Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 552

After they finished writing their apologies, the cops gave the paperwork a quick once-over. Seeing their remorse seemed genuine enough, they let them go home.

By the time they stepped out of the precinct, night had already wrapped the sky in its inky shroud. Little Henry, the tiny bundle of joy, had been snoozing, then fussing, then nursing, and back to snoozing, blissfully unaware of the day melting into night.

By the time they left those station doors, it wasn't just dark-it was cold. Mia touched her son's tiny fingers, ice-cold to the touch. She was about to shed her own coat to swaddle her boy when Andre beat her to it. He shrugged off his black trench coat, wrapping the little guy into a mini cocoon. ""Honey, you'll be cold," she fretted.

Andre's voice was cool but firm, "I'm fine." No way was he, a grown man, going to let his wife strip off her layers for their son. That'd be admitting defeat!

Dressed in just his thin suit jacket, he scooped up the bundled-up baby and made a beeline for the car. Once inside, Andre cranked the heat up high. Holding his son, he gazed down at the cherubic face peeking out from the folds of his coat, sleeping soundly. Totally oblivious that his very first brush with the law had just been as an infant.

Mia kept mum the whole ride, lips sealed. When the car warmed up, Andre handed the sleeping tot to Mia and drove off, not waiting for his sister. Leo picked up the phone to Anya's call, skipping out before his sister Molly could join him.

Molly stepped out into the cold and without hesitation, slipped her hands into Chad's coat pockets. Chad tolerated every bit of her boldness. Jade looked around the precinct entrance, "Huh, where's my ride?" Her brother had scooped up his family and left, and her nephew had bailed on her. In the end, Molly turned to Chad with hopeful eyes.

Resigned, Chad fished into his pockets, found her icy hand, and led her to his parked car. Molly hopped along behind him, clearly delighted. Midway home, Chad threw her a curveball, "So, not marrying me?"

Molly snapped back with sass, "Nope, not marrying!"

A minute later, Chad pulled the car over, killed the engine, and turned to face her. "Say it again." With an intensity that managed both detainees and his own heart, Chad rarely showed this side to Molly. But today, he demanded an answer, his tone laced with frost. Molly wilted under his gaze. "Why'd you make me write 500 more words than Mia today?" she retorted with feigned defiance.

Chad's voice was low, "Because you were the mastermind today, you deserve the extra punishment."

Molly avoided his eyes but stubbornly protested, "That doesn't mean I should write 500 more words. It's overkill. Why not just 50? You promised me the moon and stars when you wanted to marry me, and now you're showing your true colors before we're even hitched!" Chad was silent, then admitted, "I shouldn't have made you write 500 extra words today."

Molly perked up, "See? You admit you were wrong!"

Chad finished his thought, "I should have made you handwrite 5000 words. Teach you a lesson."

Molly's eyes rolled so hard they nearly got lost. Back in the car, Chad's grip on the steering wheel tightened then relaxed. In the heart of winter, he cracked the window, letting the icy air calm his nerves. Sometimes, Chad wondered about his own sanity for falling for someone as maddening as Molly.

Three minutes later, Molly was shivering again. "Bro, if you love the cold that much, why don't you step outside? Close the window, turn on the heater, and let me warm up a bit."

Chad sighed deeply, shut the window, restarted the car, and drove the rest of the way in silence, dropping Molly off at the Cedillo residence. Hansen had been bored at home all day, everyone he cared for was out and about even his precious grandson Henry was MIA. Finally, he saw his grandson return, but it was Andre carrying the baby with one arm and pulling Mia along with a scowl. "Huh, trouble in paradise?" Hansen's curiosity piqued.

Soon after, his daughter returned, Chad in tow. "Sweetie, did you know... Oh, Chad's here too." Hansen hit the brakes mid-gossip. He eyed the pair, suspecting his daughter had been out on a date with the Byrne lad instead of keeping him company. "Molly, go to your room. Chad and I need to talk."

Molly pouted but couldn't resist a parting shot, "Dad, remember, a true gentleman uses his words, not his fists." Despite her constant teasing, she didn't want Chad hurt. On her way out, Molly still felt the need to remind her dad of the Cedillo way: no roughhousing. Hansen raised his cane in mock threat, and Molly scampered away. Leaving Hansen alone in the living room, leaning on his cane, eyeing the young man who had caught his daughter's fancy.

"Chad, I haven't said no to you dating my girl, but I haven't given my blessing either. You took her out all day. Did you ask my permission?"

Chad replied calmly, "You've misunderstood, Hansen. It wasn't a date. Molly has just come from writing a 2500-word reflection at the police station, and I was merely escorting her home." Hansen's brows furrowed in concern, "Reflection? What happened to my girl?"

Chad recounted the day's events, "The trio-no, quartet got into another scuffle and ended up at the station." Their stories of misadventures and misunderstandings painted a picture quite unlike any ordinary day in the sleepy suburbs-yet it was all in a day's life for this eclectic group of family and friends. "Come off it, there's no way we had four people. Our dear Molly hasn't been home," Hansen retorted, his disbelief clear as day.

Chad spoke slowly, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, strictly speaking, little Henry might be just a baby, but he's still a person, right?"

Hansen was silent, his mind racing. His grandson?!

Seated in the Cedillo family's cozy living room, Chad began to recount the day's events in meticulous detail to Hansen, with a particular emphasis on the shenanigans caused by Molly. His voice took on a teasing tone whenever he mentioned her name, as if he were the big bad wolf delighting in stirring the pot.