The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 423

With no other choice, Rhys humbled himself.

"Alright, then I'll work harder from now on. I'll do more things to make Mommy happy and try to get my score up to passing as soon as possible. Officer Bridges, can you help me out and put in a good word for me with Mommy?"

Felix's eyes darted around as he pretended to think it over.

"I'll see how you do. If you can cook for Mommy every day and help with the dishes, I'll consider it."

"Deal," Rhys said, holding out his hand.

Felix slapped his small hand against Rhys's large one. "Deal."

Neither of them had bothered to lower their voices. Perhaps Rhys felt he didn't need to be guarded in this house, or perhaps the clever little boy had intentionally raised his volume.

And so, their strategic discussion on "how to make her happy" floated right into Clara's ears.

The kitchen was a semi-open plan, and with a slight turn of her head, she could see the father and son playing together.

Clara turned off the water and listened quietly for a moment.

If only time could go back four years.

Wasn't this ordinary life exactly what she had yearned for every day?

After preparing the ingredients for dinner, Clara dried her hands and walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm going out for a bit. We're out of pepper, and delivery would take too long," Clara said.

Rhys got up from the rug. "I'll go."

"No, it's fine." Clara kept her eyes down, her gaze sliding past him as she grabbed her coat from the coat rack. "I'm just going to the convenience store downstairs. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Rhys stood where he was, watching her push open the door and leave.

Felix kept his head down, fiddling with a LEGO minifigure. Once the apartment was quiet again, he spoke up.

"Are you wondering if Mommy's still angry?"

The child's voice pierced right through Rhys's thoughts.

He didn't deny it. He sighed, sat back down, and mumbled, "Yeah."

Felix placed the minifigure squarely on the deck of the aircraft carrier. "Daddy Simon taught me something."

By now, hearing "Daddy Noah" or "Daddy Simon" made Rhys's temples throb.

What truly angered her was the clear realization that she still responded to his touch.

She could have pushed him away, but she hadn't.

Clara closed her eyes, forcing the troubling thoughts away. She grabbed a random bottle of pepper and went to pay.

When she got home, Rhys was in the kitchen getting the pan ready for her. He asked casually, "Is it cold outside?"

"It's okay."

Clara went back into the kitchen. Rhys stood quietly beside her, handing her the chopped vegetables and taking the used cutting board to the sink to wash it.

He knew Clara's patience was limited and didn't want to annoy her. After tidying up the used utensils, he dutifully left the kitchen.

Once the meal was ready, Clara set the plates on the dining table and called out to the father and son, who were still huddled together, whispering.

"Go wash your hands. It's time for dinner."

The two on the rug stopped at the same time.

Rhys scooped Felix off the floor with one arm and tucked him under his armpit.