Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Chad scooped up his nephew with a warm smile. "Hey there, little guy. Who's your chaperone today?"

"His godfather," Conner chimed in, grinning widely. "The three of us are about to head out for a bite."

"I was half-expecting to hear his aunt or mom got him into something again," Chad quipped, shaking his head at his own overactive imagination.

After a few cuddles, Officer Chad snugged a cozy scarf around his nephew's little face and handed him over to Annie. "Say bye to Uncle."

Henry waved his tiny hand adorably as his godparents whisked him away.

At the fancy restaurant, Conner leaned back, casually flipping through the menu. "Any special deals for couples tonight?"

The waiter, with a polite bend, responded, "I'm afraid we don't have any special deals, sir."

Conner closed the menu with a shrug. "How about you surprise us with the best you've got? Let's pretend it's a couples' special."

The waiter caught sight of the woman with the child and nodded smartly. "Understood, sir."

Impressed by the waiter's quick thinking, Conner slipped him a generous tip.

Annie noticed the waiter's knowing glance but stayed focused on her game with the chubby-cheeked Henry. She playfully tapped his chin, then lifted her finger, saying, "Look at the dragonfly go!" Henry giggled with delight, grabbing at Annie's hands to play more.

Soon, the food arrived. Henry, perched on Annie's lap, unexpectedly snagged a knife and fork, babbling excitedly.

The inexperienced duo didn't want to snatch it from him but couldn't reason with him either. They were stumped as Henry clutched the utensils, crying stubbornly.

They called Andre for advice.

Andre on the line: "...If you don't take it, he cries. If you do, he still cries. What's your move?"

Conner: "...Gotcha."

And so, they gently took the utensils away, Henry's cries echoing through the quiet restaurant.

Afterward, Andre hung up and turned to Noah. "Let's push Patrick into action."

"What about the Xue family?" Noah asked.

Andre's gaze was firm on the computer screen. "They'll back off."

Minutes later, his phone rang again..

Another call from Conner, "Andre, think your son can handle noodles?"

Andre sighed, "He was munching on meat at eight months."

"Alright, noodles it is for my kid."

Before Andre could retort, Annie interjected, "Are you out of your mind?!"

Annie took the little one away. "From now on, I'm in charge. You zip it."

Conner, phone in hand, vented to his friend. "Listen to Annie barking at me. If any other woman talked to me like that, she'd be gone."

Andre chuckled, "If I were there, you'd be the one getting carried out."

If he dared to be so lax with a child, his fiery Mia wouldn't hesitate to give him a piece of her mind.

Annie, caring for a baby for the first time, found the restaurant too unclean. So, they retreated to Conner's hotel suite, equipped with a kitchen, where she could personally prepare baby food for Henry. Conner watched Annie busy in the kitchen, her phone guiding her cooking steps, while he held the little munchkin.

"Son, your godfather doesn't get this kind of treatment."

Conner jokingly warned his godson, "If you grow up to be a threat, your godfather might have to sort you out."

Henry, sensing the playful threat, burst into tears.

Annie rushed over, "What happened?"

She shot Conner a glare. "Did you upset him?"

"I didn't mean to..." Conner tried to explain, but Henry's cries only intensified.

Eventually, Annie insisted Conner hold the baby while she cooked, ensuring he didn't tease their little tiger again. Conner felt a bit miffed.

While Annie was putting the baby down for a nap, Conner slipped into the living room, talking to Andre in hushed tones. "What's with this kid? I barely said a word, and he's already tattling to Kaisha. I didn't even do anything."

Andre calmly replied, "Forgot to mention, my kid's sharp. He understands a lot and loves to tattle."

Conner finally understood; the kid was quite the clever one.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

Later that night, Mia found out her son had been playing matchmaker. "Did he get any reward?" Mrs. Cedillo asked.

Andre: "Nope, just did it out of friendship."

Mia shook her head. "How long did he work?"

Andre checked his watch. "Almost ten hours."

"Child labor," Mia teased.

When they reached the hotel, they were welcomed by laughter from inside the room.

Andre knocked, and the laughter paused. "Henry, Mommy and Daddy are here to pick you up."

Annie opened the door, beaming. "You're here. We were just having a blast with the little tiger." Inside, the couple was amazed by the toy explosion.

Cars with four wheels, three wheels, two wheels, a big plane, a small train, and a huge ship. Toy guns, darts, bows and arrows were everywhere...

Conner sat cross-legged on the

floor, playing with Henry. When he saw his parents, Henry toddled over to his mom with open arms, "Mommy."

"Hey there, buddy," Mia bent down to scoop up her little treasure. "Looks like you've been living the good life."

With the heating cranked up for Henry's comfort, he wore only a thin onesie.

While Conner and Andre chatted in the living room, Mia and Annie headed to the restroom to change the baby's diaper. "How are things going?" Mia asked.

Annie was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Mia: "Don't tell me my son played matchmaker for nothing."

Realizing Mia's implication, Annie held Henry's tiny hand. "Today, it was all about the little tiger for me."

Mia: "I bet you noticed him too. Kaisha, if you love kids so much, why not have one of your own? Conner's got good genes." "Our situation's a bit complicated."

"How so?"

As Mia washed and changed her son's diaper, she listened to Annie's "little secret."

In the living room, Conner tidied up the toys and plopped onto the sofa. "You know the more you care about Leo, the harsher your words get. The kid's too scared to come home if Leo was with you, would you worry this much?"

With Andre's orders circulating, Conner, as the leader, was well-informed. Andre replied, "A man's gotta stand on his own. How long can I shield him?"

Conner asked, "What about Henry? If he ever defies you, how will you handle it?"

Andre's response was firm. "Kick him out. If he's tough enough, he won't call me 'Dad." Freshly washed, Henry shouted excitedly, "Dad-dad."

Andre's face lit up with a tender smile. "Son."