Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Molly slouched into her family's suburban home, her head hanging low. As soon as she stepped through the door, she locked eyes with her dad, Hansen. Father and daughter stared at each other, a heavy silence between them.

It was that damned fate - you always run into the person you least want to see.

"Dad, there's no such thing as a grudge that can't be mended between father and daughter, right?" Molly ventured.

"There is," Hansen replied curtly.

Jade was at a loss for words; why wasn't her dad following the script?

"Should I... go kneel in front of mom's portrait for a while?" Molly asked tentatively.

"Do that."

Jade: ""

She realized then, the whole 'like father, like daughter' thing was in full swing in the Cedillo household.

Defeated, Molly trudged upstairs and knelt before her late mother's photo.

So engrossed was she in her act of penance that her sisters didn't even notice she was home.

It wasn't until dinner when an extra plate appeared on the table that one of her sisters remarked, "Huh, when did you get back?" She had spent the whole afternoon in her room, video-calling her kids and Anya, oblivious to her best friend's return. Molly felt drained, too scared to speak up.

Andre had returned as well and was holding his mischievous son during dinner.

At the table, Molly didn't dare lift her head to meet her family's gaze.

However, the family didn't scold her again, and everyone dispersed after the meal.

Hansen had calmed down and had started to accept the situation.

Bruce, nagged by his wife, had also come around.

And Andre... had been forced to let it go.

Molly was uneasy. "Mia, do you think Dad and my brothers are just holding their breath, waiting to drop some big bombshell?"

has Naomi to keep him in check, and Andre just got over a spat with me and doesn't dare stir things up again. So, everyone's just going with it now." Molly regretted it. "I

been back for

ring was ready, and it

grabbed her hand and examined the ring on her middle finger. "Molly, we used to

sighed. "He thinks it's romantic, making a once-in-a-lifetime gesture with this custom ring, buying into their slogan about

still don't understand why Andre spent a fortune on

to hand him over for feeding, paused

shopping mall, Andre appeared, cuddling a well-wrapped

the display, but

Andre holding a child? Andre, of all people,

seemed genuinely interested in the rings, ignoring the stunned onlookers as he

by his mother and then taken out by his father,

the attention

sir, who are you looking at rings for?"

wife," Andre replied while

the little tyke in Andre's arms, a bit incredulous. "And this would

answered succinctly, "My

bundle was Andre's son? But it made

at their side. This was the first time seeing

you guys really only sell one

Andre, that's our

in the right place.

Andre considered it for a moment, then lifted his son up

one

both settled on a 70-point round diamond ring they couldn't take

Ah-ah!" the little one exclaimed

held the ring under the light. "We'll take this for your

chance, the little one cooed in agreement

Andre pulled out his ID and bank card.

he was holding his son, Andre managed to sign his wife's information with one hand. A simple action that caused

all, as someone's baby, he had no say in how

the Cedillo