After being reborn, I make up my mind to stop chasing after my husband and daughter

Chapter 398

The thought of these real, tangible benefits made my chest tighten, and the next moment, my heart was

pounding like a drum.

Other men just feed women empty promises, but with Edward, there’s no need for talk-he actually puts the feast

right in front of

you.

Mr. Wright was noticeably more polite to me, even asking if there were any other ways we could work together in

the future.

Sof my senior staff shotsurprised looks, all assuming Jared must've pulled sstrings behind the

scenes for Mr. Wright to be so agreeable.

| didn’t bother explaining anything. I just gathered my team and left the golf course.

It was Wednesday when | called Yvonne to let her know I'd be back in Hachester on Friday. | asked her if there

was anything she wanted as a present-whatever it was, I'd bring it for her.

Yvonne used to be obsessed with getting new gifts, but her excitement would only last three days. She'd play

with her new toy while eating, sleeping, even at school, and then, just like that, she’d move on to the next thing.

But now, when | asked her what she wanted, all she said was, “I just want you, Mom. If you chand play

withfor a couple of days, I'll be really happy.”

A bittersweet feeling washed over me. When a mom isn’t around, she ends up becoming the one thing her child

wants most.

| promised her I'd cback early on Friday and pick her up from school myself.

It was a little after six when | grabbed dinner with a client at a pretty upscale restaurant. By the twe finished,

it was past eight, and that’s when Ryan called.

Seeing his npop up on my phone, | instantly tensed.

Before, picking up Ryan's calls was never stressful. | always thought of him as a mature, obedient little brother-

easy to manage, always respectful, knew his boundaries, and never crossed the line.

But after that warning from Edward, | didn’t dare answer Ryan's calls so casually anymore.

When | didn’t answer, Ryan shota text: “Just got off the plane. Where are you? | want to see you.”

| couldn’t play dumb anymore, so | sent him a quick reply, telling him | was having dinner with a client and had

my phone on silent, then shared my location.

Around nine, just as the dinner was breaking up, Ryan appeared right in front of me.

Outside the restaurant, the street was still bustling with people. After seeing my client off, | turned around and

spotted Ryan, wearing a medical mask.

With the weather turning cooler, everyone's outfits had changed, and Ryan had ditched his usual boyish style.

Tonight, he was in a laid-back iron-gray suit with a black shirt underneath. His hair was styled up, showing off his

clean hairline and attractive forehead.

There was something almost artistic about his features-striking and flawlessly handsome. And if you looked

closely, you could see

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Chapter 398

he’d gained a touch of maturity.

“...” For a moment, | wasn’t sure how to greet him.

“Con, let's get in the car,” Ryan said, taking my hand and leadingstraight to the SUV parked nearby.

“Wait, | actually drove here myself...” | blurted out.

“No worries, I'll drive you to work tomorrow,” Ryan said with a playful smile.

His smile was like a breath of fresh air-totally uplifting, making it impossible not to feel good around him.

“So, where are you taking me?” | asked, curiosity written all over my face.

Ryan just flashed a mysterious grin. “Why don’t you take a guess?”

“Not even a hint? You expectto guess out of thin air? That's just cruel,” | said, giving him a helpless look.

Ryan gavea hint. “Today's a really important day for me.”

“Your birthday?” | blurted out, surprised.

Ryan grinned, his eyes lighting up. “That's right, it's my birthday. | want to celebrate with you-let’s go have some

cake.”

“Just the two of us? You literally just landed, right?” | stared at him in disbelief. ‘Did Ryan really rush all the way

back to Shaville to spend his birthday with me? Is he for real?’

“Yeah, | had dinner with my grandpa around five, then didn’t waste a second-cstraight here just to see

you,” Ryan replied, his eyes shining with that kind of warmth that made my heart flutter.

| suddenly got nervous and grabbed his arm. “Hold on-where exactly are you having your birthday tonight?”

“Uncle Ryan set up a place for me, and | invited a few friends,” Ryan replied with a lazy grin.

“Wait, Uncle Ryan's gonna be there too?” | was already looking for an excuse to escape.

But Ryan quickly tried to putat ease. “Don’t worry. Uncle Ryan might seem strict, but he’s actually really

kind-especially to me. He's more like a dad than just an uncle.”

“Ryan, I... | had a few drinks earlier, and now my head's spinning and it kind of hurts. Can I...” | mumbled,

searching for an excuse to get out of this.

“Vic, | just want to spend my birthday with you,” Ryan suddenly blurted out, callingby a nicknI'd never

heard from him before. ‘Wait, did he just callthat? When did we get so close?’ | thought, a little flustered by

his unexpected affection.

Ryan reached out and pinched my cheek, grinning. “You really did have a few drinks-your skin's all fair and rosy.”

I wasn’t in the mood for any more banter. | tried to push him away, but Ryan seized the moment, grabbed my

wrist, and pulledright into his arms.

Before | could react, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “I'm never going to forget tonight. It’s the first

tyou've ever spent my birthday with me.”

Chapter 399