Chapter 993
Molly, feeling a bit restless, grabbed her laptop and papers, heading back to her room to dive into some more reading on the bed.
Chad, itching to call his wife but wary of giving himself away, turned to Donnie, who was working the night shift. "Hey, can you check on what Molly's up to for me?" "What's going on with you two this time?" Donnie asked, intrigued.
The precinct was buzzing with bets about why Officer Chad wasn't heading home. Was Molly not pampering him anymore, or did he mess up again, getting himself booted out by Molly? Colleagues nearby were placing their bets, convinced that Officer Chad must've been kicked out by Molly.
A detective nearby chuckled, "How are we even supposed to bet on this? It's almost certain Chad's in the doghouse with Molly again."
Donnie reached out, "Molly, what are you up to?"
"Killing brain cells," Molly replied dryly.
Donnie turned to Chad, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Chad got the hint. "Let's not bother her then."
Meanwhile, across the globe, Andre checked his watch and launched a video call to his wife. As soon as the call connected, a chubby little face filled the screen, followed by darkness. "Henry?"
"Ba-ba-" Henry was staring at his dad through the phone, having just tested his baby teeth on it.
"Where's Mia?"
Mia appeared next, wrapped in a towel with her hair bundled up, still damp. "Yes?"
Andre, feeling oddly anxious, asked, "Mia, what are you doing?"
"Questioning my life choices."
Andre was speechless.
He wanted to chat more, but Mia disappeared, leaving father and son in a staring contest, with Andre clearly seeing Henry's drool.
At ten that night, Henry was being super fidgety, almost rolling off the bed, so Mia decided to hold him while going through her documents. He was so restless that he ended up getting scolded by his mom, all while his dad watched the "show" via video. His cries were driving Mia's head into a buzz of noise.
Andre felt a pang seeing Mia struggle, thinking he should have taken Henry with him to avoid disrupting her. He needed a plan to get this little rascal out of the way.
So, Conner's phone rang. "Still thinking about chasing Annie?"
Later, Andre recommended a movie to Mia. "If the concepts are confusing, watch this; it ties into your paper."
Late at night, Mia lay in bed with her son, watching the movie Andre suggested. Initially, Henry watched with wide, curious eyes, but by the time the credits rolled, he was nestled in her arms, fast asleep. The next morning, Mia and Henry slept in until ten.
Molly saw Mia come down and handed her a template. "Donnie sent this template last night. It fits your thesis topic perfectly. It might make things a bit easier for you."
With a template, things were looking up.
They both pulled out their laptops and got to work.
Meanwhile, Conner was on another mission to find Annie.
On his sixth attempt, Annie was coaxed out of the police station. Seeing no little tiger with him, she turned to leave.
Conner insisted, "I really have it today."
"Where is it then? Show me the little tiger," Annie challenged.
Conner grabbed her wrist, "Come on, let's head to Maplewood Estates to fetch our son."
They drove over, but the servant informed them no one was home.
Conner called Andre, "Hey, where's my godson? You didn't keep your word."NôvelDrama.Org © content.
Andre was bewildered by his friend's antics. "I'm not home. My wife and kid must be at my dad's."
Half an hour later, they arrived at the Cedillo family home.
Upon entering, Conner exuded an air of mischief.
Hansen looked at Annie, "Conner, bringing Kasha here, is it to announce the wedding date to Uncle Jiang? Don't worry, I'll be there as the officiant." Annie felt a wave of embarrassment.
Conner laughed, "Uncle Jiang, we're thinking of borrowing Henry to get a feel for parenting before tying the knot. If it goes well, we'll set the date for next year; if not, we'll still set the date and have kids later."
Hansen laughed, gesturing to his grandson. "Come over here, little one."
"Hold on," Mia interjected, recalling her house rules and the five million. "Conner, are you trying to exploit child labor to push your matchmaking efforts again?
IMS
Conner feigned ignorance, "What are you talking about?" He approached Mia, whispering, "Five million."
Mia shook her head, "No way."
"One million?"
Mia replied, "I might love money, but I don't just take anyone's. I only care for my family's, especially my husband's."
"What if you name your price? Kasha is here; don't embarrass me."
Mia scratched her nose, unmoved.
"How about I tell you a secret about Andre?"
Mia perked up, "Go on."
Conner gestured towards Henry.
"Alright."
Conner said, "Your husband once mentioned he didn't love you."
With that, Conner picked up Henry. "Kasha, let's go."
"Okay, okay." Annie quickly followed.
Mia, hands on her hips, thought, "He said he didn't love me? How amusing."
Henry was back to his carefree adventures.
Mia sat at her desk, a tiny flame of anger flickering inside her.
Molly glanced over, "What's up?"
"Your Andre, he said he doesn't love me."
Molly, typing away, quipped, "That's a good deal. The ultimate win for a woman is having an unloving husband with wealth. You've got a kid for company and the freedom to do what you want. Just finish your thesis, and you'll have it all.
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Mia pulled up her laptop, pouting in frustration. "Let's send the draft to Leo for a once-over. If it checks out, we'll submit it to the professor."
"Sounds like a plan. Who's watching your son today?"
"Conner and Annie."
After finishing their work, they made their way to Leo's.
Leo's phone was off, so the call went through to Anya.
"Chad's looking for you."
"Annoying."
The four of them met up at Naomi's Coffee Shop, with Anya indulging in treats while Leo critiqued sharply.
Mia's temper flared, and she slammed her hand on the table. "Can you give feedback without being so harsh?"
Leo replied, "Mia, this is a thesis, not a poetic essay. You can't write your research objectives like a romance novel." Mia deleted a large chunk of text and started revising.
Curious, Leo asked his aunt, "Jade, what's up with Mia? She seems really on edge today."
Molly, also struggling with her paper, said, "Someone told her Andre doesn't love her."
"Who said that? No way!" Anya was quick to defend. How could her uncle not love her aunt?
Molly shrugged. "It was Andre's buddy, Conner."
With tempers simmering, Leo softened his approach, "The citation format is off, but don't worry, I'll fix those little things."