Chapter 341 Pax Gets into Trouble

Chapter 341 Pax Gets into Trouble

Mia froze for a moment.

She didn't want to repeat her past mistakes, so she had been avoiding thinking about her relationship with James.

Silence hung heavily between them.

Pax, sweaty from playing, ran over to them, shouting, "Mommy!"

She glanced at James and bit her lip.

James reached out to pat Pax's head gently, without forcing him.

She crouched down, pulled tissues from her bag, and wiped the sweat from Pax's face.

She pulled out a clean towel to replace his soaked one, wrapped it up, and put it back in her bag.

He was as attentive as a seasoned stay-at-home dad, one who had raised the child from birth.

Mia had been shocked when she first noticed it.

James seemed to know more about caring for children than she ever could.

She remembered that when she was pregnant with their first child, James had been excited for the baby's arrival and had read every pregnancy and childcare book he could find.

But how had he gained so much practical experience in childcare?

James was no longer the man she had first met, the one who acted without ever expressing himself.

Seeing Mia's confusion, James said, "After I discovered Pax was ours, I looked forward to the day when the three of us could live together, and I could take care of both of you myself."

"Pax is still so young, and I've already missed so much as a new dad. Naturally, I had to learn more."

"I asked Louis to introduce me to leading pediatricians for consultations and had Robert find some experienced nannies."

James truly was an exemplary father.

......

Knowing Pax loved playing horsey, James took him shopping at the supermarket, letting him ride on his shoulders.

After shopping, he carried Pax on his shoulders all the way to the car.

They drove back to the apartment complex.

Everything felt as it always did.

The three of them had dinner together and spent some time playing with Pax.

At eight-thirty, Pax obediently took his bath and went to bed.

After Pax fell asleep, James surprisingly didn't press for an answer to his supermarket question and headed straight for the entrance. "I'll head back now."

"Okay," Mia responded.

She had been avoiding this question, but it was time to consider the path she and James should take together.

After leaving, James headed to the parking lot and drove off.

He drove back to Brookside Gardens.

The place was spotless, meticulously maintained.

Pushing open the door, he went straight to the master bedroom, opened the safe, and retrieved a red velvet box along with a thick stack of documents.

The top few pages had blood stains that had dried years ago.

He had prepared this especially for his birthday.

But unexpectedly, he had the car accident and never gave it to her.

Taking it with him, James drove off.

On the way, he called Robert, instructed him to contact the legal department, and drove straight to the company.

......

After James left, Mia went to her study, logged into the company system, and began working.

She didn't turn off the computer until eleven, after which she showered and went to bed.

Out of habit, she leaned down to kiss Pax's little face before sleeping, but as she got closer, she noticed his breath was slightly warm.

Mia’s anxiety spiked as she reached out to touch his forehead.

Because she had just showered, her hands were warm, making it hard for her to tell.

She quickly got up and retrieved the thermometer from the drawer.

She checked his temperature—he had a mild fever.

It was likely because he had played on the supermarket equipment today, working up a sweat. Even though they had changed his towel immediately, he had still caught a chill from the breeze.

Mia stayed calm, quickly throwing off the covers and getting up.

She touched Pax's pajamas—they were slightly damp.

She fetched clean pajamas and a basin of hot water, wiping Pax down and dressing him to prevent his condition from worsening.

Once everything was ready, Mia sat on the bed, carefully lifting Pax and beginning to undress him.

As she removed his top, Mia saw small red dots covering his body. Turning him over, she saw his back was affected as well.

She quickly removed Pax's pajama pants, discovering red dots on his legs as well.

The small red dots were spread across his entire body, even reaching his neck.

Panic surged through Mia.

What was wrong with Pax?

She pulled the blanket over Pax, reached for her phone on the nightstand, and called James.

"Missing me?"

James had just finished up and was leaving the company, already on his way back and almost at the complex.

His tone was light and playful as he teased Mia.

"James, come quickly. Something's wrong with Pax—he's covered in red dots and has a low fever. He..."

As Mia spoke, her eyes grew red with tears.

Her baby had already been through so much.

She couldn't bear to see him suffer even a little more.

"Mia, don't panic. I'll be right there."

James reassured Mia calmly, but his hand gripping the steering wheel was trembling.

He floored the gas pedal.

He slammed the accelerator even harder.

