The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 606

The reception was set up right on the beach.

As night fell, the last streaks of purple and gold faded from the horizon. A long string of warm fairy lights illuminated the sand, snaking all the way from the chapel steps down to the water's edge, blending perfectly with the real stars scattered across the sky.

Clara had changed out of her satin gown into a loose, comfortable linen shirt. She sat near the head of the long dining table, resting her chin in her hand, a permanent smile etched onto her face.

Felix was holding hands with Liam's two-year-old twins, jogging clumsily across the soft sand.

"Mateo! Hurry up! The crab is going to escape back into the ocean!"

Mateo pumped his chubby little legs, desperately trying to keep up. Just as he was about to catch the aggressive little crab, his foot slipped, and he face-planted right into the sand, burying half his face.

Before he could even start crying, Nellie, clutching a small plastic bucket, lost her balance and plopped down next to him. She grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it straight onto Felix's feet, clapping her hands with utter satisfaction.

Felix laughed out loud. He pulled Nellie up, brushed her off, and then hauled Mateo to his feet, patting him down. "What is wrong with you two? Can't you even walk right? Watch and learn from your big brother!"

Not far away on a beach chair, Emily Lane was relentlessly continuing her matchmaking agenda.

She placed Ezra on a playmat and sat Annie right next to him. Holding a small drum rattle, she waved it back and forth between the two babies.

"Look at Annie, sweetheart. Look at your future wife. Isn't she just beautiful?"

Ezra refused to look.

He stared blankly at the rattle, completely ignoring the people around him.

Annie, however, stared at Ezra for a long moment before lunging forward and biting him right on the cheek.

Ezra froze for two seconds, opened his mouth, and let out an ear-piercing wail.

Emily scrambled to pull the babies apart, holding one in each arm. "Oh my god... Annie, why are you so aggressive?!"

Annie looked entirely innocent after being pulled away. She let out a tiny burp and went right back to chewing on her own fingers.

Clara remembered Rhys saying he had dreamt of Annie growing up and being stolen away by Daniel's son, and firmly decided that was highly unlikely.

While the kids were causing chaos, the adults weren't much better.

Simon and Alex had somehow procured two full cases of iced beer, sandwiching the meticulously dressed Daniel between them.

The bonfire cast flickering shadows across their faces, making the three of them look like wild outlaws.

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