Chapter 41 It’s Daddy
“Mommy, I just saw the most handsome guy!” Felix Carter exclaimed with wide-eyed
wonder.
Scooping her son up gently, Renee settled him into the high chair, her expression turning serious. “Felix, remember, appearances can be deceiving. It’s important not to trust someone just because they look nice, okay?”
“Fine!” Felix chirped, his voice bubbling with the innocence of youth as he started maneuvering his spoon with chubby fingers. Renee watched over her two-year-old, marveling at his precocious sensibility. A pang of sadness tugged at her heart, though. He deserved a joyful, carefree childhood with a loving family, not this nomadic life of uncertainties they were forced into.
The simple pleasures, like sliding down the slides at the park, were luxuries he hadn’t
tasted.
Her eyes misted over with unshed tears as she leaned forward to press a kiss onto his soft forehead. “Be good, Felix. Finish your meal while Mommy goes to change, okay?”
“Mommy, don’t cry.” Felix’s small voice carried a note of concern.
“I’m not crying, baby,” Renee replied quickly, masking her sorrow.
But Felix, perceptive beyond his years, pointed at her. “Mommy, your eyes are all red.”
She stroked his hair tenderly, her voice a whisper. “Just a splash of water in my eyes,
that’s all.”
Resolute, she reminded herself that tears wouldn’t change their situation.
As she turned to get changed, Felix clumsily ran after her, clutching her phone in his
tiny hands.
Watching him, Renee’s worry morphed into mild exasperation. “Felix, you know you shouldn’t run around while eating. You could get hurt,” she stated, her tone soft but
firm.
Felix was a bundle of energy, his sweetness matched only by his boundless spirit—an
athlete in the making, for sure. The flimsy children’s chair stood no chance against his lively antics.
“Mommy, it’s Daddy!” he declared, brandishing the phone with a triumphant grin.
Renee, momentarily caught up in reprimanding her son, barely registered his words until she saw the video call interface on the screen. Hastily, she grabbed a cardigan to drape over her shoulders, her cheeks warming as the man on the other end tried to
stifle a chuckle.
“Felix, hand me the phone, sweetheart. Please go finish your dinner like a big boy,” she
instructed, her tone firmer than intended.
Puzzled and slightly hurt, Felix relinquished the phone, his brow furrowed in confusion
over his mother’s sudden shift in mood.
Renee, clutching the phone, cleared her throat awkwardly, her mind scrambling for something to say to dissolve the tension.
A relaxed voice came through the line. “A little mischief never hurt anyone. Boys will
be boys, after all.”
“Mr. Chadwick, constantly spoiling him doesn’t help. He seems to listen only to you. If
you keep this up, he’ll never take me seriously as he grows,” Renee countered, her voice
laced with concern.
With a soft chuckle, Ryder reassured her, saying, “Don’t worry-I’ve got this. Training soldiers has prepared me well for managing one little rascal. He’ll be just fine.”
“But you won’t always be there to watch him, will you?” Renee pressed, her tone a mix
of jest and earnest.
“Why not? He calls me his daddy, doesn’t he?” Ryder responded with a gentle smile, his confidence unwavering.
Renee was taken aback, her breath catching slightly. She turned her head away,
breaking eye contact, her voice a mere whisper. “But you’re not.”
“Renee Carter.”
The utterance of her full name made her snap to attention, their eyes locking once
more.
Ryder scrutinized her face carefully. It had been merely a week since her return to Tofral, but the change was noticeable-she appeared thinner.
“You haven’t been keeping up with meals, have you?” he inquired, his voice softening with concern.
This unexpected gentleness caught Renee off guard, rendering her speechless for a
moment.
Ryder posed the question casually, as if making small talk. When she didn’t reply, he deftly shifted the conversation. “How’s the mission going?”
Renee’s demeanor instantly shifted to one of professionalism. “Everything is on track. I’ve successfully infiltrated their ranks.”
“It’s challenging with Felix around, isn’t it? I did suggest you leave him with me,” he remarked, a hint of admonishment in his tone.
The moment Felix’s name was brought up, Renee’s voice grew tender without her even realizing it. “It’s okay. I can balance things here. Besides, I can’t be apart from him,” she admitted softly, her attachment evident.
It wasn’t Felix’s ability to adapt that worried her-it was the thought of being without
him that she couldn’t bear.
Ryder chose not to pursue the topic further. After a brief pause, he unexpectedly questioned, “Will you let Felix meet him?”
