Chapter 534
Richie couldn’t fully understand what Chris was saying, but from the look on his father’s face, he could tell it was something good.
He clapped his little hands happily.
“Daddy. Daddy p>
Chris caught Richie’s small hands and enclosed them in his own.
“Yeah. Daddy’s back p>
Then he looked up at the security camera in the corner of the room.
The camera had captured everything just now, from the moment Richie stood up to his first few steps.
They had installed the cameras so they could keep an eye on Richie more easily.
Chris had never expected them to come in handy like this.
“Save that part of the footage and send it to Winnie from your phone,” he said to Gavin.
Gavin paused.
Before he could ask why Chris didn’t just send it himself, Chris lowered his eyes to Richie, who was resting his head against his chest.
“She blocked me and never added me back p>
Gavin fell silent for a second.
“Okay. I’ll send it p>
Mr. White lowered his head and smiled quietly to himself.
That night, Chris gave Richie a bath, wrapped him in a towel, and dried him off.
Mr. White prepared a bottle and carried it into the master bedroom.
Chris was sitting on the edge of the bed with Richie in his arms. He was shirtless, with only a dark gray towel wrapped around his waist, and he was rubbing lotion onto Richie’s skin.
“Crawl p>
Richie wriggled free of his arms and rolled around naked on the large bed, his round little bottom bouncing as he
went.
Mr. White couldn’t help laughing.
“Come here p>
Chris reached out and easily scooped the little escape artist back into his arms.
The scene felt strangely out of character.
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The man taking care of the baby was Chris Xander, someone powerful enough to make most people keep their distance.
And yet somehow, the whole scene felt incredibly warm.
Even the bedroom, once decorated almost entirely in cool, muted tones, was now filled with bright, playful
touches.
Two board books sat on the nightstand.
“My Dad” and “My Mom” were Richie’s favorites.
A stuffed bear lay on Chris’s pillow, and a small blue toddler pillow rested beside it.
Before Chris was detained, he had been the one who put Richie to bed every night.
While he was gone, Mr. White had taken over.
But now that Chris was back, Richie refused to let go of him once bedtime came around.
He kept mumbling, “Daddy. Sleep p>
Chris pulled him back into his arms.
This time, Richie settled down and sat quietly while Chris dried his hair.
After finishing his milk, Richie tossed the bottle aside and crawled toward the head of the bed.
He picked up one of the board books from the nightstand, glanced at it, tossed it aside, then grabbed the other
one.
“Daddy. Mommy p>
Chris looked at the cover.
Richie wanted him to read “My Mom p>
“Let Daddy get dressed first. Then I’ll read it to you p>
Chris handed the bottle to Mr. White and went into the walk-in closet.
By the time he came back in his pajamas, Richie had already fallen asleep.
The little boy was still hugging “My Mom” against his chest.
Chris gently eased the book out of his arms.
Richie’s soft lips moved slightly in his sleep.
“Mommy p>
Chris lay down and pulled Richie gently into his arms.
The lights went out one by one.
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In the darkness, Chris whispered, “Daddy misses Mommy too p>
Across the ocean, Winter sat holding her phone, replaying the video Gavin had sent her over and over again.
It was security footage from Blackwood Manor.
William knocked and came in.
He found her sitting by the window, quietly wiping away tears.
When she saw him, she turned and smiled.
There were still tears in that smile, along with tenderness and pride she couldn’t hide.
“My Richie can walk now p>
Her voice trembled slightly.
“He did so well on his very first try p>
She smiled through her tears.
“That’s my boy p>
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Sara Lili
Sara is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.