Max's phone rang, and he answered it on speaker. "We are coming over soon!"
Felicia smiled at the sound of her daughter's joyful voice, but the smile faded when a soft cough followed. Her heart tightened. As Max ended the call, she asked, "Is Anne sick?"
"She came home feeling a little under the weather," Max confirmed.
When they arrived at the Hawthorne family manor, Felicia did not go inside. She opted to wait by the car for them to come out.
While she waited, a sleek Rolls-Royce pulled up slowly to the curb. Felicia watched as Daniel stepped out of the vehicle and walked straight toward her. When he stopped a few feet away, Felicia offered a polite greeting. "Hi, Mr. Hawthrone."
"You know, you could actually just call me Daniel now," Daniel remarked casually.
Felicia merely offered a faint, noncommittal smile, choosing not to respond to the suggestion.
"You are here to pick up Anne? Why are you not waiting inside?" he asked.
"Max went in to bring her out," Felicia explained.
Daniel nodded, not pressing the issue. "There is a favor I would like to ask of you."
"Go ahead," Felicia said.
"I have recently selected a few suitable marriage candidates for Luke, and I want him to meet them. He is getting older, and he cannot keep ignoring his personal life for the sake of work. You have known him since childhood, so you definitely understand him better than we do. I was hoping you could take a look at the profiles later and see who might be the best match for him."
"I can certainly help take a look and offer an opinion, but ultimately, it will have to depend on Luke's own feelings," Felicia replied tactfully.
Daniel nodded in agreement.
"Mommy!" Anne's sweet voice rang out across the driveway.
Felicia looked up and stepped forward as Anne ran straight into her arms. Her eyes softened with profound tenderness as she gently stroked the little girl's head. Anne then looked over at Daniel and chirped, "Hello, Uncle Daniel."
Daniel offered the little girl an affectionate smile.
"Is it good, Daddy?" Anne asked with wide, expectant eyes.
"Yes," Max murmured. "Daddy had a piece earlier too."
Anne's eyes lit up with delight. "Was it made by Mommy too?"
"Yes."
Anne beamed, flashing her little white teeth, and turned back to look lovingly at her mother. Max reached out and gently ruffled his daughter's hair. The car slowly pulled away from the manor.
By the time they returned to Oakridge Estate, it was nearly nine o'clock. Anne was already drifting off to sleep. Max carried her upstairs to the master bedroom. After Felicia helped her wash up, she lay beside her on the bed, softly coaxing her to sleep until the little girl fell into a deep slumber.
Once Anne was completely asleep, Felicia slipped into the walk-in closet, grabbed her nightgown, and headed to the en-suite bathroom to take a shower. When Max returned to the bedroom, he checked on the sleeping child. The sound of running water drifted continuously from the bathroom. Through the frosted glass door, he could faintly make out the graceful, slender silhouette of the woman inside. As he stood there watching, his dark eyes gradually darkened with intense heat.
Inside, Felicia had just finished rinsing the suds from her body when a sharp click echoed through the room. It was the sound of the bathroom door opening.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Ugly Wife’s Stunning Comeback (Felicia and Max)
Is this coming to an end...
Oh nooo!! Don’t tell me Max will get washed ashore on a remote island then loses all his memory, then falls inlove with the local girl who saves him. Then when he meets Felicia again he won’t recognize her and breaks her heart again. Additional plot twist is that Felicia is pregnant with their 2nd child. Please pleaseee don’t give us this scenario.. LOL!!!...
If Max can be forgiven Darrin can be forgiven. And I do not like this marriage business but if it has to happen I hope after he gets stranded on some remote island alone while Felicia and his family fight over custody she wins and also gets half his estate. Then by time he comes back she's found having and remarried. Lol...
The writer is good. They're making me interested in Max. I won't say like yet....
It seems the only one who hasn't suffered is Max. Even his family fakes anger and disappointment all their own doing so they suffer a little. Everyone else has suffered. Luke and Jeremy unrequited. Felicia has suffered the most from family to unrequited to romance to long suffering Mother. Even baby Anne never had a mother til Felicia suffered then came back only to suffer some more. lol...
Oh no what did Colton do?... I have a bone to pick. When Olisha had to go the hospital why beg for Felicia? When she so loved Max? Seemed like she was in on the setup for Felicia to see a suicide for the 2nd time orchestrated by holden and his brother again. I might drop this series it's becoming endless with no real satisfaction for me. I don't need it to end because it's like a soap opera but if things don't end up making sense, tying up loose storylines it's gonna get old fast for me. Good luck author....
Anne, I think your baby brother is on the way. Thank goodness it doesn't say that Felicia is crying just like the last time but still, there's no willingness on her part. Max! You need to try harder. Make her fall in love with you again....
The writer did a big one with Jeremy's speech to Max. He said almost everything that needed to be said. I have wanted Felicia or someone who knows the past to just tell that whole stinking family what they did and how disgusting they are and what they're doing now how unfair it all is to Felicia. A pity it was only Max but he really needed to hear this (plus more)....
I love the chase of this novel, how you’ve build each of the characters. They almost seem like real. I feel like I know them irl. But however I would like to know what’s max’s pov and what’s going on in his head. I truly believe max’s just a grey character. And also please please please update more!!!...
I was really hoping that Max and Felicia would end up together, but why did Max do that to Felicia? 😭 Is that his way of making Felicia overcome the trauma Holden caused her? I don't think that's helping at all. I just hope Max's character has some redeeming qualities in the coming chapters....