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?"

got over a spat with me

Mia learned Molly had been back for a while, only to be scared into accepting

ring was ready, and it was forced onto

ring on her middle finger. "Molly, we used to mock the marketing of this brand, but Chad fell

once-in-a-lifetime gesture with this custom ring, buying into their slogan

least you got a diamond ring. I still don't understand why Andre spent

now-awake son and preparing to hand him over for feeding, paused to eavesdrop on his

a major shopping mall, Andre appeared, cuddling a well-wrapped little

his way to a DR jewelry counter. The crowd huddled around the display,

Was that Andre holding a child?

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

his mother and then taken out by his father, was

caught the attention of the

looking at rings for?"

my wife,"

tyke in Andre's arms, a bit incredulous.

answered succinctly, "My

Andre's son? But it made sense; only a precious few would be held

usually with their wives at their side. This was the first time seeing someone pick out a ring for his wife while holding his son-and that someone was Andre! Indeed,

really only sell

that's our unique selling

seemed relieved he was in the right place. He pointed to a ring, silently conveying

lifted his son

little one was

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

one exclaimed from

under the light. "We'll take

one cooed in agreement

out his ID and bank card.

to sign his wife's information with one hand. A simple action that caused quite a

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

the