The CEO's Mischievous Little Bride
Chapter 209 Randall is a Genius

Patrick set down the bowl and rose to his feet. He went to the bedroom and returned with the candy he had bought for Vera last time. He dropped the candy into the Fire Cider and stirred it. Patrick pushed the candy aside with a spoon and tasted the mixture on his lips for Vera.

It wasn't as awful as before.

So, he picked up the bowl and placed it in front of her. "Don't worry, it's not spicy this time. Open your mouth and drink it."

Seeing his gentle gesture, Vera gave in.

She was now willing to drink the Fire Cider.

She held the bowl with both hands, brought it to her lips, and tilted her head back, drinking it down.

Though he had added sugar, it still tasted unpleasant.

She grimaced and stuck out her tongue.

Patrick smoothed her hair and leaned in to kiss her pink lips right there in the dining room.

The kiss was brief. "Go back."

Indoors, he could do as he pleased.

Vera, lost in his tenderness, gradually fell into his trap.

That night, Patrick tormented Vera beneath him. "You want to find a young man to make me jealous?"

Vera cried, begging for mercy, promising she wouldn't do it again.

She had been so happy when she joked about it, but now she regretted it deeply.

After a "thorough lesson," Vera lay in bed and made a firm vow to Patrick that she would never say such words to anger him again.

"You'll be my good little kitten from now on."

Sweating all over, Vera nodded. "I'll be your good little kitten."

This time, Patrick was much gentler with her.

Vera's painful experience served as a warning to single young women that marriage was not desirable at all. There was no need to yearn for it.

After making love, Vera's breath was hot. For a moment, she wanted to castrate Patrick. However, she didn't dare say it out loud, only daring to fantasize about it in her mind.

Vera was living in a state of turmoil, so much so that she hadn't noticed Mia's recent changes.

Mia had started asking Sebastian for the family photo albums. She would look at the pictures of the little child for a long time each time. It wasn't until someone called her that she would snap out of it.

In the childhood photos, "she" was holding a dog, playing in a wheat field. However, in her memory, no one in the family was allowed to have a dog, and she had never been to a wheat field.

Mia seemed distracted during meals, and Sebastian noticed. He kept all her strange behaviors in mind but didn't mention them.

That night, after Mia had fallen asleep, Sebastian went to Timothy's study.

He rubbed his temples and sat quietly with Timothy. "Timothy, we should tell Mia the truth. She might have figured something out."

Timothy lit a cigarette in the study, and soon the room was filled with smoke.

"Your mom doesn't know about this yet. I'm worried she won't be able to handle the shock."

"Our family has taken fifteen years from her. She has lived as my real sister for fifteen years. Mia deserves to know the truth. Even if it's to repay our debt of saving her life, Mia has repaid it over these fifteen years. If we wait until the Olteran family comes looking for us and Mia finds out then, not only will Mom be unable to handle it, but Mia won't be able to either."

If Mia were told that her loving parents, a brother who cared for and adored her, and her carefree life were all a lie, Sebastian couldn't imagine the changes in the household.

He negotiated with Patrick for a month. He wanted to properly say goodbye to Mia in the last month.

Sebastian picked up a cigarette from Timothy's desk and lit it, smoking irritably.

Timothy also met with Patrick privately to discuss Mia's situation. They had always treated Mia as their own daughter, never letting her suffer any grievances.

If at first, they had taken her as a substitute for the deceased Mia, but then they accepted the reality of the real Mia's death and treated Molly as their own daughter. "Sebastian, I can't bear to lose my daughter either."

Sebastian sighed. "But she is Molly."

A knock on the door interrupted them.

Sebastian and Timothy tensed up immediately. "Who is it?"

Ellie pushed the door open and appeared, her eyes red as she looked at them.

She had heard everything they said.

Ellie choked up. "The Olteran family?"

Ellie had woken up from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat, and had gone to Mia's bedroom.

As she was leaving, she overheard voices coming from Timothy's study.

In recent days, she had also noticed Mia's odd behavior; she often seemed lost in thought.

She had been planning to find an opportunity to talk to her son, but tonight, she had overheard the conversation between her husband and son.

She entered and questioned Timothy and Sebastian.

Sebastian looked at Ellie, worried, and said, "It's Patrick."

Ellie forbade them from telling her the truth. "No one is allowed to take my daughter away."

She was determined to protect Mia, not letting anyone take her away.

Sebastian tried to reason with Ellie. "Mia has been looking at photos a lot lately, asking me about her childhood, and she's been very quiet. It's clear she has something on her mind. She must have figured something out." Ellie's eyes were bloodshot as she commanded Sebastian, "You should not tell her."

"Mom! Get a grip. Molly can't take the place of Mia forever."

Ellie couldn't stay calm; all she knew was that her daughter was about to be taken away.

Their argument in the study ended unpleasantly, and Timothy eventually told Sebastian to leave. He and Ellie stayed behind in the study.

The next day, Patrick was dropping Vera off at school when they happened to run into Ellie, who was there to drop off Mia. "Aunt Ellie," Vera greeted her.

Patrick saw Ellie, who had been waiting for him, and said to Vera, "Vera, you go on to class."

Vera was worried. She noticed Ellie's swollen eyes and saw that Mia was also watching from the classroom.

"Vera, don't go." Ellie tried to hold onto Vera, wanting her to stay.

Patrick intervened. "Ellie, this is an issue between us. Don't involve Vera."

He looked at Vera, signaling with his eyes for her to leave.

"Darling, I..."

"Go to class. This isn't something a child can handle."

"I'm not a child." Vera stubbornly returned to his side, linking her arm with his, wanting to stay with him.

He treated her as a woman at night but called her a child during the day.

Vera thought he was being very hypocritical.

Patrick coaxed Vera, "Go keep Molly company."

Vera turned and handed the responsibility to Randall. "You go keep Mia company."

Randall scratched his neck, thinking it best to make a quick exit.

In the classroom, Randall approached Mia. "Mia, what's been going on with you lately?"

"Nothing."

"Is something wrong with your mom's company?"

Ellie's expression earlier showed that the Chase family was facing significant issues. Randall suspected it was a company matter and that they had come to Patrick for help. Everyone knew that since Patrick married Vera, he had been particularly respectful of her opinions.

Ellie wanted to keep Vera around to ask her to help their company for Mia's sake.

Mia had been downcast lately, likely because she had learned about the situation at home. She was worried about her parents and felt awkward facing Vera.

Randall felt he had found out the truth.

He thought he was a genius.