The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 306

Rhys's bitter smile felt like the water he'd just drunk had turned to bile in his throat. "No, thank you."

Noah placed the half-empty glass back on the chair, then straightened up, blocking Rhys's view of the children.

"Felix was right. Even good friends settle their debts, let alone..." Noah paused, his tone becoming even more distant. "A doctor and his patient."

Just a doctor and his patient.

"You saved the cat, I saved you. Let's call it even."

Felix reached into his pocket again and pulled out a folded piece of drawing paper.

"This."

He placed the paper next to Rhys's hand, the one without the IV. "This is from Orange. I hope you get well soon."

Rhys's fingers twitched. He wanted to open it, but he was afraid he'd lose control in front of Clara.

Clara had been standing a short distance away, watching coldly. Only after Felix had delivered his gift did she wave him over.

"Alright, Felix, say goodbye to the gentleman."

Felix ran back to her, then waved his little hand at the bed. "Goodbye, sir. You have to listen to the doctor, and no crying when you get your shot, okay?"

A strange mix of sorrow and warmth churned in Rhys's heart, and he couldn't help but want to smile.

"Okay, I won't cry."

Clara didn't look at him again. She turned to Noah. "Take Felix to the car and wait for me. I have a few words I need to say to him."

"Fine, but don't be too long." He glanced at his watch. "It's chaotic in here, and the air isn't great."

Noah took Felix's hand and they walked away.

Seeing them leave, Daniel gathered a stack of receipts and left as well. "I'll go to the billing office and make sure we haven't missed anything."

The old man in the next bed was groaning, and a nurse rattled past with a cart.

But in this small space, there was only silence.

Clara took two steps closer, stopping at the foot of the bed.

Her eyes traced the old scar on his brow, then moved to the IV needle in the back of his hand, finally settling on the sliver of a silver chain visible at his collar.

She'd seen it last night.

A ring hung from it, its band slightly misshapen, but the design was familiar.

"Clara, I know your temper. If I had asked you right there at the airport, you probably would have taken the boy and walked off into the rain."

Clara didn't argue.

He was right.

If Rhys had shown even the slightest hint that he knew, she would have put up all her defenses, grabbed Felix, and run as far as she could. She would never have let him become "Mr. Huntington" so easily.

And she certainly wouldn't have let him sit and eat with Felix at that service station.

"So you just pretended?"

Clara let out a sharp, brittle laugh, her voice trembling. "So you just played the part? You sat there, taking candy from him and letting him call you 'Officer' like you were some kind stranger, all while you were secretly measuring him up? Rhys, were you just biding your time, planning how to snatch him back? The Huntingtons don't exactly have a shortage of grandchildren, do they?"

"I never thought about taking him."

Rhys answered quickly, pushing himself up. The movement tugged at his left hand, and blood began to back up into the IV tube. "Clara, I never once thought about taking Felix from you. Can't you just trust me this one time?"

Clara watched him in silence, a dull ache spreading through her chest.

She couldn't see through him, and she didn't dare to trust him.

"Rhys, I don't care if you really mean that or not. Since you've been playing dumb all this time, let's just keep it that way."