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?"

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

had been back for a while,

ready, and it was forced onto her

ring on her middle finger. "Molly, we used to mock the

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

got a diamond ring. I still don't understand why Andre spent a fortune on a

son and preparing to hand him over for feeding, paused to eavesdrop

mall, Andre appeared, cuddling

made his way to a DR jewelry counter. The crowd huddled around the display, but when he

Was that Andre holding a child? Andre, of

interested in the rings, ignoring the stunned onlookers as he held his son close

mother and then taken out by his father, was

caught the

are you looking at rings for?" the

buying for my wife,"

manager glanced at the little tyke in Andre's arms, a

succinctly,

This adorable little bundle was Andre's son? But it made sense; only a precious few would be held

wives at their side. This was the first time seeing someone pick out a ring for his wife while holding his

guys really only sell one ring per man

Andre, that's our

the right place. He pointed

lifted his son up to get his

one

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

little one

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

one cooed in

out his ID and bank card. "We'll go with

to sign his wife's information with one hand.

little guy ended up sprawling in his father's arms; after all, as someone's baby, he

the