Chapter 8: Late-Night Temptation

Words : 1805 Updated : Aug 14th, 2025

"You've got trouble written all over your love life. You're headed for a bad relationship that'll break your heart and drain your wallet. Keep your eyes open, or you'll get burned." As soon as Ramon Hahn finished, her smile faltered. Giselle Dixon had only handed Molly Hahn a doll because the little girl was adorable, and then the guy tells her she's about to run into some loser. Who wouldn't be mad? Hands on her hips, eyes flashing, she snapped, "Could you be any more tactless? Your cab hit me, and I didn't even ask you to pay for the damages. I gave your kid a doll, and you turn around and say I'm gonna end up with some deadbeat?" Ramon had tossed out the warning without meaning to offend. He knit his brows and refused to argue. "I only said it because you seemed kind. If you don't believe me, pretend I never spoke." He scooped Molly into his arms and headed for the curb, leaving the driver and Giselle to handle it. He soon flagged down another car and took his daughter back to the house Robert Dixon had given them. Molly had never seen a house so beautiful. A little garden lay in front, a swing swayed among the flowers and shrubs. She let out a whoop, ran circles across the lawn, then, winded, tugged shyly at Ramon's sleeve. "Daddy, can we really live here from now on? Can I live in such a pretty house?" The tentative look on her face made his chest ache. He had owed her far too much in recent years. He swore to himself he would make it up to her. He crouched and said gently, "Don't worry. This is our home from now on. No one is going to throw you out." Only then did Molly's face blossom into a grin, her eyes bright as stars. "That's wonderful!" She suddenly lowered her head and murmured, a wistful note in her voice, "That woman just now was really pretty, like Mom… Daddy, I miss Mom." Ramon's heart clenched. Although Ariella Fisher had not divorced him, they were strangers in all but name, and he knew they would never go back to the Fisher family. Molly tugged his hand again, hope flooding her eyes. "Will Mom come back? She won't abandon me, right?" He had no words. His silence brought her to tears, and Molly burst into sobs, her small body hitching, her grief sharp and helpless. He soothed her in a low voice until she cried herself to sleep, then gently wiped away her tears and tucked her in. With his daughter asleep, Ramon finally had a chance to take in their new home. The house sprawled-three stories up and two down. It had everything: a tearoom, a study, a screening room, a pool. The decor was lavish and the place felt imposing. Robert Dixon had indeed been generous. He had barely finished marveling when the doorbell rang. At this hour, no one ought to show up, and he had only just moved in. The bell kept ringing, relentless. Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong. Resigned, Ramon went to open the door. A woman stood outside, her hair wet and dripping over her shoulders, a thin dress clinging as if she had just stepped out of a shower. Her expression was sultry, her voice syrupy-soft. "The water's out in my building. Could I use your shower?" She spoke while trying to edge inside. A sweet scent wafted off her. Ramon's brows drew together. He shifted back, but he blocked the doorway. "That's not going to work. There's a hotel nearby-try that." He shut the door without hesitation. Joyce blinked on the stoop, mentally called him a blockhead, and her face darkened. Unwilling to give up, a calculating look flashed in her eyes. She slipped around toward the back of the house. After closing the door, Ramon did not let his guard down. He began checking and locking every door and window. When he reached a second-floor window, he suddenly found a face staring at him from outside. Joyce had not expected to come face-to-face with him and froze on the sill, caught mid-movement. Ramon let out a dry, humorless chuckle. His tone was calm, edged with authority. "Bold move, trying to climb in under my nose. Not happening here. Get lost." He closed the window tight right in front of her. Joyce ground her teeth, wishing she could bite him through the glass, then realized every window had been locked with not a sliver left open. She'd spent the whole night at it for nothing. Frustration burned into fury. As she left, she slammed her foot on the gas. "Just wait," she spat under her breath. "One day I'll clean your place out. You'll learn what happens when you cross me." Ramon, of course, knew none of this. He slept soundly that night. It was his first night away from the Fisher family, and it marked the beginning of a new life.

Chapter 8: Late-Night Temptation

Comments (0)