Chapter 504
Back in the day, there were things Petra couldn’t pull off, no matter how hard she tried, but now, with
this little boy, she was managing them with ease.
Thest time, she was desperate to get Jayson sick, so she stripped his bed of nkets in the dead of
night, locked his door, and left him shivering without his pajamas. She let him cry, refusing to give him
any warmth. She reasoned that the kid wasn’t hers. He was the son of a criminal. She had no
expectations of future gratitude, so she might as well make use of him now.
This time, she imed the boy had identally dialed Ronan’s number, but in truth, she''d nudged him
to do it. Thanks to the kid, she was now getting more face-to-face time with Ronan—growing closer.
Ronan swung by Petra''s ce. The moment Jayson saw him, he clung to his legs, chanting, "Daddy,
Daddy."
"I''m not your daddy, got it?" Ronan was irked by the persistent use of "Daddy."
Jayson nced at Petra. "Sweetie, Uncle Ronan isn''t your dad," Petra corrected gently.
"I was just about to hit the market. Wannae along?" Petra offered.
Jayson kept tugging at Ronan’s hand. "Come with us, Uncle Ronan, please?"
"I might not be around for dinner, but let''s get out for a bit. Kid needs some fresh air," Ronan
suggested.
Though slightly disappointed, Petra maintained her cheerful disposition. "Alright, let’s head down to the
The three of them made their way to the small garden below. To the unsuspecting eye, they looked like
a family.
Jayson, holding Ronan’s hand, wanted to pick flowers for his mom, but it was winter, and the park was
barren. Instead, he found a pretty leaf and ced it in Petra’s hair.
"You’re making a fool of mommy with that leaf," Petra said with a motherly smile.
"It looks nice on you, Mommy."
Petra seemed skeptical of the child''s praise and looked to Ronan for confirmation. "Does it look good?"
"It''s not bad."
"Mr. Evans, what brings you here?" came a voice from nearby. Ronan looked up to see Harold chatting
with Samantha, holding a basketball.
Harold had run into Samantha on his way to the gym. She had poured her heart out to him and even
shed tears over her dwindling acting opportunities.
"Come here." Ronan motioned to Harold with a slight frown.
Samantha thought, “Ronan must be telling Harold to stay away from her. If I can''t be happy, neither will
he.” She took out her phone, ready to snap a photo of Ronan and Petra to send to Cordelia.
"Did Cordelia mention anything to you?" Ronan asked Harold.
N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.
"About what?"
"To keep your distance from Samantha?"
"Not yet. I have her ss tomorrow, and she hasn’t reached out privately," Harold replied.
"Samantha''s up to no good. You''d do well to avoid her."
"But why? Isn''t she Cordelia''s cousin?"
Jayson returned, hugging Ronan''s leg and breaking his concentration. Ronan excused himself back to
Petra.
Harold went back to Samantha.
"What did he say?" she prodded.
"Oh, nothing much. Just stuff about my mom. Listen, cuz, I gotta bounce and hit the court."
"Sure," Samantha replied, visibly deted.
After Harold left, Samantha didn’t move right away. She hid, watching Ronan and Petra, waiting for the
perfect moment to capture a seemingly intimate photo to send to Cordelia.
"I’ve got to run," Ronan said, checking his watch.
Petra, holding the child’s hand, casually nced at Ronan’s watch. "What time is it?"
"After four."
"I''ve got ns tonight. Gotta head over to Grandpa''s. Did you get the money I transferred?" Ronan
asked Petra.
"Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Ronan."
From Samantha''s vantage point, the two appeared to be kissing. She quickly snapped several clear
shots, and then another of them with the child. They looked like the perfect happy family.
Samantha sent the photos from her Messenger to Cordelia''s old phone.