Chapter 166

Chapter 166

"Amazing!"

"If Daphne were still here, she'd probably be really happy too."

Paxton suddenly brought up Daphne — he felt bad that she hadn't been around to hear Trent's praise.

After all, washing the vegetables had been a team effort between them.

But now he was the only one here to receive the compliment.

"Tomorrow we'll pass the good news along to Daphne, okay?"

Abigail understood how Paxton felt and ruffled his hair.

"Okay!"

Just a little while before Trent got home, Benjamin had come back from work and taken Daphne home with him.

"Then thank Daphne for me."

Trent smiled and carried the bowl over, while Abigail took Paxton to get his bath.

"Mom, are you okay?"

In the bathroom, Paxton watched Abigail squeeze something onto the shower puff and asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine."

Abigail snapped back at the sound of his voice and smiled at him.

But Paxton kept watching her with a concerned expression and said seriously, "Mom, if you're not feeling well, I can wash myself. You just put shampoo on the puff instead of body wash."

Abigail looked down when she heard that, and sure enough, the bottle next to her was shampoo, not body wash.

She quickly took the shower puff aside and rinsed it off.

"Sorry about that, Paxton. Mom wasn't paying attention."

Paxton shook his head like the understanding kid he was.

"It's okay, Mom. If you're tired, go rest. I can wash myself."

He was a big kid now — he could handle his own bath.

"Alright then, give it a try today. Mom will stay right here with you."

Seeing how determined Paxton looked, Abigail didn't push back.

She just sat nearby to keep an eye on him in case he missed a spot.

Paxton didn't mind at all. He picked up the shower puff and started scrubbing away.

Abigail watched Paxton's still-slightly-clumsy movements, but her mind slowly began to drift.

She kept telling herself she didn't really care, but every time she thought about that mysterious perfume smell on Trent, the doubt crept back in.

He probably didn't even know where it came from himself.

"Mom, I'm done!"

By the time Abigail came back to herself, Paxton had already slipped into his pajamas.

"You did great today!"

Paxton responded to her praise with a big, bright smile.

"Mom, can you sleep with me tonight?"

He tilted his head slightly and looked at her with a hopeful expression.

"You haven't told me a bedtime story in so long."

Back when Abigail used to tuck him in, she'd always tell him a story before he fell asleep.

But as time went on and they drifted apart, she stopped coming.

"Okay."

Abigail wasn't sure how to face Trent when she went back out anyway, so she didn't turn Paxton down.

She sat on the edge of the bed, opened a storybook, and read to him in a soft, gentle voice.

Paxton chimed in every now and then, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until he finally drifted off with a tiny snore.

Abigail tucked the blanket snugly around him and watched him sleep.

She stayed by his side without leaving — partly because she wasn't ready to face Trent just yet.

But things didn't go the way she hoped.

When she saw Trent tiptoeing into the room, Abigail blinked in surprise, then let out a quiet, resigned sigh.

"What are you doing here?"

"You hadn't come out yet, so I thought Paxton might still be in the bath and figured I'd come help."

Trent kept it short and simple.

But the way his eyes shifted slightly told Abigail he wasn't being entirely honest.

She shot him an annoyed look, glanced at the sleeping Paxton, then pulled Trent out of the room.

"Alright, what did you want to say?"

The way Trent had looked just now made it obvious he had something on his mind.

"You always see right through me."

He rubbed his nose and finally spoke.

"There's a big charity gala tomorrow evening and I need to bring a plus-one. Abigail, any chance you're free to come with me?"

Abigail's brow furrowed slightly.

"I have a night shift tomorrow."

That was her way of saying no.

Trent dropped his gaze, looking a little deflated, but managed an understanding smile.

"Got it. If you're busy, I'll just let the organizers know I'm coming alone."

The smile was still there on his face, but it looked a little forced.

Abigail really did have work and genuinely couldn't rearrange her schedule, so she patted his arm to show she felt bad about it.

"Can I sleep with you tonight then?"

After Abigail's small gesture of comfort, Trent's mood lifted noticeably.

Then, pushing his luck, he made another request.

"Don't worry, I won't try anything. I just want to hold you while I sleep."

Trent looked at Abigail with wide, innocent eyes, as if he were one step away from making a solemn vow.

But even that didn't go his way in the end.

"I'm pretty tired tonight. I just want to get some proper rest. I've got work tomorrow."

Trent wasn't exactly surprised by her refusal, but it still left him feeling a little low.

"Okay. Get some rest then. Good night."

With that, he headed off toward the guest room.

Abigail went back to the master bedroom and lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

She knew it was probably nothing — just some random, innocent way Trent had ended up with perfume on him.

But Abigail was a total neat freak when it came to relationships, and she hated it deeply.

She wanted Trent to be more careful, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

Saying it outright would make her seem petty.

Thinking about what Trent had told her earlier, Abigail let out a sigh, sat up in bed, and called one of her coworkers.

"Iris, what shift are you working tomorrow?"

In the quiet of the night, the sound of the call came through crystal clear.

The next morning, Abigail left early for work. Trent didn't think anything of it — he went through his usual routine, finished breakfast, dropped Paxton off at school, and headed to the office.

He stayed busy the whole day as the hours slipped by.

That evening, his assistant knocked on the office door.

"Mr. Smith, you have a charity gala to attend tonight. It's about time to head out — shall we leave now?"

Since Abigail couldn't make it, Trent had arranged for his assistant to go with him.

Partly, of course, so he could hand off all the tedious tasks.

He hadn't hired an assistant to do everything himself, after all.

Trent checked his watch, finished the last document on his desk, and set it aside.

"Let's go. I need to change into a fresh suit."

He'd been wearing the same one all day, and with the evening event ahead — who knew how long it would run — a change of clothes made sense.

"Of course, Mr. Smith. I'll go arrange the car now."