The Officer's Runaway Wife and Secret Son novel Chapter 482

Rhys mentally scrolled through every name he knew but came up empty.

"Who... who are you inviting?"

"Aunt Mia."

Rhys froze for a second.

Clara continued, "I won't be taking Felix back to the Huntington estate. Too many prying eyes. I don't feel comfortable with it. But I did promise Aunt Mia I'd let Felix see her more often."

Rhys was silent for a moment, his gaze darkening.

He understood that Clara wasn't just worried about Felix; she was also protecting him, in her own way.

If they went back for the holidays at a time like this, Clara and Felix would undoubtedly become the center of gossip.

"I get it," Rhys nodded. "Aunt Mia has been worried sick about Felix. She was frantic yesterday, too."

"Mhm, so I was thinking, we could invite Aunt Mia and her family over to Riverside Court for dinner during the New Year's holiday. What do you think?"

Naturally, Rhys had no objections.

"Okay. Whatever you say."

"Then you should call Aunt Mia now. Make it official."

Clara turned and walked back into the living room. "Set the date for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, and while you're at it, ask if her husband and son are free. If Aunt Mia's up for it, her whole family can come. Bring Nellie and Mateo, too, so Felix can see his little cousins."

Rhys did as he was told and took out his phone.

Clara sat on the sofa, casually flipping through a magazine on the coffee table.

She was making her own calculations.

If she was going to stay, she had to truly commit to it.

This wasn't just about her relationship with Rhys as a person, but also about the family and background that came with him.

Before, she'd felt like she didn't belong. A girl from an ordinary family who had married into one of Brighton City's most prominent dynasties. People had judged everything about her, from her clothes to her social etiquette.

She had no powerful family to back her up and felt like a complete outsider.

Back then, she hadn't been able to get her head straight.

But things were different now.

Between the assets and shares from the divorce, plus the income from her live-streaming to millions of followers, she was probably better off than some of the Huntington relatives who'd been squabbling over inheritance at funerals.

She had a career, a group of friends who had her back, the most adorable son in the world, and a Rhys who was willing to change for her.

Their dynamic had always been one-sided: Mia worried about whether he was dead or alive, and his job was to give her things to worry about.

But none of that was on his mind right now.

He wrapped a long arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.

"Clara, I have a feeling this New Year's is going to be the most meaningful one of my entire life."

For the past four New Year's holidays, he’d been at the station, eating frozen dumplings with his squad while watching them video call their wives and kids one by one.

Or he’d be sitting alone in the empty rooms of his Oakridge Avenue apartment, staring blankly at their wedding photo on his phone.

One New Year's Eve, he'd downed a bottle of hard liquor and sent Clara a text.

He had typed and deleted it a dozen times before finally sending just two words:

Happy New Year.

Of course, that message had been blocked, too.

He always thought he'd be spending every New Year's like that for the rest of his life.

Leaning against his chest, Clara couldn't help but chuckle. "The year's not even over yet and you're already writing your year-end review, Captain Huntington?"