Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 501

Mia Irwin's frown deepened as she sprang up from her husband's lap. "You're being cruel to our son! What kind of father does that?"

Ever since she became a mom, Mia couldn't stand to hear her baby cry, and this time was no different.

Fuming, she headed for the door, only to stop midway. A sudden thought hit her. She spun around, grabbed the diamond bracelet from the table, and defiantly slipped it onto her wrist.

If her thesis was going to flop, she was at least taking something valuable with her.

She shot a disdainful "hmph" at her cold-hearted husband before heading to the door. There, she tenderly picked up her tearful little angel. As she walked, she whispered soothingly, "There, there, baby boy, no more tears. Mama's here to feed you. We don't need your daddy."

Once Mia and her voice faded away, a sly smile crept across Andre Cedillo's austere face.

That night, Mia's silent protest was evident.

When bedtime rolled around, the crib was empty, and so was the master bed.

This was her way of showing her displeasure-sleeping apart for the first time.

Andre went to the guest room to find his wife and child, only to discover the door locked from the inside.

Hearing Andre's footsteps, Mia spoke deliberately to her sleeping son, loud enough for Andre to hear. "Your daddy's a bad man, isn't he? Always picking on us. But don't worry, it's just you and me against the world. Mama will never let you go hungry, unlike some fathers." Andre, on the other side of the door, replied, "You should've kept the bedroom door unlocked. You won't manage alone at night with Henry; just bring him back."

Without another word, Andre walked away.

Mia muttered defiantly to herself, "As if I can't take care of my own child. Underestimating me, huh!"

Late into the night, Mia was frazzled as she tried to calm her crying baby.

Every couple of hours, Andre made his presence known at the guest room door, listening intently. When he heard his son cry, he knocked, "Is he hungry?"

Mia answered through the door, "I can't seem to feed him."

Andre suggested, "Check his diaper."

"It's been changed."

Andre advised again, "Try turning off the lights."

With the room darkened and the moonlight trickling in, the baby finally settled down in his mother's arms, his cries subsiding.

The next day, Molly Cedillo was called to Maplewood Estates to come clean about a brawl. Fearing Andre's wrath, the timid Molly went to the police station to finish her shift and collect her badge.

Still on shaky ground with Chad Byrne, Molly nervously approached his office, hands clasped behind her back, feeling guilty. "You must miss Mia's son, too."

Chad was curt. "Not really."

Without thinking, Molly blurted out, "Henry's gotten so adorable. He's starting to speak now."

Chad offered no reply, leaving Molly in awkward silence.

"Just spit it out. Why are you here?" Chad asked, his patience wearing thin.

"I... Andre knows about the fight. He wants to talk, and I need you to come with me."

Chad stood up, shedding his uniform for a trench coat. "Let's go."

Molly was surprised by Chad's willingness to help without any fuss.

Upon arriving at Maplewood Estates, Leo Cedillo and his cousin exchanged bewildered looks. "What are you doing here?"

Mia, feeling guilty for snitching on them the previous night, hugged her son close and kept out of sight.

With everyone gathered, Andre declared, "Let's have dinner."

At the dinner table, Andre probed the cousins about the fight.

Jade, who learned about her sister's betrayal later, tried to shift the blame. "Andre, your wife is the one who found us. You can't just scold me."

Mia spoke up nonchalantly, "Why do you think I ratted you out last night?"

There was only one logical explanation: Betraying her accomplices might lessen her punishment.

Leo and Molly, fearing reprimand, were on edge. Only the innocent Anya volunteered to share the blame. "Uncle, I was part of the fight, too. I was the logistics for my aunt and Chad, looking after Coleen. Without me, they wouldn't have had the time to—" Before she could finish, Leo's hand reached around from behind and clamped over her mouth. "Anya, just be quiet."

Andre's steely gaze shot toward his nephew, and Leo avoided further eye contact.

Molly shyly revealed the truth.

Upon learning everything, both Mia and Anya were livid. Mia even suggested, "A finger is letting her off too easy. You should've cut out her tongue, so she'd never speak again."

Andre coughed a warning, and Mia immediately tempered her words.

Anya added, "Aunt, let me take care of Coleen, and you can go give them another thrashing."

Under the table, Leo kicked the girl beside him, prompting Anya to bite her tongue and stay silent.

Andre looked at Chad, who reassured him, "I got there in time; no major damage was done. I've already handled things with my aunt and mother. If it comes to the police, I'll make sure they're taken care of."

Molly was taken aback. She had threatened them, yet Chad had intervened on her behalf.

Knowing Chad had acted gave Andre peace of mind.

With the youngsters at home acting impulsively, Andre had his concerns.

After dinner, Andre and Chad had business to discuss and retreated to the study.

Anya and Leo went to check on the baby, leaving Mia and Molly in the living room.

"So, I hear you and Chad are in a cold war?" Mia asked curiously.

"And what about you and Andre sleeping in separate rooms?" Molly countered with her own curiosity.

Mia proposed, "Let's trade stories. You first-what happened between you and Chad?"

Molly explained the situation, ending with a question, "Mia, you've always been one to call it like it is. Did I do something wrong?"

Mia pondered before responding, "If my mom got hurt, I'd definitely want to teach them a lesson. But as an outsider, I think Chad has a reason to be upset. First off, he's a cop. Second, as a brother, he wouldn't want his sister involved in unsavory business." "But I couldn't stand by while my mom suffered."

Mia reasoned, "Chad wouldn't be unprepared. He fought with your high school teachers over a minor grievance. If Coleen ended up in the hospital, how could Chad just stand by? He's discreet because of his job, but that doesn't mean he's inactive."

"They're the kind of guys who play hardball, always taking care of business without making a peep. It's just that he didn't tell you. Think about it, every time something went down, you know Chad and my husband, they'd always take care of it behind our backs. You can't assume that just because you didn't see anything, Chad wasn't on the move."

Molly furrowed her brow, lost in thought. Ever since they were kids, Chad was never one to mince words; he only ever showed his temper to her.

Ever since he joined the force, Chad had become much more discreet in his ways. "So, what you're saying is, I've been wronging Chad?" Mia nodded.