The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 399

The next day, Rhys woke before dawn.

His years of habit hadn't been completely disrupted by his illness, and besides, he couldn't sleep soundly anyway.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, lost in thought.

If he went for a morning run, Clara would likely get angry and throw him and his luggage right back into the hospital.

He needed to be disciplined.

He got up, washed his face, and went into the kitchen.

They had plenty of ingredients from yesterday's shopping trip. He glanced at the time and decided to make breakfast for himself and Clara first. He'd make Felix's portion when he woke up.

A househusband.

The word suddenly popped into Rhys’s mind, and his hand, busy beating eggs, paused for a second.

The guest bedroom door opened before breakfast was ready.

Clara emerged.

She didn’t look at him, nor did she check on Felix. She went into the bathroom to freshen up, then returned to her bedroom.

Rhys didn’t dare make a sound.

She was grumpy in the mornings. Talking to her now would only annoy her. He had learned his lesson and knew when to truly shut up and be invisible.

A little while later, Clara came out again, changed into clothes for going out. Her hair wasn’t casually tied up like it was at home; it hung down smoothly, and she was wearing light makeup. Her lipstick was a striking maple red.

She looked beautiful, and very formal.

Rhys was just setting breakfast on the table. His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before he discreetly pulled it away, just before she could notice.

“You’re up?”

He pulled out a chair for her. “Breakfast is ready. Sandwiches and oatmeal.”

Clara glanced at the breakfast on the table, sat down, and started eating without a word.

Rhys stood nearby, watching her eat, feeling as if ants were crawling all over his heart.

“Are you taking Felix out today?” he asked tentatively.

“No.”

Before Rhys could feel a flicker of joy, he heard her next sentence.

“I have something to do, so I’m going out. Felix is your responsibility today.”

She was using him as a nanny.

Rhys sat down across from her, thinking that it was still a good thing. Entrusting the child to him meant she trusted him.

That was a good sign.

“Okay,” he agreed quickly. “Will you be back for lunch? What would you like to eat? I can…”

“I won’t be back,” Clara cut him off. “And maybe not for dinner either. You’re on your own.”

Rhys looked at Clara's elegant attire, his hands nearly crushing the sandwich he was holding.

All dressed up, not taking the child, and staying out all day.

Where was she going? Who was she meeting?

Simon? Some other old friend?

Or… that person who hadn’t left yet?

Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, names he wanted to say but swallowed back down.

Rhys gripped the railing tighter and finally said the words he had rehearsed in his mind countless times.

“Captain Ray, I’m planning to apply for a transfer. Back to the Police Department command center.”

“Or, as long as it’s not fieldwork, I’ll do anything.”

As long as he could get off work on time.

As long as he could come home whole every day, cook for Clara, and bathe his child.

Captain Ray asked, “This is for your family, isn’t it?”

Rhys’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “It’s to save my life.”

He wanted to live a few more years, to stay with her for as long as he possibly could.

After hanging up, Rhys stood in the wind, feeling as if a part of him had been forcibly stripped away.

It was painful, and it left him feeling empty.

He glanced back toward the guest bedroom and heard Felix’s sleepy voice calling “Daddy.” He swallowed all his emotions and went inside.

-

Clara drove to Harbor Point and picked up Simon.

“So early in the morning, and dressed so formally. Where are we going?” Simon yawned as soon as he got in the car. “Don’t tell me you’re heading to city hall to remarry him after just one day.”

Clara shot him a look and turned the steering wheel, heading out of the city.

“We’re going to Grace Cathedral.”

Simon nearly choked on his coffee.

“To a church?” He stared at Clara, looking her up and down. “Did Rhys’s condition get worse? Are you going to pray for his life? Or get some holy water to pour down his throat?”