Chapter 164

Cedar's POV

The day had been brutal. A major client decided to change their entire concept at the last minute, which meant I'd spent the entire afternoon redesigning layouts that should have been finalized weeks ago. As I packed up my design portfolio and shut down my computer, my neck and shoulders screamed in protest. I hadn't even managed a coffee break.

Stepping outside Wright Creatives into the crisp Chicago evening, I rolled my shoulders and contemplated whether I had enough energy to cook dinner or if this was another takeout night.

"Mommy!"

I looked up to see Oliver racing toward me, his little legs pumping furiously and his face flushed with excitement. Behind him, Charles was walking at a more dignified pace with Aria, who was holding his hand and looking like a perfect little ballerina in her pink dress with her hair in two neat braids.

"Oliver? Aria?" I crouched down just in time for Oliver to crash into my arms. "What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to go to the restaurant early!" Oliver exclaimed, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "We couldn't wait, so we asked Charles to bring us!"

I glanced up at Charles, who gave me a formal nod. "Miss Wright, the children were most insistent about collecting you."

"Let's go have dinner together!" Aria said softly, her voice musical as always.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise." I ruffled Oliver's hair and stood up.

Charles opened the car door with practiced grace. "I've taken the liberty of reserving a table at La Bella, if that meets your approval."

La Bella was one of those upscale Italian restaurants that somehow managed to be both elegant and comfortable.

When we arrived, Charles mentioned he needed to park the car and would join us shortly. I led the children into the restaurant, where a hostess escorted us to a window table. The warm lighting cast a golden glow over the dark wood furniture, and the soft murmur of conversation created a pleasant backdrop.

After we ordered, Oliver suddenly jumped up. "I need to use the bathroom!"

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked.

"No way!" He puffed out his chest. "I'm a big boy now." He dashed off toward the back of the restaurant.

I chatted with Aria about her dance lessons while we waited, but after nearly ten minutes passed with no sign of Oliver, I began to worry. Just as I was about to go look for him, I spotted a familiar figure entering the restaurant.

Ridley stood in the doorway, his tall frame impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit that emphasized his broad shoulders. And beside him—my heart skipped—was Aiden, looking every bit the miniature version of his father.

As they approached our table, I couldn't hide my surprise. "Ridley? Aiden? What are you doing here?"

Aiden gave me a polite nod. "Mommy, what a coincidence."

I turned to Ridley, confused. "I thought you were working late tonight?"

A flicker of something—discomfort?—crossed his face before he composed himself. "I finished earlier than expected."

"Since we've run into each other," Ridley said coolly, "we might as well dine together." Without waiting for my response, he took the seat directly across from me and signaled a waiter to add to our order.

Aiden slid into the chair next to Aria. The two exchanged a look that set off alarm bells in my head.

"We need to use the bathroom too," Aria announced suddenly, grabbing Aiden's hand.

"Together," Aiden added, and before I could say anything, they had disappeared around the corner.

That's when realization dawned. This wasn't a coincidence—it was an ambush. I sat awkwardly across from Ridley, who seemed completely unfazed by the situation, as if dining alone with me was the most natural thing in the world.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with a text. From Oliver:

[Mommy, sorry! We took some tiramisu and grilled fish to go. Charles is taking us home. Enjoy your dinner with Daddy! ❤️]

I sighed and looked up at Ridley. "The children and Charles have gone home."

"Hmm." That was his only response, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Well, we've already ordered," I said with an awkward laugh. "Can't just leave now."

Throughout dinner, I kept feeling his gaze on me, but whenever I looked up, he seemed absorbed in cutting his food or sipping his wine. The silence between us was punctuated only by the clink of silverware against plates.

When I tasted the seafood risotto, I couldn't help but exclaim, "This is amazing!"

For some reason, on an impulse, I placed a spoonful of risotto on his plate. "You should try it."

When I looked up, I caught his intense gaze, and something fluttered in my chest. Ridley took a bite, nodded slightly, then cut several pieces of his perfectly cooked lamb and placed them on my plate.

"Thank you," I murmured, focusing intently on my food to avoid meeting his eyes again.

We returned to the Sterling mansion in silence. The house was unusually quiet—no sounds of children playing or running around. Ridley settled in the living room with a financial newspaper while I went upstairs to check on the kids.

I found Charles in the hallway. "Are the children asleep?"

"Yes, Miss Wright," he confirmed. "They've retired for the evening."

I nodded and headed toward my room, only to find the door wouldn't open. I turned the handle and pushed, but it remained firmly shut.

"What's going on?" I asked, turning to Charles who had followed me.

"Oh, my sincere apologies," Charles said, looking distressed. "The wind was quite strong this afternoon. I believe a window was left open, causing the door to slam shut. The lock appears to be jammed."

"Is there another guest room I can use?" I asked.

Charles shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid the other rooms are locked. We'll need a locksmith tomorrow."

I sighed inwardly, suspecting this was yet another orchestrated scenario.

"The only available room is Mr. Sterling's," Charles said. "I'm certain he wouldn't mind." With that, he quickly disappeared down the hallway before I could question him further.

My face burned as I went downstairs. Ridley was still sitting on the sofa, seemingly engrossed in his newspaper.

"Where are you going?" he asked as I passed by.

"My room is locked. I need to go back to my apartment," I said, trying to sound casual.

"It's late." He finally lowered his paper. "Take my room. I'll sleep on the couch."

"That's too much trouble. I can really just go home," I insisted.

Ridley looked at me directly. "That would disappoint Charles and the children."

I gave a wry smile. "You know they planned this, right? I can understand the kids being mischievous, but why do you let your staff get away with it too?"

"Charles is different," Ridley's voice softened slightly. "He's family. My father died when I was young. Charles cares about me like a father."

His words touched something in me. I knew what it was like to grow up without parents' caring, to yearn for that sense of family.

"Alright," I finally conceded. "I'll go freshen up first."

In Ridley's spacious bathroom, I realized all my pajamas were locked in my own room. I hesitated for a moment before calling out.

"Ridley? Do you have any sleepwear I could borrow?"

I heard his footsteps approaching from the direction of his closet, then he appeared in the doorway, holding out a soft navy bathrobe.

"This should work. I only wore it once," he said, his eyes meeting mine briefly before looking away.

"Thanks," I took the robe, my cheeks warming as I clutched the soft fabric that still carried a faint trace of his scent.

Just then, a distinct click echoed through the room. Ridley's head turned sharply toward the bedroom door. He walked over, tried the handle, then turned back to me.

"It seems we're locked in."

I stood frozen in the bathroom doorway, clutching his bathrobe, wondering how this evening had spiraled so completely out of my control.