With a sharp brake, the car came to a stop downstairs.

He pushed open the door, not even bothering to lock the car, and strode inside.

James hurried into the master bedroom and pulled back the covers to check Pax's condition.

His hands were shaking, but he remained calm throughout.

He couldn't afford to panic.

He took Pax's temperature again.

He had a low fever, with red dots all over his body.

It could be chickenpox.

"Mia, let's go to the hospital."

To be safe, James decided to take Pax to the hospital for a diagnosis.

Mia was so distressed that her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

James took Pax from her arms and skillfully dressed him.

Watching James work methodically, Mia gradually calmed down.

She got up, quickly changed clothes, and went with James to take Pax to the hospital.

The diagnosis was confirmed.

Pax was indeed diagnosed with chickenpox.

It was still in the early stage.

They returned from the hospital after midnight. Pax had woken up partway through the trip and rested in James's arms before being patted back to sleep.

Back home, James carried Pax inside and laid him on the bed.

Mia got up to open the windows for ventilation, as the doctor had instructed.

"James, you should head back."

She planned to stay and take care of Pax.

James hugged her and carried her straight out into the side bedroom. "James, let go—I need to take care of Pax!"

"Mia, I'll take care of him."

James didn't let go. When Mia was about to argue, his tone turned firm. "Mia, Pax is my son too!"

"I love him no less than you do. I won't let anything happen to Pax!"

He knew that while chickenpox wasn't usually serious, some children had died due to improper care.

"Mia, the doctor said you weren’t vaccinated as a child and have never had chickenpox, so you shouldn’t be the one caring for Pax."

"If you get infected, it'll be much worse."

"Leave it to me, okay?"

James had already understood the doctor's meaning when he asked earlier.

"You can supervise me. If you think I'm not taking good care of Pax, you can take over, okay?"

He loved Pax just as deeply and naturally understood Mia's feelings.

She wanted to care for him herself.

Mia nodded.

James held her and gently patted her back to comfort her.

......

Chickenpox has a long course, usually lasting about two weeks.

Mia wanted to stay and help care for him, but James stopped her.

"Go to the office without worry. I'll update you on his condition regularly. I'll take good care of Pax—don't worry."

James stayed home, taking care of Pax while working.

At first, Mia was still anxious, video-calling James almost every half hour.

After a few days, when she saw how well James was taking care of Pax, she finally began to relax.

Pax had many blisters on his body; after the scabs fell off, new ones would form.

They were extremely itchy.

Pax was clearly uncomfortable.

His tiny gloved hands fidgeted, trying to scratch.

James feared Pax might scar, so he barely slept during this period.

He watched over Pax tirelessly, day and night.

Whenever Pax itched and tried to scratch, James would gently press a warm, damp towel against him, fan him, and soothe him with calm words.

Only after Pax fell asleep would James hold his hand and rest for a while himself.

More than two weeks had passed—not long, but not short either.

By the time his chickenpox had fully healed, Pax had lost a significant amount of weight.

"Mommy!"

Pax knew his illness could infect Mia, so he had been well-behaved, resisting the urge to be held by her.

After he recovered and could hug Mia again, Pax clung to her as if they had been apart for ages, even though he saw her every day.

He hugged Mia and wouldn't let go.

His little face pressed against her neck, nuzzling affectionately.

"Baby."

Mia's heart ached too.

Looking at Pax, who had lost so much weight, she couldn't help kissing his left cheek, then his right.

Mother and son cuddled on the sofa.

James, meanwhile, was sleeping soundly in the master bedroom.

He hadn't slept well for over two weeks, and this time he finally slept soundly until the next day.

When he woke up, he found Mia sitting quietly by his bed, looking at him with gentle eyes.

Heartache lingered in her eyes, which she hadn’t managed to hide, and James noticed immediately.

He reached out with his long arm and hooked her slender waist.

With a gentle pull, Mia fell into his arms. "Feeling sorry for me?"

During the two weeks of caring for Pax, he had feared carrying the virus and infecting others. Even though he had been careful, he still worried.

It had been so long since he'd held Mia.

Holding her now, he didn't want to let go.

His handsome face buried in her neck as he deeply breathed in the scent he found so comforting.

Mia leaned against him gently, careful not to press too heavily.

In the past two weeks, Pax had lost weight, but James had lost even more—so thin that his features were almost gaunt.

