Chapter 8
Murphy’s face burned red at once, and he stiffened.
Was Janelle seriously going to bathe him? He was a boy. This was so embarrassing!
He wriggled free from her grip and stood stiffly in front of her, his hands fidgeting as he swallowed hard. They’d only just met, and he was already four years old. There was no way he was letting her bathe him…
“M–Mominy, 1…”
Janelle’s eyes lit up with amusement as she took in Murphy’s flushed face. “What’s wrong, baby? You’re all red. Are you embarrassed?”
That was strange. Tittany had always loved when Janelle helped with bath time.
Murphy ducked his head, gave a small nod, and nervously pursed his lips. “Mommy, I’m old enough to bathe myself now. I–I’m going to go take my bath.
Before she could respond, he spun around and hurried off. He even took a wrong turn in his rush. He skidded to a stop before backtracking and finally darting into the bathroom.
Janelle watched Murphy walk away, her eyes flickering faintly. Only when she heard the shower turn on did she let out a resigned smile.
Who would’ve thought that after coming home, even Tiffany, the little troublemaker, would be too shy to let Janelle help her bathe? She really had grown up.
With a chuckle and a sigh, Janelle pulled out her phone and looked up Benedict through some back channels. The more she scrolled, the more her expression darkened.
Benedict had taken over Fletcher Group in his teens, and in just three years, he turned it into a massive business empire, outpacing what most people achieve in a lifetime.
He operated with ruthless efficiency, his methods cold and unrelenting. And now, his focus was on her.
Even if she got away by some luck, Valoria was his territory. Who was to say he wouldn’t send someone after her again? This wasn’t going to be easy.
Meanwhile, Murphy finished his shower and changed into the clean, gender–neutral pajarnas Janelle had left out for him.
The gesture touched him. Even after all this time apart, she still thought of everything. It was comforting to know how much she cared.
But as the warmth settled in his mind drifted to Benedict. Now that he’d slipped away to Janelle’s, Benedict was alone at home. If only the two could be together, everything would be perfect.
Murphy’s gaze flickered slightly.
If he wanted to get Benedict and Janelle back together, he’d first need to understand why they’d split up. And more importantly, how did she feel about Benedict now? Only then could he figure out the right way forward.
Murphy took a slow, deep breath, straightened his clothes, and left the bathroom with composure
The bedroom was cozy and inviting. Part of him just didn’t want to go. Staying in the same rooms as Janelle would’ve been nice, but this was their first meeting. He didn’t want to seem clingy or immature.
Janelle heard the bathroom door open, but Murphy still hadn’t come over after what felt like forever.
She glanced up, confused. “Baby, what are you doing just standing there? Come here! I’ll read you a bedtime story”
Murphy’s eyes brightened at her words.
With the curtains drawn, the room was dim, lit only by the warm glow of a bedside lamp. When Murphy finally crossed the room, Janelle reached out, scooping him onto the bed.
Janelle picked up one of the books and waved it before Murphy. “Baby, look at the storybook I got you. Do you like it?”
Curled up on the bed, Murphy gave her a soft, warm simile. “Mommy, I love anything you pick for me.”
But when he looked down and saw the book, he froze
“The 100 Favorite Stories of Princesses!
He pursed his lips as he leaned over to check the pile of books on the nightstand.
In the glow of the bedside lamp, Murphy could barely read the titles—“Princess Bedtime Stories“. “The Little Princess on the Cloud“, and “The Little Princess‘ Transformation“.
He stared at the pastel pink and blue covers, sinking into an uneasy silence. He’d thought Janelle might want someone sweet and Innocent.
Fine, He could play along, act cute, and ignore the fact that he’d rather be flipping through Benedict’s books on economic law, investment strategies, or
hacker defense manuals.
If it made her happy, he’d deal with it. But princess stories? Really? He hadn’t seen that coming
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Murphy’s expression was hard to read. Not wanting to upset Janelle, he asked cautiously, “Mommy, did you get all this for me?”
Janelle nodded like it was obvious. “Yeah, of course!”
While they were living abroad, Tiffany used to love it when Janelle read her princess stories.
Murphy said nothing.
Noticing his silence, Janelle frowned, confused. “Baby, what’s the matter?”
Snapping back to the moment, Murphy forced a smile. “Nothing, I love them. Mommy, let’s get started.”
So what if he was going from economics to fairy tales? He could manage. The point wasn’t really the princess stories, was it? No. It was Janelle’s voice!
Janelle propped a cushion behind her back and opened the storybook. Her voice was soft and steady as she started to read. The warm glow of the bedside lamp filled the rOOM.
Murphy lay stretched out on the bed, watching her without blinking. He took in every detail of her face.
She was beautiful. And it wasn’t just her looks. The melodic lilt of her voice was as refreshing and comforting as a spring breeze.
Murphy listened quietly as Janelle told these childish stories, his eyes slowly closing to the soothing sound of her voice.
Janelle thought he’d fallen asleep. She gently shut the book and was just reaching for the lamp when he whispered, “Mommy…” “Huh?” Janelle paused. “Baby, you’re still aweke?”
Murphy carefully inched closer, then hesitated before speaking. “Mommy, I have a question…”
He wanted to ask why she had left Benedict.
