Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

After school, she waited in their rented apartment for her boyfriend to get off work so they could head out together and pick a gift for little Henry.

In Andre's office, he watched his ever-active son crawl around, the little one holding onto his dad's finger, leading him into all sorts of mischief.

Experts always say you shouldn't hit kids; you should teach them instead.

When Andre saw his boy trying to smash a glass cabinet with a cup, he gave him a few swats on the bottom, claiming it was more 'education' than punishment.

Leo and his girlfriend strolled through the mall, browsing various displays. Leo commented, "Instead of buying that chubby little guy gold or silver jewelry, why not get him a thick jacket?" "Why's that?" Anya asked, puzzled.

Leo, having had his own struggles with overbearing parents, replied, "A thick jacket is like better armor."

So they headed to a baby boutique.

Sure enough, before winter even set in, Henry got his first puffy jacket.

Molly also received her first winter coat, a gift from her husband. "Better to be too warm than too cold," he said.

Molly corrected him, "The saying is 'warm in spring, tough it out in autumn."

Chad quipped, "Back then, people were poor and good at making excuses. We've got money, so we don't have to listen to old sayings."

It was the first time Molly realized Chad could out-talk her.

They needed two gifts for Henry-one from Leo and one from Anya.

As the moon rose, the couple, done with their self-study, decided to take a stroll to mix a little fun into their routine. Suddenly, Leo's phone buzzed with an unknown number. Ever polite, he answered, "Hello?"

On the other end was Paige, in tears, "Leo, are you with my dad?"

""No," Leo replied, clueless about the situation.

"Do you know where he might be? I asked everyone at the office, and they said he often invites you along when he goes out. Any idea who his close friends are?"

Leo responded, "I don't know."

Paige broke into tears again. Leo frowned, asking, "What's going on with Vincent?"

"Can you help me look for my dad? I can't find him anywhere."

Leo suggested, "Why not try Sean? If you can't, maybe report it to the police."

"I can't get ahold of Sean either, and when I called the police, they said since my dad's an adult and has only been missing for a bit, we should try reaching him ourselves first. You're the closest to him at work, Leo, please, my mom's losing it. I have to find him." Standing there, Leo looked at his girlfriend.

Anya took a big bite of sushi, her cheeks puffed out, "What's the matter?"

Leo hung up and turned to her, "Anya, there's something I need to talk about."

Anya swallowed, "Chad, no need to talk, I'm with you all the way."

Leo: "..."

He took Anya in his car, explaining the situation on the way.

They arrived at Vincent's townhouse.

Paige was already waiting at the door. She ran to the passenger side, ready to hop in but stopped when she saw the young woman inside still munching on her sushi. Paige hesitated, then moved to the back seat.

Someone from the house came out, advising Paige, "Make sure you're back early; we've got to head home tonight."

Paige nodded and thanked the neighbor.

Leo and Anya could hear the crying from inside the house.

Anya took another bite of her sushi and sipped from her milk tea.

Leo asked, "What's up with Paige?"

Paige, with tears in her eyes, explained, "My mom found out about my dad's affair. A woman claimed she's pregnant and is pressuring my mom to divorce. My mom couldn't handle it, called my dad, and they fought. Now my dad wants a divorce. My mom's losing it."

Leo knew about Vincent's situation. He had married Paige's mother as a son-in-law and took over her father's company. Once in power, he became reckless. ""Your mom didn't know before?"

Paige shook her head, "I don't know."

Leo had tagged along with Vincent to various places, even some sketchy ones Vincent often suggested.

"Little Chad, if my parents really get divorced, what should I do?" Paige asked softly, her voice vulnerable.

Anya's burp interrupted the somber mood.

Leo turned, Paige looked up; both glanced at the girl in the passenger seat.

Anya burped again, caught off guard.

Blushing, she whimpered, "Chad. I ate too fast and swallowed some cold air... burp."

Leo's face softened with affection, thinking how adorable his Ms. Anya was, even when burping.

But he couldn't laugh, not with his friend in distress. At a red light, he offered her the milk tea, "Drink something warm, Mia, to settle your stomach."

Anya pouted, clutching the milk tea. After a sip, she burped again.

Leo gently rubbed the back of her head, his affection clear.

Paige's sadness waned, and she tried to steer the topic back, "Little Chad, you must know where my dad is, right?"

Leo replied, "I don't know, let's just try our luck."

On the drive, Paige lamented her parents' previously solid relationship and how it had come to this. Leo stayed quiet, his attention occasionally drifting to the burping girl beside him. Anya finished her milk tea, still burping, "Little Chad burp, it's gone, but I'm still burping."

Leo spotted a pharmacy ahead, stopped the car, and Paige thought they had arrived. He grabbed the trash from the car, pinched Anya's cheek, "Stay here for a sec, I get

YOU T

some medicine."

After disposing of the trash, he dashed into the pharmacy and then to a 24-hour store for a bottle of water, returning to hand it to Anya, "Got you some warm water, keep drinking." Inside the car, only the two girls remained. Paige asked, still focused on her own concerns, "How long have you two been together?"

Anya responded, her answer punctuated by a burp, "That's irrelevant to finding your dad, burp."

Paige didn't answer, her gaze shifting from the rearview mirror to the burping girl.

Then he opened the medicine bottle and handed two pills to his girlfriend. "Tilt your head back and swallow them with a gulp."

Anya burped twice, each one less forceful than the last, as if fighting her own body's protests.

After taking the medicine, Leo drove for a while longer before he stopped the car, went for a quick walk around a bar, then came out and drove to another spot.

Chad had ordered Anya to drink hot

water. She had just had a milkshake and couldn't stomach more, so she mimicked Henry, biting on the bottle rim stubbornly refusing to drink water properly.

After searching for ten minutes, Anya suddenly said, "Chad, I've drunk too much water, I need to use the restroom."

Leo: "......"

Meanwhile, Paige was in a frantic state, making another call to her father, while Leo was scouring the downtown area for a restroom.