Chapter 537
Chapter 537
The moment Olivia got out of the car, she saw Chris crouching beside Richie.
After helping him drink some water, Chris wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Olivia had worked at the hospital for years and met all kinds of parents. Chris was one of the few fathers she had seen who was genuinely attentive and thoughtful in every little detail.
Then again, he had always been surprisingly good with children.
Years ago, when they had been undercover on the island, there had been several other families there. A few of the kids were especially rowdy, but after spending just one day with Chris, they had all settled down and started listening to him.
From ten–year–olds all the way down to toddlers, every kid there had called him Roy, the name he had used while undercover.
It was only later that Olivia learned the name had a special connection to Winter.
Of course, looking after those children was completely different from raising Richie.
As a father, Chris could hardly have been more devoted or responsible.
Winter had been lucky to meet a man who could love their child this well.
“Mr. Xander. Richie p>
Olivia walked over.
Richie pulled the straw of his sippy cup from his mouth, tipped his head back, and smiled brightly at her.
“Aunt Olivia p>
“Good boy p>
Olivia’s expression softened.
She took the cup from him, closed the lid, and set it aside.
She had already cleaned her hands with a sanitizing wipe before getting out of the car.
Then she crouched beside Richie and gently took one of his little hands.
“I haven’t seen you for a whole week, and you’ve gotten even chubbier. Looks like Richie’s been eating all his meals and drinking his milk like a good boy. Great job p>
“Great job. Good boy!” Richie repeated happily.
Chris stood with Richie in his arms.
“He’s tired from walking. We were about to go inside and let him rest for a while p>
Olivia was still holding Richie’s hand, so she stood as well.
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+15 Bonus
Standing beside Chris, she realized this was the closest she had been to him since coming to Liono City.
For some reason, he even seemed a little taller than he had ten years ago.
Richie let go of Olivia’s hand and wrapped both arms around Chris’s neck.
His fingers idly brushed through the short hair at the back of Chris’s head.
Feeling the soft touch of Richie’s hands, Chris suddenly stopped walking.
Richie had just spent the past few minutes petting General’s head and back with both hands.
Chris frowned slightly and let out a quiet sigh.
The first thing he did after going inside was take Richie to wash his hands.
Richie was much sturdier now, so Chris simply tucked him under one arm and thoroughly washed both sides of his little hands.
Then he lifted them to his nose and gave them a sniff.
“Mr. Xander, General really isn’t that dirty,” Mr. White reminded him.
Chris gave a quiet hum and handed Richie over.
“Take him to Dr. Carter for his checkup. I’m going upstairs to shower p>
On his way upstairs, Chris passed General.
General barked at him twice.
Mr. White carried Richie to the small exam room that had been set up specifically for Olivia’s weekly visits.
Richie knew exactly what to do.
He cooperated so naturally, moving through each part of the exam with practiced ease, that Olivia’s hand paused for a moment.
A child this young shouldn’t have been so familiar with medical examinations.
It was easy to imagine how much he had gone through for those movements to have become almost automatic.
Olivia pushed down the ache in her chest and continued the exam.
Once she finished, Gavin handed her an envelope.
Judging by its thickness, there was no need to open it to know it contained a generous amount of money.
“Dr. Carter, this is for your time. Thank you for coming all the way out to Blackwood Manor p>
Olivia paused, then accepted it without making a fuss.
“You don’t have to thank me. Keeping an eye on Richie’s recovery is part of my job p>
Gavin nodded and gestured toward the door.
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“Mrs. Xander isn’t home, so we won’t keep you for lunch today. I’ll walk you out.
“All right. Thank you p>
Olivia followed him out of the house.
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.