MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Clark clung to his mother as she carried him to his Father's car. He was terrified that someone would take him away and that his mom would leave without him. He nuzzled against her, and the smell of her perfume offered him some comfort, but not enough that he was able to stop crying.

Paul climbed in behind the wheel. Crystal took the seat behind him, and Nancy sat with Clark beside her. Clark was afraid that his Father would send his Mother away, and he had insisted that they sit as far away from him as possible. Clark hadn't even wanted to go to the hospital, but he had been injured while climbing down the tree, and his mother had insisted.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Nany glared at Paul's image in the rearview mirror. When he looked up, he saw her stroking their son's little face with her hands, and he returned her cold stare. How dare this woman stare at me? - he thought! She isn't even my wife

Nancy felt a pang of resentment in her stomach. If she hadn't married Paul, her life wouldn't be so bad. She saw that he had no redeeming qualities in hindsight, but she had been blinded by love.

Suddenly, the car veered off to the right, and instead of continuing on to the hospital, Paul pulled into the parking lot where their family doctor practiced. Nancy couldn't believe it. "Why are we stopping here?" she growled. "Clark needs the hospital!"

"He can see the Doctor," Paul said firmly. "He will be seen faster here."

It seemed that he didn't care enough about the boy to wait in the hospital, and Nancy was furious. At that moment, she wanted to punch her ex-husband in the face. "Clark is my baby!" she growled. "He is all I have. He is precious to my heart, and no one can compare to him. What is wrong with you? You are responsible for his injuries, but you won't take him to the hospital... Are you even human?"

Paul: "Don't be such a drama queen. Just get out of the car."

Nancy was shaking with anger, and it was the first time Paul had seen her so upset. Thus, he felt like he was talking to a different person, and as he got out of the car, he was surprised by how beautiful she was. How did I not notice this before? - he asked himself.

There weren't many people in the clinic's waiting room, and the doctor was able to see Clark right away. He gave the boy a once over, and everything seemed fine, but he ordered a CT scan. "Just to be on the safe side," he said.

There was a diagnostic imaging center next door, and Paul lit up a fag outside while Nancy checked Clark in. Once the nurses took the boy in, she joined him. What she had to do would be hard, but it was necessary. She took a deep breath, and without meeting his eyes, she said, "I'm sorry. You were right to bring him here."

Paul nodded thoughtfully. A minute passed without either of them speaking, and then he said, "Nancy, are you trying to use Clark to get back into my house?"

Nancy's face turned white when she heard that. Where is this going? - she wondered - Likely, it is nowhere good... 

Paul: "If you apologize for what you did, then maybe I can give you a chance to turn over a new leaf. For Clark's sake."

Nancy: "Did you misunderstand something? I never want to enter your house again."

Paul was shocked.

Nancy: "I wouldn't go back if you cried and begged me to return. Marrying you turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life."

Paul frowned, and his ire began to rise. Before he could reply, though, Crystal walked out of the clinic with Clark in her arms. She passed the boy to his mother and said, "Everything's fine, and Clark was a very brave boy."

****

Although Paul did not allow Nancy to take Clark home, he said that she could return in the morning, make him breakfast, and spend some time with him. She did not know why he was so accommodating, but she tried not to overthink it. What mattered was that she would be able to see her son. So, to make the most of this opportunity, she got up extra early so that she would be there when he woke up - and, of course, she brought Crystal along in case she needed extra support.

When they arrived at the Burnett villa, a servant showed them to the kitchen, and they got to work. Nancy did most of the cooking, with Crystal occasionally helping out, and by the time Clark began to stir, she had nearly finished preparing his favorite breakfast foods.

"It's a lot of food," Crystal noted.

Nancy sighed sadly. "Clark has lost some weight," she said. "I know that I can't fatten him up with one meal, but I can try. Right?"

Crystal nodded wordlessly.

From upstairs, there came the shrill sound of a servant's startled cry; then, like a herd of elephants, the sound of a small boy running and jumping about. "Young master!" cried the servant. "Don't run around. Be careful not to fall!"

Clark had just gotten out of bed, and when he'd smelled breakfast, he remembered that his mother was there. He ran down the stairs, and when he saw Nancy in the kitchen, his face practically glowed. "Mommy!" he shouted. He ran to her and jumped into her arms.

Just then, there was a noise at the door. Paul had just returned from his early morning run, and he was wearing a tracksuit. Without thinking, Nancy went over and got him a pair of house slippers. It was a part of a routine that they'd established while they were married. She'd done it a thousand times, and it felt as natural to her as breathing. It was only as she straightened up that she realized the faux pas she had committed, and her cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

Paul was also acting without thinking and turning events. Luckily, Clark was utterly oblivious to it. He began to giggle, and the mood lightened, and when the fit passed, he said, "I'm hungry."

"Well then, let's get you to the table."

Nancy kissed her boy on the forehead and said, "I've prepared all of your favorite foods."