Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance novel Chapter 530

Chad was in the middle of his shift at the fire station when his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was his mom, Coleen. "Chad, I've decided to give my blessing to your marriage to Molly."

Chad froze, nearly dropping the wrench in his hand. His mom had always been hesitant about Molly. "But dealing with the Cedillo family—that's on you. Your dad and I will handle the necessary niceties, but you're going to have to charm them on your own."

A whirlwind of emotions swept through Chad. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Coleen's voice softened, filled with the image of her daughter who had just visited. "You might want to ask Molly about that."

After hanging up, Coleen leaned back in her study chair, closing her eyes, the memory of her daughter's arrival vivid in her mind.

Chad, still at work, ended the call and bolted up, leaving the station in a hurry. His crewmates were clueless about his sudden exit.

"New case?" Bob asked the others.

Donnie shrugged. "Have you ever seen the boss bolt out for a case? Nah, it's gotta be Molly."

Meanwhile, at Molly's place, she had just returned from her exams and was slowly packing to head back to the Cedillo family home. She hesitated as she folded her clothes and arranged her books, her face flushing at the thought of the impulsive words she had spoken to her mother.

The door swung open, and in walked Chad, back from his shift earlier than expected. Molly paused, a sock in hand, and looked up in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be at work? What's got you rushing back?"

Chad's emotions had been a torrent on his way over, but seeing her about to leave calmed the storm in him. He closed the door behind him and said, "Mom called."

Molly was silent.

Chad approached her, gently taking the sock from her hand. "You went to see mom?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Why?"

Molly turned away, looking out the window instead of at Chad. But Chad wasn't having it. He gently grasped her arms and turned her to face him. "Why did you go back?"

She struggled to meet his gaze, her heartbeat quickening at the mere sight of him. "Because she said she'd only agree if I talked to her, so I did."

Earlier that day, Molly had returned to the Byrne family home, her head low as she followed her mother into the study. After minutes of awkward silence, Molly finally spoke up. "Mom, I think... Chad has been really good to me."

Coleen looked into her daughter's eyes. "Molly, are you sure? I'm not pressuring you. Marriage is a big step, and I don't want you rushing into it just because of your current relationship with him. I want you to be sure and have no regrets."

Molly nodded, took a deep breath, and met her mother's gaze. "Mom, I've thought it over. Please agree."

Coleen was concerned. "Did Chad pressure you?"

Molly said, "He did at the start, but this time, I came on my own. He didn't even tell me that I had to ask you myself for your approval."

Molly knew Chad didn't want to push her anymore; he was trying to sort things out by himself. She recalled the night at the hotel, where Chad had stayed by her side, the tension almost palpable. "When he first pressed me, I didn't completely reject him," she confided. "If I had burst into tears, made a scene, thrown a tantrum, or acted like my world was ending, my brother might have had second thoughts about pushing me. But instead, we just bickered a bit, nothing even close to the intensity of our usual spats. Maybe it was because it all happened so suddenly, I hadn't quite figured out what to do, so my body just instinctively resisted. But deep down, I think I wanted to leave a sliver of a chance for him and me. Mom, that's got to be what liking someone is about, right?"

Lately, she had been reflecting a lot on her life. "Ever since I was little, I've realized I can't live without him. My childhood memories are blurry, but as I grew up, he's been a part of nearly 80% of them. And I've noticed that my criteria for a partner... they're all set based on him."

All the talk about marrying a hero, the dreams of living the high life as the wife of an influential man, and the whimsical declaration of earning enough to support a husband... it all stemmed from the fact that Chad embodied all of those qualities.