Chapter 249

249 –Played Again

Madeline:

“Hey, Oliver,” Baxter called.

The man stopped and turned to look at him. He noticed the confusion on Baxter’s face before he walked toward us, forcing a smile onto his lips.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked. Then his eyes landed on the bags.

“Oh no. Did you come here looking for a place? I’m really sorry. We found it earlier,” he added with a shrug, looking genuinely apologetic.

It was devastating. We had thought everything was settled and ready, but now it was going to be difficult.

They had found the place first, and I could tell the kids were inside the cabin with their uncle.

“Yeah, actually, we saw this place the other day. We thought we had it marked for us,” Baxter replied.

It sounded awkward even to me, because how does anyone decide who gets to keep a place?

“Oh. I’m really sorry. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you’re able to find a home,” Oliver said, gesturing with his hand before turning to walk back.

It felt like they had taken our home, though I knew that was not the case. They had arrived before us, probably with their bags.

Maybe not. If they were already inside, how could we ask them to leave now?

“What do we do?” I asked.

Baxter straightened his posture and stepped forward.

“Oliver, ” he called again.

The man stopped once more and turned around, looking tired, as if we were interrupting him.

“Yeah?” he replied, sounding exhausted.

“Are you guys going back? Because you haven’t checked out,” Baxter asked, likely thinking that if they left, we could take over.

“No, we’ve already checked out,” Oliver answered.

Baxter and I shared a glance before looking back at him.

“Remember I told you my brother’s fiancée was going to come. She went over there to check out,” Oliver added, clearly ready to walk away again.

“Your wife is in the hospital,” Baxter announced.

Oliver stopped and turned back immediately.

“Really? Oh no. Which hospital? I’ll go check on her,” he said quickly. Then he added, “And, um, I hope you guys find a home,” his words carrying more pressure, as if he wanted us gone.

The men started to walk away, and now we were left without any hope, I turned to look at Baxter, who sighed. Before we could leave, something else happened.

1/3

249 Payak Aykroy

Someone came out of the cabin, calling for Oliver.

“ Oliver, how about we take the downstairs rooms with the children p>

+25 Bonus

My eyes widened when I saw Bonnie rush out, looking completely fine. That was when Oliver stopped and turned to look at us, likely realizing she had to acknowledge that we were still there. Both Baxter and I were in shock.

“ You were in the hospital,” I said to her.

She followed her husband’s gaze and my voice, then looked at me. I noticed her swallow hard, almost like an admission.

“I came back home,” she replied, blinking several times, as if trying to distract from the lie. 1

“But your husband acted like you weren’t home,” Baxter pointed out.

She rolled her eyes.

“Well, he always forgets about me. Anyway, I think you guys should look for some other place. You already lost this one,” she remarked, shrugging her shoulders arrogantly.

Nothing made sense anymore until Bonnie pouted and stepped forward.

“I told Ronnie and Riley not to tell you about our home. She told you, and you came to steal it from us, ” Bodhi accused.

At his words, Baxter and I looked back at the couple. They hesitated for a moment, then Bonnie stepped forward again. The woman I thought I had made a new friend with stretched her shoulders back.

“Well, so what? Being a rogue means you have to be prepared for competition. It’s not my fault you were stupid enough to tell your kids about your secrets,” she commented. All the sweetness she had shown me earlier disappeared.

It finally made sense, but the way she treated us angered me.

“So you weren’t sick?” I asked sharply.

“Sick? Huh. If you want to call it that. And why would you be upset about someone stealing something from you? Didn’t you steal your sister’s fiancé?” she shot back.

The woman who had been so pleasant earlier now sounded bitter and cruel. I stared at her in disbelief.

“Now go. This is our home,” she said, waving her hand at me before grabbing her husband’s arm and pulling him

away.

“You know what?” I turned to Baxter. “ I want to build a home right here, right now p>

As I stomped my foot, Baxter sighed. Bonnie stopped and turned to glare at me.

“Well then, good luck with that,” she replied sharply before stomping away.

“Baxter, say something. They stole our home,” I said, slapping his chest with the back of my hand.

He groaned and looked at me. But it had come down to this. I was furious. Everything had been taken from me since I was a kid, and I wanted this home, no matter what.

Ruby Walker

Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.