waking up with my nemesis' baby novel

Madeleine looked surprised , then frowned . " Roderick probably won't agree . He has ... bad memories . associated with that place . " " What bad memories , Mommy ? " " That's something Roderick should tell you himself later . " Kevin sat back , visibly disappointed , his eyes filled with deep sadness . Madeleine's heart ached again . After a moment's thought , she gritted her teeth . " Alright , I promise you . I'll talk to Roderick . We'll take you ." The light immediately returned to Kevin's eyes . " Really ? Thank you , Mommy ! " " Anything for my sweet boy .

" Madeleine reached out to stroke his hair , but a sharp ache shot through her arm , making her hiss involuntarily . Chapter 40 " Mommy , what's wrong ? " " Nothing , sweetie . Just sore from dancing . " Kevin immediately scrambled onto the sofa and started imitating an adult , trying to massage Madeleine's shoulders and back . But his strength was too little . Even though he gritted his teeth and used all his might , it had little effect . Madeleine chuckled . " Oh , you sweet thing . How did I get such an adorable son ?

" The twenty - something Madeleine had many dissatisfactions with her current life , but the one thing that brought her comfort was this lovely son . Kevin stayed quiet , inwardly frustrated that he was still too small to even properly massage his mother's shoulders or legs . He wondered , " I need Daddy to do that when he gets home . " He's an adult , much stronger than me . " Since Mommy had said Daddy wasn't strong before , this is a chance for him to prove he's strong ." After their conversation , Kevin mentioned he needed to complete his reading and writing exercises in his room .

Madeleine looked puzzled . " Kindergarteners have homework now ? The pressure starts so young ? " Kirsten smiled warmly . " Mr. Kevin sets those goals himself . He's very determined to learn ." " You're kidding ? " Madeleine was genuinely impressed . She wondered , " Where did he get that drive ? " Ricki and I had never been particularly studious as children ." Thinking of Roderick reminded Madeleine of her test results . It was getting late , and Roderick had promised to update her . But he hadn't texted her yet . She picked up her phone and dialed his number .

At that moment , Roderick was reviewing a disturbing report from a subordinate . Their branch office had lost several major contracts , all intercepted by Edward's company . Chapter 40 The subordinate continued nervously , " Sir , I've confirmed with the branch . Their deals were completely confidential . No external parties should have known about them . " Should we launch an internal investigation at both headquarters and the branch ? " Oh yes , last month , your wife did visit the branch office . " Nearby , Gerry's alarm spiked at the mention .

His eyes widened as he cleared his throat , then snapped back irritably , " That's enough speculation ! The partner list wasn't even finalized last month . Stop spreading baseless rumors . " He quickly took the documents from the subordinate . " Get back to work ! " Any longer , his own position might become precarious . The subordinate finally understood his misstep and hurried out . The room fell into heavy silence . Gerry chose his words carefully . " Sir , I'll personally oversee this investigation . We'll have answers shortly . " Roderick massaged his temples without responding .

Chapter 40 Gerry's claim about the partner list was clearly untrue . Everyone was suspecting Madeleine . It wasn't the first time . The Carroll Group and the Livingston Group maintained surface- level cooperation while waging constant corporate warfare behind the scenes . The previous Madeleine , always favoring Edward , had frequently passed confidential information to him , trying to win his approval . While these leaks never crippled the Livingston Group , each one required significant effort to contain . Sometimes , even Gerry wondered how much longer this could continue .

As Gerry waited anxiously for a response , unable to gauge his thoughts , a phone rang on the desk . Glancing at the caller ID showing Madeleine's name , he quickly excused himself . The phone continued ringing persistently . Roderick took a deep breath before answering . " Yes ? * His voice was cold , but Madeleine noticed only his delayed response . " What have you been doing ? No report , no answered calls . " Madeleine curled her lip . " Are you really that busy ? It's nearly dinner time . " Kirsten had mentioned Roderick's stomach issues would worsen when he skipped meals .

" Quite busy . " Roderick admitted , rubbing his forehead . * The results came this afternoon. Bradley found nothing physically wrong . He thinks it might be psychogenic amnesia . " " Psychogenic amnesia ? What does that mean ? " " Temporary memory loss from psychological trauma . He recommended a psychiatric evaluation . " Madeleine's expression darkened . Chapter 40 Her recent encounter with Nanette had left her wary of mental health professionals . " I don't need that , " she said firmly . " I'm fine as I am .

" She added quietly , almost to herself , " I'd rather lose my memories than see another doctor like Dr. Clark ." She had no idea of letting Roderick hear it . Roderick barely caught the reference to Nanette . He wondered , " Nanette ? " Did I already remove her as Kev's therapist? They crossed paths again ? " " Never mind that . Are you coming home for dinner ? What should I tell Kirsten to prepare ? " Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Cedella Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter.

With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella's storytelling style is immersive and addictive-perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.