Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 590

Molly, the spirited gal with a penchant for zipping around on her sunshine-yellow Vespa, found herself in a bit of a pickle one day. "You're anything but innocent," she fumed. "I mean, you should be giving Anya some sisterly advice at home! Keep her from hanging out alone with guys! Lucky for her, she ran into a gentleman like Leo. If it had been anyone else, who knows what kind of trouble she could've been in." She shot a glare at Chad's retreating figure to punctuate her rant.

Officer Chad, her unwitting target, didn't have a word to say in his defense. He quietly twisted the cap off Molly's thermos, letting the steam from the hot water rise into the chilly air.

The sisters chatted a bit longer until Mia's son woke up, on the verge of crying. She quickly ended the call with Molly.

Sure enough, the baby's cries soon followed, loud but tear-free.

Anya and Leo, meanwhile, were catching up on their sleep in their respective rooms. Leo was still mulling over his uncle's cryptic hints. Did his uncle know or not?

Deciding to play it cool, Leo figured he'd act clueless until his uncle made the first move. After all, his uncle was cunning; maybe he didn't know about Leo's hacking skills and was just waiting for Leo to slip up and confess. Leo's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but eventually, sleep won out, and he dozed off.

Molly's teeth chattered as she posed for wedding photos on that bitterly cold winter day. But in the name of beauty, she braved the chill.

"The groom kisses the bride, capture the setting sun, cast a shadow," the photographer directed, adjusting the couple's stance.

Molly protested, "No one said anything about kissing photos."

The photographer shrugged, "I'm just telling you now. We go with the flow, not a checklist. Look at this gorgeous day we've got, and this spot by the beach is perfect. This scene is too beautiful to waste with the sunset and the waterfront."

The day's shoot was set at the seaside, a location Chad had chosen. Normally indifferent about wedding details, his only stipulation was that Molly didn't get cold feet. But when it came time to pick their photo package, he spoke up, "Molly, how about we shoot at the beach?"

Jade, who always liked to stand out, questioned, "Isn't that a bit cliché? Won't there be too many other couples?"

Chad seemed so fond of that beachfront that Molly, with her soft heart, couldn't bear to disappoint him. She promptly agreed to the seaside photoshoot.

Upon arriving that morning, they saw several other couples taking wedding photos. Molly teased, "Chad, what kind of cliché spot is this? You know, I almost drowned at sea once..." She cut herself off, then sighed, "Oh well, let's just do the beach shoot."

It was at that beach where they first met, where he had rescued her from the waves and taken her home, nurturing and cherishing her for over a decade.

Chad knew Molly had caught on. He simply watched her with a tender smile, while she blushed and muttered under her breath, clearly flustered.

As the day wound down and the sun began to set, the photographer, enamored with the golden hour, made a request.

This request, it turned out, was something Molly secretly adored!

"All right," she agreed.

Holding up her heavy gown, Molly turned to Chad, "I haven't said yes yet."

Chad, who couldn't stand to see himself in a tight spot, said, "If you're not comfortable, we don't have to do it. You can ignore my response." Unable to bear the thought of Chad feeling put out, Molly didn't realize she had fallen into a trap, "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Out of Molly's sight, Chad's lips curled into a sly grin, his eyes on her like a wolf eyeing a rabbit-it was only a matter of time before she was his. "Let's start."

Molly's heart raced as Chad stood before her. "Wait, photographer, can you, like, hurry it up?"

Her eyes fluttered shyly.

"Don't worry, trust in my skills," assured the photographer.

Though Molly trusted the photographer's skills, Chad was another story.

He boldly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into a fierce kiss.

The photographer, witnessing the scene, set down his camera... this seemed more like a forceful kiss than a sweet one.

The first kiss was too wild; the second time, Officer Chad obscured the view. The third attempt, the pose was all wrong...

Molly ended up with a scowl after being kissed so forcefully, and she playfully punched Chad, "You did that on purpose!" She always realized too late that she had been duped by Chad's schemes.

By the end of the day, as the sun dipped lower, the beach cleared, leaving only them.

In that moment, the beach seemed to belong solely to them. Molly ran after Chad along the shore, trying to hit him.

The photographer, finding this scene far more captivating than any posed shot, eagerly snapped photos, encouraging them, "Keep going, yes, that's it, chase him, just like that, hit him."

Exhausted, Molly stopped, hands on hips, too tired to run anymore, and bent over, gasping for breath.

Chad, unfazed, contemplated Molly's stamina with a hint of mischief.

"Tired already?"

She nodded, "Can't go on."

Chad effortlessly scooped up Molly in her bridal gown, "Can't walk? I'll carry you."

"Yes, yes, that's perfect, stay still, let me get this shot," the photographer exclaimed, capturing the natural affection and beauty of the moment, with the setting sun creating a stunning backdrop and the sea bearing witness to it all. It was late when they finally headed home.

Molly, starving after the long shoot, lost four pounds but made up for it with a feast of steaks and pies at home. Within two meals, she had regained all the weight.

Distraught, Molly cried, "It's not fair! I starved for days and just two meals later, all the weight's back. I still have to fit into my wedding dress. If I gain any more, it won't zip up!"

Coleen teased, "You couldn't resist, could you? You polished off that pot roast, not even leaving a bone for a dog. That chicken casserole, you ate half by yourself, plus two servings of scalloped potatoes. Even your brother couldn't stop you. If you don't gain weight, who will?"

As Molly contemplated another round of dieting, Officer Chad, true to form, resorted to his old ways in the dead of night.

Molly was desperately trying to catch some Z's, but Chad was making it impossible. He was propped up against her headboard, his arms wrapped around her in a way that she couldn't wriggle free. His phone was the source of her torment, playing video after video, each one a grim tale of young girls who'd gone to extremes to lose weight. "See this?" he said, pointing to the screen. "This girl's your age. She dieted so hard, she ended up needing her stomach removed."

"And check out this one," he continued, scrolling to the next video. "Tried to slim down, wound up with her immune system shot to hell. Caught a simple cold that turned nasty because her body couldn't fight off the infection. They had to rush her to the ER for open chest surgery."

Molly shuddered, her shoulders involuntarily scrunching up in fear, momentarily forgetting the embrace she was cocooned in.