cannonball charging at him.

"Slow down. Didn't I tell you to wait in your spot?"

Rhys watched the scene expressionlessly.

The doting tone, the affectionate gestures.

The sunlight filtering through the leaves danced over them. In that moment, Rhys had to admit—they looked like a real family.

The little boy whispered something, and Noah looked up.

Seeing Rhys, his smile faded slightly, though he didn't look overly surprised.

Clara had been visibly off for the last two days, and Simon and Alex had been acting guilty, avoiding eye contact whenever he was around. He had guessed they must have run into someone they shouldn't have.

The city wasn't that big. Some meetings were inevitable. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon, or right here.

Noah gave a light, easy smile. "Taking care of them is something I do willingly. It's my privilege. Clara is doing very well, and Felix relies on me."

Rhys remained stony-faced, though his eyes darkened.

Noah called her Clara so intimately.

In the past, only Rhys could be that close to her. Now, another man had that intimacy, and it seemed so natural, so established.

"The boy's name is Felix?"

"Yes. And his last name isn't Huntington."

Rhys knew Clara wouldn't have allowed the child to carry the Huntington name. But hearing it confirmed by someone else still made it hard to breathe.

"Is she happy?"

Noah knew exactly who he was asking about.

"She's great. Raising a child is hard work, but with me there, I don't let her get too tired." Noah's smile turned tender. "Her tastes have gotten specific—she loves my cooking, and she won't go to sleep unless I remind her."

These domestic trivialities... they were things Rhys once had.

He hadn't cherished them, so she learned to eat another man's cooking and listen to another man's voice.

Rhys lowered his head and repeated, largely to himself, "That's good."