Chapter 576
“Happy birthday, sweetheart. I hope you stay happy and healthy and have nothing but good things ahead of you p>
She opened the box.
Inside was a delicate necklace with a tiny silver bell pendant.
Wendy fastened it around Richie’s neck.
It fit him perfectly.
Richie immediately grabbed the little bell and gave it a shake.
It made a soft, cheerful jingle.
“Thank you, Aunt Wendy!” he said with a huge smile.
He shook it again, clearly delighted by the sound.
Wendy’s heart melted.
“Oh my gosh, how are you this cute? I can’t handle it. Come here and give me a hug p>
As Gavin headed outside, he could still hear Wendy cooing over Richie behind him.
Her voice gradually faded as he walked away without looking back.
After letting Richie go back to his toys, Wendy and Winter talked for a while.
Across the room, Chris watched Winter’s expression shift from mischievous to barely holding back laughter.
Chris watched her for a few seconds before looking away and finally answering the phone that had been ringing.
The person overseeing the Voyager sounded excited.
“Mr. Xander, the Voyager has officially set sail p>
Chris’s expression remained calm.
“Good p>
At the same time, Wendy’s phone buzzed.
She checked it and saw a livestream link that another reporter had posted in their group chat.
The Voyager was beginning its maiden voyage.
Wendy leaned closer to Winter and showed her the screen.
“I heard people saying Chris had this cruise ship built as Richie’s birthday present. Is that true p>
Wind rushed through the livestream as snow fell over the gray sea.
A massive cruise ship cut through the waves.
Winter’s eyes settled on the name painted across the hull.
Voyager.
“Richie spent so much time confined to that tiny isolation room,” she said quietly. “The ship is supposed to represent freedom. Until he can go out and see the world for himself, it can do that for him p>
Wendy immediately understood.
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Then she looked at Winter and felt a sudden ache in her chest.
Winter had understood the meaning behind the ship without needing Chris to explain it.
She knew him that well.
Two people who understood each other so deeply should have had a very different ending.
If not for everything that had happened between their families, Wendy could only imagine how happy they might have been.
She sighed to herself.
“Whatever else happened between you two, Chris really is a good father p>
She paused.
“And I don’t mean because of the money or what he can afford to give Richie. He puts real thought into everything he does for him. You can tell how much he loves him p>
Winter lowered her eyes.
“He is a good dad p>
And that was exactly why she could never bring herself to fight him for sole custody of Richie.
Mr. White had just returned with the doctors after showing them around the snowy grounds.
Everyone sat together drinking tea and chatting.
Winter glanced at the time.
It was almost time for lunch.
Winter picked Richie up and handed him to William.
“Take him to wash his hands, Uncle William p>
“Got it p>
William shifted Richie easily onto one arm.
He had to give Chris credit. Richie was sturdy, healthy, and clearly well cared for.
Winter walked past a square column and through an arched doorway.
Then she stopped.
A short distance away, Olivia was standing beside Chris near a rose window draped with sheer beige curtains.
Winter couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Chris wore his usual cool, unreadable expression.
Then, as if he sensed her watching, he looked up.
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Chapter 576
Winter met his gaze without flinching.
Blackwood Manor’s main house was enormous. Saying the first floor had endless ways to get around would have been an exaggeration, but this was hardly the only route to the dining room.
She had simply happened to take this one.
And, just her luck, she had run into them.
Chris’s brows drew together slightly.
He pulled one hand from his pocket, and Olivia immediately sensed the mood around hita turn colder.
He had clearly expected Winter to turn around and take another route.
But after the briefest pause, she simply kept walking toward them.
The house was warm, and Winter had dressed beautifully that day.
She wore a fitted lake-blue dress with a mock neck. The skirt was full and flowing, swaying around her legs as she walked and occasionally revealing a pair of slim white heels underneath.
Her long hair was pinned loosely into a bun at the back of her head. A few strands had fallen free around her face, but instead of looking messy, they softened the already graceful line of her jaw.
There was something effortlessly sensual about her.
“Dr. Carter p>
Winter gave Olivia a polite nod.
Chris watched her closely.
“Ms. Scott,” Olivia replied.
“I only found out today that you’re the one who comes by every week for Richie’s checkups. I should thank you again p>
At that, Chris’s gaze shifted slightly toward her.
Olivia smiled.
“You’ve already thanked me. Besides, I haven’t done anything special p>
“It’s obvious Richie likes you. That says a lot. You must be good with him, not just good at your job p>
Richie had inherited his personality from both Winter and Chris, probably about half from each of them.
And neither Winter nor Chris was the type to warm up to people easily.
Earlier, when the medical team arrived at Blackwood Manor, Olivia had been the first person Richie called out to.
That alone made it obvious how much he liked her.
Olivia’s smile deepened, and she looked a little embarrassed.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“When Mr. Xander gave the medical team a month off, one of my senior colleagues originally wanted to stay behind and handle Richie’s follow-ups p>
She smiled.
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Chapter 578.
“But Richie specifically asked for me. I guess the two of us just clicked p>
So that was it.
Winter nodded with an easy smile.
She lifted one hand in a casual gesture.
“It’s about time. We should head to the dining room p>
“Okay p>
Olivia glanced out of the corner of her eye at Chris, whom Winter had completely ignored.
They had only taken a couple of steps when Winter seemed to remember something.
She looked back at him.
“Mr. Xander, aren’t you coming p>
Chris stared at her in silence.
His dark eyes were deep and unreadable, almost intense enough to pull everything around him into them.
Then, without warning, he stepped forward and closed a hand around her wrist.
Winter immediately tried to pull free.
Chris looked perfectly calm, but his grip did not budge.
She tried using technique first, then force, but nothing worked.
Only then did she remember that Chris was the one who had taught her most of those moves in the first place.
Trying them on him was like trying to outdo the person who had taught her everything she knew.
Chris’s gaze dropped briefly to the hem of her dress as it shifted.
She looked like she was about to lift a foot.
And he knew very well how hard she could kick.
He looked back at Olivia.
“Dr. Carter, just go over the plan you mentioned with Gavin p>
Olivia’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Okay p>
She looked up at him.
The cool distance in his eyes was even clearer than a direct request for her to leave, and cold enough to make anyone think twice about staying.
Olivia understood immediately.
“I’ll head over first, then 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.