The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 319

"That fat kid said he's going to get more people to beat me up next time."

Felix's eyes darted around. "You're a cop. Can you come pick me up from school tomorrow in your uniform?"

Afraid he might refuse, Felix held up one finger to bargain. "Just for a minute, to scare him. I won't tell Mommy."

Rhys looked at the small finger and couldn't help but smile.

He was a clever kid, already learning how to leverage his connections.

"Deal," Rhys agreed without hesitation. "I'll be there tomorrow."

Suddenly, the window of the upstairs study was pushed open.

"Felix?" Clara's voice floated down. "What are you doing in the yard?"

Felix jumped, quickly scooping up the orange cat and mouthing the words "Run now" at Rhys.

Then he tilted his head up and shouted, "Orange ran out! I came to get him!"

Without waiting to see if Rhys understood, he turned and ran back into the house, clutching the cat so tightly it meowed in protest.

Rhys remained crouched in the shadows, holding his breath, not daring to move.

Only after the second-floor window closed and the light went out did he stand up. He got up too quickly; his vision went black for a second, and he felt short of breath.

He steadied himself against the gate for a long moment, catching his breath before glancing back at The Ivory House one last time and walking back to his car.

Felix ran into the house with the cat, just as Clara was coming down the stairs.

"Why were you in the yard so late? Who were you talking to?"

Felix tightened his grip on Orange, his big eyes blinking innocently. "I was talking to Orange, of course."

"He wanted to go play with the stray cats, so I was telling him off. The cats outside are mean."

Orange let out a soft "meow."

The neighborhood was very safe, and the front gate was always locked. It wasn't unusual for a child with a rich imagination to talk to himself.

Clara didn't press the issue and took Felix to get ready for bed.

As Felix lay tucked in, clutching his blanket, he suddenly asked, "Mommy, if someone bullies us, can we fight back if we become really strong?"

Clara figured he was still thinking about what had happened that day. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "There are many ways to protect yourself. It doesn't always have to be a fight."

Noah slowed his pace, as if carefully choosing his words.

When they reached her door, he stopped and turned to face her.

"Clara, what happened at the preschool today… it might happen again."

"I know. I'm planning to talk to the principal and the teachers soon."

"Let me do it," Noah offered.

Clara shook her head. "No, if you go, all the other parents will just try to get free legal advice from you."

Noah didn't respond to her joke. His tone was serious. "You know why Felix fought today."

Clara looked down.

Of course, she knew.

It was because of the rumors, because of the empty space where his father should be, because of the malicious gossip about her supposed 'messy love life.'

"I know," Clara sighed. "We can't stop people from talking. Worst case, we can just transfer him to another school."