The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 251

The next morning, the group split up after breakfast.

Since the big day was tomorrow, Clara Bridges needed to accompany Emily Lane and Daniel Reed to the wedding venue for the final rehearsal and walkthrough.

Noah Carter, meanwhile, volunteered to take young Felix Bridges out for the morning, claiming he was taking the boy to the wetland park to feed the ducks.

In reality, Felix didn’t want to go anywhere; he just wanted to stay in the hotel and read. But Noah insisted, teasing him that if they stayed cooped up in the hotel all day, they’d both go stir-crazy.

Before they left, Noah placed a baseball cap on Felix’s head and adjusted a small face mask over the boy’s nose and mouth.

"Is that too much? Won't he be stifled?" Clara asked.

"The reeds in the wetlands are shedding, and kids are prone to allergies this time of year," Noah explained as he stood up. "Besides, it's windy out there. Too much wind can cause headaches."

Clara didn't think twice about it, attributing it to his habitual caution as a doctor.

She bent down and pinched her son's exposed ear gently. "Listen to Uncle Noah. No running around near the water, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Mom," Felix replied, his voice muffled behind the mask.

The tall figure and the small one walked out the door together.

As the elevator doors slid shut, the gentle smile on Noah's face faded slightly.

He looked down at Felix. The boy’s eyes, visible above the mask, were dark, bright, and calm.

Brighton City, after all, was not Heron Bay.

The Royal Crest Hotel was famous for its expansive outdoor lawn, backed by rolling green hills and facing a sparkling artificial lake.

This was where the wedding would take place.

The site was still being set up. The framework for the floral arch was just being erected, and Daniel was currently crouching by the steps of the main stage, arguing with the wedding planner.

It was all over a slight unevenness in the carpet.

Clara stood under a nearby parasol, watching the scene quietly.

When she first met Daniel, she had thought he was a cold, calculating man—someone whose eyes saw nothing but statutes and money. But later, when it came to Emily, he changed completely.

A hand patted her shoulder. Clara snapped back to reality to see Emily walking over, lifting the heavy hem of her main wedding gown.

She hadn't put on her makeup yet, so her face was bare, but the joy of the impending celebration gave her a radiant, rosy glow.

"Why the long face?" Emily studied her closely, frowning slightly. "Thinking about the past?"

Clara didn't hide it. She smiled honestly. "A little. Seeing Daniel so devoted to you... it’s really wonderful."

"He's just scared I'll leave him at the altar and embarrass him," the heiress joked, though her eyes were full of affection as she looked at Daniel.

She turned back and took Clara's hand. "I invited you here to celebrate, not to make you sad. If you don't want to watch this, go find Noah and Felix. We can have a drink just the two of us after the wedding tomorrow."

She suddenly regretted dragging Clara back here.

Clara had attended her wedding, after all. Back then, Emily had disliked Clara. When Rhys walked out, Emily had even mocked her with friends.

Now, putting herself in those shoes... if Daniel ran off with someone else halfway through the ceremony, she wouldn't care who they were—it would destroy her.