The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 382

Rhys had been lying with his eyes closed, unwilling to speak, but he frowned and opened them at the sound of Clara’s voice.

Their eyes met, and he froze.

He knew Clara would come back; she was too soft-hearted not to. But he had never dared to imagine she would bring Felix with her.

After a moment, Mia tentatively took half a step forward, not daring to get too close for fear of scaring the child.

“Clara, this is…”

Clara gently guided Felix out from behind her. “This is Felix Bridges. He just turned four.”

Felix was very polite, chirping in a sweet, childish voice, “Hello, Ms. Mia.”

Mia nearly burst into tears.

She was a perceptive woman.

For Clara to bring the child here, to Rhys’s bedside, meant she was no longer hiding him.

“Oh… yes! Hello, sweet boy.”

Mia responded twice, then began patting her pockets.

Her coat pockets, her pants pockets, she even turned back to rummage through her bag on the sofa.

She had come in a hurry, her mind consumed with her father's and nephew Rhys’s health. Aside from her phone and a few receipts, she didn't have so much as a small keepsake to give him, let alone a proper gift for a first meeting.

For someone from a family like the Huntingtons to meet a great-grandchild for the first time empty-handed was mortifying.

Mia was flustered, looking apologetically at Clara. “Look at me, I didn’t bring anything. I’m getting so forgetful. Clara, why didn’t you tell me beforehand? I could have…”

Seeing her like this made Clara’s heart ache.

Mia was a good person.

She never used her seniority to pressure her. Even after the divorce, Mia had always treated her with the same kindness.

“Please, don’t worry about it. You don’t need to prepare anything. I just wanted to bring him to visit.”

Felix looked up at his mother.

Clara’s expression was calm; she wasn't smiling or crying.

But Felix just knew that both adults were very sad.

He didn't understand. Why did adults always have to make things so complicated?

Felix had only a vague concept of death.

It was probably like the little goldfish he once had. Its belly turned white, it stopped moving, and then it was buried in the ground, never to be seen again.

But…

Felix looked at the tall man on the bed, his brow furrowed in confusion.

This man looked strong enough to let him ride on his shoulders and run around the entire playground. Why did his mom and everyone else say he might die?