The Cherished Wife



Tania's face went from calm to stormy in a heartbeat when she heard those words. She glanced at Noelle, trying to figure out if she was messing with her on purpose. "You're such a tease, Noelle. I'm a married woman. There's no way I'd be a solo parent. My hubby might be super busy, but he's as dedicated to Brandon as me!"

Peter's grip on the steering wheel tightened just a notch when Tania brought up her husband, and his eyes clouded over with something dark and unreadable.

Tania knew Peter's moods like the back of her hand because they went way back. The chilly vibe rolling off him was a dead giveaway that he was ticked off.

She balled her hands into fists, took a deep breath, and insisted, "Trevon adores Brandon, and he adores me, too."

However, before the words had even settled in the air, Peter slammed on the brakes. The tires screamed against the road, and Noelle, clutching Brandon, nearly flew forward.

Noelle was ghost-white with shock, her eyes darting to Brandon in her arms.

"Is Brandon okay?" Tania panicked and whipped her head around. "Peter, what's gotten into you? If you don't want to give us a lift, just spit it out. Noelle and I can take Brandon and find another way."

Brandon jolted awake, blinked sleepily, and called out, "Mommy!"

"It's okay, baby. Mommy's right here!" Tania soothed, scooping him into her arms.

Tania's heart ached as she checked him over. "Did you get hurt anywhere, Brandon?"

"I'm so sorry, Tania, I should've held onto Brandon better!" Noelle blurted out, ridden with guilt.

"Don't sweat it, Noelle, you're not part of this mess!" Tania snapped, shooting Peter a death glare. "I need to get out of this car!"

Peter's brow furrowed as he clutched the steering wheel, a storm brewing inside him after Tania's words. He bit his lip, glancing at Tania, who was fuming and reaching for the door handle, only to find it locked. "Peter, can you unlock the door?"

Peter's eyes narrowed as he looked at Brandon, nestled in Tania's arms.

Brandon blinked innocently and reached out to gently touch Peter's hand. "Uncle Peter, please don't be mad. I'm scared."

At that moment, Peter's stormy

attitude seemed to dissipate. He gently held Brandon's hand. "I'm not mad, buddy!" He turned to Tania with a softer expression. "Sorry about that."

Tania was caught off guard, clearly not expecting an apology from someone as proud as Peter.

Was he actually saying sorry to her?

"Tania, don't be upset. I promise I'll be more careful from now on. I won't let Brandon get hurt, and I won't let you get hurt either!"

"Right, Tania, Peter didn't mean it. It was just a slip-up, a slip-up. Peter, let's head back. I've got to prepare some ingredients soon, and I'm worried about the time!"

With Noelle there, a full-blown argument was off the table. However, even Tania found she could not stay mad.

Noelle's heart finally stopped racing

when she saw the two

โวเ

troublemakers back down. She whipped out her phone and sent a text to Charles: [OMG, that was terrifying. Peter's silent brooding is seriously spooky.]

Charles chuckled as he read her text. [Next time he tries to spook you, just smack him.] He replied with a wink.

Noelle's eyes widened. [I can't do

that! What if he hits back?] The

thought alone was enough to send shivers down her spine. She was not Tania. Peter would not go easy on her noveldrama

[Don't worry about it. Peter wouldn't lay a hand on a woman.] Charles texted back quickly, adding, [Especially not you. He wouldn't dare.] [Why not?] Noelle typed, her curiosity piqued. [I saw him corner Layla today. She looked like she'd seen a ghost! ]

Layla?

Charles squinted thoughtfully before texting, [Tania's my sister, and you're my wife. Peter's too busy trying to stay on your good side. He wouldn't dream of hurting you! ]