Mia didn't deny it.

Her silence spoke volumes.

She genuinely felt sorry for him.

She had spent the past two weeks watching him care for Pax.

At first, she had been somewhat worried.

Gradually, she felt that even if she'd cared for Pax herself, she might not have done as well.

Because of his dedication, Pax had clearly grown closer to him.

Yesterday afternoon, after Pax had recovered, he waited on the sofa for James to wake up.

When James didn’t wake, Pax ran to the master bedroom repeatedly to check.

This morning, before going to kindergarten, he had looked worried for a long time—until she assured him that James was truly fine, just very tired and in need of rest.

When he got out of school, James would definitely pick him up.

Pax trusted her, he listened to her instructions,, then nodded and obediently went to kindergarten.

Seeing Mia like this, James could hardly hold back.

His large hand cupped the back of her head and brought her lips to his.

Their lips met, and he immediately took the lead.

Their lips and tongues tangled as James kissed her, leaving Mia breathless before he finally let go.

His thin lips slid from her slightly swollen mouth along her cheek to her ear, where he lightly bit her earlobe and murmured huskily, "Compensate me?"

His hot breath brushed her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

The sensation surged through her like an electric current, igniting her whole body.

Mia trembled slightly, her body softening as she pressed fully against him.

“James!” she exclaimed, slightly annoyed.

This James, couldn't he be serious for once?

She shouldn't give him any encouragement.

"What are you thinking?"

James understood Mia's embarrassed annoyance. His large hand gently pinched the soft flesh at her waist, teasing her with a straight face. “By compensation, I simply meant you could treat me to a meal."

Mia paused slightly.

She looked at James with doubtful eyes.

This James…

The meal he was talking about—he wasn't planning to eat her, was he?

"What dirty thoughts are you having now?"

James met Mia's doubtful gaze and teased her with a mischievous smile.

"I wasn't!"

Mia refused to admit it!

She pushed against him with her hands and got up from atop him!

James hooked her finger and gently shook it. "Mia, it's settled. Tonight you're treating me to dinner, just the two of us."

"I'll make the restaurant reservation."

"Got it," Mia agreed. Just then, the food delivery arrived, and she went to collect it.

"Get up and have breakfast."

It was already nine-thirty, and she had ordered breakfast for delivery.

With her questionable cooking skills, she wasn't going to mess around with that.

"Okay," James responded, watching Mia leave the bedroom, a slow smile forming at the corners of his lips.

He got up, washed up, changed clothes, and walked out of the bedroom.

Mia had already set out all the breakfast on the table and was thoughtfully stirring the porridge to let it cool slightly for easier eating.

She was afraid he was starving.

James walked over, sat down, and enjoyed the breakfast she had lovingly prepared.

After finishing his meal, they headed out together.

"Take my car. I'll pick you up after work."

"Okay."

Since they were having dinner together tonight, Mia didn't refuse and got into his car.

James drove her to the company entrance and leaned over to help Mia unbuckle her seatbelt.

Before she could get out, he hooked her arm and pulled her back, pressing his lips to hers.

"Don't mess up my makeup."

Mia reached out, pushing his face away to stop him from kissing her.

Determined not to indulge him, she pushed open the car door and stepped out decisively.

James rolled down the window, watching her figure until it disappeared from view, then drove first to the kindergarten.

Mia had promised Pax that James would pick him up after school and feared letting him down.

James went to see Pax at noon.

After spending time with Pax, James drove back to the company.

When he entered his office, James took the documents from the safe, including that red velvet box.

He carefully checked everything, and after confirming it was all correct, set it aside.

Pax's chickenpox had interrupted his plans, but it wasn't too late.

......

Lily had taken advantage of a two-week business trip to avoid Bruce.

She had just returned a couple days ago.

Mia knew that tonight James probably wanted to talk to her about their relationship.

After arriving at the office, she called Lily and asked her to help pick up Pax that evening.

After making arrangements, Mia started working.

She finished before four o'clock.

She closed her computer and went to the restroom to touch up her makeup.

When she came out, it was almost time for kindergarten dismissal.

Mia picked up her phone to call Lily.

Lily's call came through first.

Mia answered while walking out.

As soon as she answered, she heard Lily's panicked voice in her ear. "Mia, someone took Pax!"