Chapter 551
In the dark, Chris’s phone suddenly rang…
He stayed leaning against the wall for several seconds before finally pulling it from his pocket.
The glow from the screen lit up his pale face.
He answered.
“What p>
The irritation in his voice was obvious enough to surprise Dominic.
“What’s with the attitude?” Dominic clicked his tongue. “What did ever do to you p>
Chris let out a slow breath.
“She’s back p>
Dominic went quiet for a second.
“Winter p>
The moment the question left his mouth, he realized how pointless it was.
Who else in the world could affect Chris this much?
Dominic had to admit that Winter really knew how to make an entrance.
She disappeared without a word, and the moment she came back, she threw Chris completely off balance.
“What did she do to you?” Dominic asked lazily, a teasing edge in his voice.
Chris heard the click of Dominic’s lighter on the other end of the line.
For some reason, the sound made his irritation flare.
Two months ago, Dominic had been a complete wreck.
Now he was the one taking shots at Chris.
“When are you planning to show yourself?” Chris asked coldly. “Or are you just going to keep watching Lily from the shadows and make sure she never knows you’re there p>
Silence.
Several seconds passed before Dominic gave a cold laugh.
“I only called to tell you I’ll be back in time for Richie’s birthday. You think I actually wanted to call you p>
His voice sharpened.
* “Winter really should’ve brought some guy back to Liono City with her. Maybe then you’d finally do
something about that rotten attitude of yours p>
Dominic didn’t even get the last word out before Chris hung up.
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Chris tightened his grip around the phone.
Then he heard movement near the stairs.
Everyone else had quietly cleared out of the main house.
Even General had been taken away by Gavin.
That left Winter alone with her suitcase.
She rolled it to the bottom of the stairs and only then realized how heavy it actually was.
It hadn’t seemed like much while she was wheeling it around.
Carrying it upstairs was another story.
The elevator in the main house was probably still shut down to keep Richie from wandering into it.
Winter tightened her grip on the handle and let out a small breath as she prepared to lift it.
Then a tall figure appeared at the top of the stairs.
Her hand froze around the suitcase handle.
Chris came down without a word.
He stopped a couple of steps above her, his broad shoulders blocking part of the light.
Then he leaned down slightly.
With one easy motion, he gently moved her fingers away from the handle and lifted the suitcase himself.
“I’ve got it p>
Before Winter could react, he was already halfway up the stairs.
He moved so quickly it was almost ridiculous.
Winter hurried after him.
Not to take the suitcase back.
Just to thank him.
“Thanks p>
Chris set the suitcase down outside Richie’s room.
Then he looked at her.
She was standing beside him, looking directly at him without trying to hide it.
For some reason, that simple thank-you grated on him.
But he had no choice except to accept it.
“It was nothing. Get some rest p>
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Originally, the second floor of the main house had only had two bedrooms.
One had belonged to Chris
The other had belonged to Winter.
There had also been two studies.
Later, after Winter set fire to the main house and it was rebuilt, the layout changed.
There was only one bedroom left, along with the two studies and one spare room.
That spare room eventually became Richie’s room.
It was even larger than Chris’s.
Chris returned to his own bedroom.
After showering, he sat down on the couch.
There was a security camera in Richie’s room.
Gavin had access to it.
So did Mr. White.
The thought crossed Chris’s mind.
A second later, Chris reached for his phone on the nightstand and opened the camera app.
Gavin and Mr. White both had access, but Chris was the one who managed the system.
He removed their access.
Now he was the only one who could view the feed.
Not that he was trying to spy on anyone.
He was Richie’s father. Checking the camera to make sure his son was sleeping peacefully was perfectly
normal.
At least, that was how Chris justified it.
Before he could think better of it, he opened the live feed.
The screen stayed black.
The camera had been unplugged.
He did not have to guess who had done it.
Winter had.
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Chapter Be
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.