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?"

Andre just got over a spat with

that Mia learned Molly had been back

it was forced

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

custom ring, buying into their slogan about loving me for a lifetime. How

a diamond ring. I still don't understand

the staircase, Andre, carrying his now-awake son and preparing to hand

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

around the display, but when he appeared, everyone held their breath, questioning if it was

sales associate froze in shock. Was that Andre holding a child? Andre, of

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

then taken out by his father, was a

arrival caught the attention

looking at rings for?"

wife," Andre replied while

in Andre's arms, a bit incredulous. "And this would be...

answered succinctly,

astounded. This adorable little bundle was Andre's son? But it made sense; only a

plenty of men come to buy engagement rings, usually with their wives at their side. This was the first time seeing someone pick out a ring for his wife while holding his

sell one ring per man

Andre, that's our unique selling

seemed relieved he was in the right place.

a moment, then lifted his son up to get his opinion. "Would this look good on

little one was

a 70-point round

little one exclaimed from Andre's

the light. "We'll take

one cooed in agreement with

Andre pulled out his ID

information with one hand. A simple action that

arms; after all, as someone's baby, he

at the Cedillo