Chapter 157

Chapter 157
Aiden's POV

It had been a week since we went to the Pierce Estate, and the genetics lab still hadn't sent the results. I had been overseeing a new project that had consumed most of my time, leaving me unable to follow up during business hours. I should have called them by then, but it had slipped through the cracks of my packed schedule.

But right then, there was something even more concerning.

Over the past week, I had watched Dad and Mommy's nearly non-existent interactions with growing unease. If Dad continued that avoidance pattern, Mommy would inevitably drift away—perhaps even move out. All our efforts would be wasted, and any chance of them getting married would vanish completely.

Mommy had seemed down lately. I had caught her standing by her bedroom window at night, gazing outside—almost certainly watching for Dad's car to pull into the driveway. Her disappointment had been palpable each time she turned away when his headlights didn't appear.

The main issue clearly lay with Dad. Before his birthday, he had been eager to spend time with her—he had even visited her apartment and tried to stay over. Now that she had moved in, he was the one running away. Dad wasn't a coward by nature. The only logical explanation was that he was concerned about his condition and didn't want Mommy to find out. But wasn't that cruel to her too? Why let her suffer then only to leave her with lasting regret over the time they could have spent together?

That was why I had devised a plan to get Dad to reveal his feelings.

On this Saturday night, I had Oliver and Aria keep Mommy in her room while I waited for Dad to come home. Once he had arrived, I texted them to create an excuse for Mommy to step outside her room at precisely the right moment—just in time to hear Dad confess his feelings for her.

The plan had worked, and Mommy knew that Dad actually loved her. But the situation hadn't improved much. It might have been because she still didn't know about Dad's condition. I needed to find another opportunity to reveal that crucial piece of information.

The next morning, Dad had left early. Mommy had seemed uncomfortable too, making up some excuse about needing to water the plants at her apartment before hurrying out. I knew she was just buying time to figure out how to approach Dad. She hadn't gathered enough courage to take the next step—and honestly, I couldn't blame her. Dad's response had been frustratingly cold.

Cedar's POV

The sky had already darkened by the time I returned to the Sterling mansion. Last night's events still made my cheeks burn, and I stepped cautiously into the foyer, only to find the children working on their homework in the living room.

"Mom, you're back!" Aiden set down his textbook and came to greet me. "Have you eaten?"

I nodded, lowering my voice to ask, "Where's your father?"

"Dad isn't home yet," Oliver said, abandoning his homework to join us. He peered up at me with those too-clever eyes of his. "Mom, did you spend the day out just to avoid Dad?"

My face flushed. These little masterminds are too perceptive for their own good.

"Well, looks like Dad wasn't home anyway, so you avoided him for nothing," Oliver continued with a mischievous grin. "You know, Dad's actually more shy than you are. He clearly likes you but won't confess properly. His courage is worse than a schoolgirl's."

I sighed. This wasn't a conversation I particularly wanted to have with a six-year-old. I turned toward the stairs, hoping to escape.

"Mom, wait!" Aria blocked my path.

The three of them surrounded me, forming a miniature intervention circle.

"We need to talk to you," Aiden said solemnly.

Looking at their determined faces, a sense of foreboding washed over me. I swallowed hard. "About what?"

"Haven't you wondered why Dad won't tell you how he feels?" Oliver asked bluntly, always the direct one.

My cheeks warmed again. Isn't it normal not to confess to someone you like? I had a crush on the most popular boy in high school and never told him either.

Aiden stepped forward and took my hand. "Mom, I can tell Dad loves you very much." His voice carried a gravity beyond his years. "Dad isn't typically reserved about his feelings. When he loves someone, he tells them."

"Exactly," Oliver nodded emphatically. "With so many men interested in you, Dad would never risk losing you by staying silent. So why isn't he confessing?"

I blinked in confusion. "Maybe... he doesn't actually like me? Maybe what he said was just a slip of the tongue..."

"Mom, you're just deceiving yourself," Aiden said, his eyes searching mine. "You can feel that Dad loves you. We all see it. He even admitted it himself. And you have feelings for him too, right? So why not just ask him directly what's holding him back?"

Aria crossed her arms. "Mom, if you're scared, I'll go with you."

I massaged my temples gently.

Demanding that a man explain why he won't confess his feelings to me? That's absurd. I could never do something so forward.

My lips parted slightly. "Are your teachers not giving you enough homework? Is that why you have time to think about these things? Perhaps I should call them and suggest they increase your workload."

With that, I fled upstairs, ignoring their knowing looks behind me.

I sat on the balcony, lost in my thoughts as twilight settled over the Gold Coast.

My high school crush seemed so insignificant now—flat as water when I tried to recall those feelings. I couldn't grasp even a fragment of that adolescent infatuation, which paled in comparison to even a thousandth of what I felt for Ridley now.

These days, whenever romance crossed my mind, Ridley's face materialized instantly. His voice would follow, resonating in my memory. And sometimes—more often than I cared to admit—I found myself reliving the sensation of his deep, commanding kiss...

I was thoroughly intoxicated by him.

I'd initially tried to keep my distance, to escape with my heart intact. But then he said those words: "Who says I don't love her?"

If he truly loved me, and I had feelings for him too, why couldn't we give us a chance? At twenty-six, I still didn't know what being in a real relationship felt like. Could we try?

As I rested my chin in my hand, contemplating possibilities, a black Bentley pulled into the driveway. My breath caught in my throat. Like a guilty teenager, I darted back into my bedroom and hastily drew the curtains closed.

It took several minutes for my heart to return to a somewhat normal rhythm. After wrestling with indecision, I finally gathered my courage and opened my door.

Downstairs, the children were still focused on their homework. Charles dozed in an armchair nearby, but there was no sign of Ridley. Hadn't he just arrived? Where could he have gone?

"Looking for something?"

A cool, deep voice startled me from behind. I spun around to find Ridley standing there, his dark, penetrating eyes fixed intently on mine.

My heart skipped a beat as I fumbled for words. "I—I was just checking if the kids finished their homework. When... when did you get back?"

"Just now," Ridley replied coolly. His expression revealed nothing as he added, "If you're not busy, I need to talk with you in my study."

Without waiting for my response, he turned and pushed open the study door, leaving it ajar—an unmistakable invitation.

My nerves immediately kicked into overdrive. What did he want to discuss? Was this about last night?

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I followed him. With trembling fingers, I pushed the door open and stepped inside the room.