The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 299

Felix came downstairs holding the cat. He glanced at the trash can, then at the empty sofa, and quietly buried his face in the kitten's fur.

Standing by the dining table, Clara felt a tightness in her chest.

"Felix, come eat," she called out.

Felix slowly shuffled over, placed the kitten on the floor, and climbed into his chair. He couldn't help but point toward the trash can. "Mom, was that from the mister?"

Clara's hand, holding the ladle, paused. "It's just trash."

The meal was a quiet one.

Noah was his usual self, peeling an egg for Clara, pouring milk for Felix, and telling Clara's dad they should check on the passion fruit vines this afternoon.

Finally, Noah asked her, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"It was okay," Clara said, sipping her soup without really tasting it. "The wind was so loud, it woke me up a few times."

"I heard it too," Simon chimed in. "The wind sounded like a goddamn freight train after midnight. I thought the roof was going to get ripped off."

Noah smiled, his gaze sweeping almost casually over the sofa. "Thankfully, aside from the sofa, there's no real damage. I took a look just now—the bloodstain soaked through. We might need to change the cover."

Clara glanced back at it. "Let's just replace it. Throw the whole thing out and buy a new one."

Simon raised his eyebrows, clicking his tongue in dismay. "That thing cost tens of thousands. Couldn't we get it professionally cleaned?"

Clara said, "I don't want to clean it. It's a hassle."

...

After breakfast, the rain stopped completely.

Noah made a call, and less than two hours later, a van from a removal service pulled up.

A few workers moved efficiently, rolling up the rug and carrying it away. They hauled out the bloodstained sofa set, sprayed the floor with cleaning solution, and mopped it several times.

Clara stood to the side, watching the empty space.

Noah hung up the phone and walked over. "I've already ordered a new one, with rush delivery. It should be here this afternoon. Same model, same color. You won't be able to tell the difference."

Clara nodded. "Okay."

You won't be able to tell the difference, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

She had meticulously decorated this house in Heron Bay, piece by piece. After Rhys had spent just one night in it, it felt like there was a draft somewhere, a gap that couldn't be filled no matter what she did.

"Why are you staring?" Noah asked. "Having second thoughts?"

"Of course not," Clara said, pulling her gaze away. "Out with the old, in with the new."

Noah gave Daniel a nod of greeting.

"How does rescuing a cat ruin a sofa?"

Clara hung the dry glass back on the rack, a faint, unreadable smile on her face as she looked at the couple.

"We ran into him yesterday on the way back from dropping off Director Sterling. A tree fell and hit his car. Rhys got hurt saving the cat, and since the bridge was out, he couldn't get to a hospital. So he stayed here for one night."

The couple fell silent.

Emily's hand, which had been reaching for the cat, froze in midair. She turned, her eyes wide. "Who? Rhys?"

"Mm-hmm."

"He..." Emily's tongue felt thick. "He stayed here?"

"On the living room sofa. He left this morning."

Emily instinctively looked at Daniel.

Daniel was also surprised, but his expression remained neutral as he walked to the dining table and sat down.

"What a coincidence," Emily said, feeling a little guilty. "Heron Bay isn't exactly small. How do you just happen to run into him while rescuing a cat?"