Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

After swapping stories about their woes for a bit, Seth broke into a smile and shared some happy family news, "The tough times are finally behind us. We've got a great-grandson now, and you absolutely have to come to his christening at the end of the month. It'll be the perfect chance to catch up face-to-face..."

Hansen was quick to accept the invitation. Back in the day, he was all about Feng Shui, and Seth was into the mystical world of Taoism, which made them click instantly. Kindred spirits, they were. At Molly and Leo's initial christening party, the Hernandez family had been the guests of honor. But then, life happened, and the Cedillo family went through their own set of challenges. Hansen aged a lot through it all, and gradually, his spark dimmed.

The Hernandez family focused more on international matters, and so, their contact dwindled.

That evening, Andre arrived home carrying Mia's purse, and she greeted him at the door with open arms, "Come here, my little one. Give mama a hug.”

Henry bolted into his mother's embrace like a mini freight train, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Alright, spill the beans to mom. What kind of mischief did you get into today?"

Mia's playful tone with her son was a throwback to how Andre used to tease her.

"Andre, have you heard about the Hernandez family? They're the wealthiest folks in the West."

Mia gave her son a few affectionate pecks and settled on the sofa to listen.

Andre plopped down beside her, cool as a cucumber, "Yeah, I know them. Loads of companies want to work with me on projects out West, and the Hernandez family is among them."

"Seth called me today, inviting us to their great-grandson's christening. Are we going?"

Andre shot a glance at his curious wife, "Yep, got the invite. Patrick is worth meeting; he's quite the talent. He's got this renewable energy project that's caught my eye. Let's go."

Mia couldn't help but pout at the thought of another trip, leaving just her and their daughter at home.

She'd been feeling a bit miffed lately because Andre hadn't spilled the beans about "the project," and Leo was too preoccupied with his new

to be of any help.

Sensing Mia's mood, Andre chuckled and pulled her close, "Don't be upset. I promise to take my little shadow along wherever I go." He had his reasons; Mia had been swamped with studies or family duties and hadn't had a breath of fresh air. With this business trip on the horizon and her schedule clear, he wanted to whisk her away under the guise of attending the party, giving her a

chance to unwind.

Cooped up at home for too long, Mia felt a flutter of excitement at the thought of a getaway.

Barely in her twenties, she still dreamed of exploring the world without a care. Right then, their little shadow piped up, "Daddy!" And he wanted to tag along too!

Before Andre could answer, Hansen chimed in, "My grandson's got to go. Let everyone see just how adorable he is! He'll charm the socks off them."

Henry beamed at his grandpa, crawling from his mom's arms into grandpa's- nothing beat grandpa's cuddles.

Andre chuckled, tousling Henry's hair, "Say 'daddy,' you haven't even greeted me properly since I got back."

"Daddy!" Henry was on the move again, switching laps.

Later, over dinner, chatter turned to the Hernandez family gossip. Word was an adopted son had married the Hernandez family's youngest

daughter. Andre set the recordal nenoveldrama

straight, "Patrick's actually from the Coffins family, one of the top-tier families in the East."

Hansen added to the gossip, “So, he's Aimee's brother, and they tied the knot."

Molly, while munching on a chicken bone, said, "And Chad's my brother, but I ended up marrying him and we even had a 'little dragon.""

Chad passed Molly another piece of meat, enjoying watching her eat with such gusto that even his plain bread seemed delicious.