Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 526

Molly yanked her hands out of Chad's grasp.

Her mother, Coleen, fixed her with a stern look. "What's going on here?"

"It's not true!" Molly burst out.

But everyone else seemed to disagree. Chad chimed in, "Over the summer."

Vivian wasn't having it. "No way. Just a few days ago, Molly told me it was just sibling stuff between you two."

Jade was fuming. Vivian was trying to break up her and Chad, and now she was almost forced into marrying him.

Vivian turned to Molly. "You can't be with Chad. You're siblings; it's not right."

Jade snapped, "So, we can't be together, but you can? Aren't you just after our family's money? You're not even blood-related, and neither am I. If it's about who's closer, it's me and my mom. And now you're trying to mess with my family here on my turf? Vivian, if you had no brains to begin with, why compete with a pig for its intellect?"

Molly sighed. "I've seen people sabotage others, but never someone as dumb as you, Vivian. You ended up screwing yourself over, and dragged me down with you."

She regretted sending those photos to provoke Vivian yesterday. How could she have known they'd end up causing her such trouble with Chad?

Coleen questioned her daughter, "So, is there something going on between you and Chad?"

Molly looked her mother in the eye and said, "No."

But Chad countered, "Mom, you saw the truth last night. Molly's just embarrassed to admit it."

"It's not true! Mom, seriously, I have thick skin - super thick. Don't listen to him; he's making stuff up," Molly insisted, her voice desperate. Chad faced their mother's angry glare, confident she believed him.

Molly turned to her father. "Dad, you believe me, right?"

Kendrick asked, "Where did you sleep last night?"

Molly hesitated. "At a... hotel."

"And Chad?" her father pressed.

Chad silently pulled out his hotel keycard and then another one, both with the room number 2806.

Molly, looking at the identical keycards, was filled with regret. "Dad, I can explain, really." Kendrick was unconvinced.

Molly turned to her grandparents, Grandma Aubree and Grandpa Elmer. "Grandma, Grandpa, I..."

But they turned their backs on her. Grandma Aubree wasn't blind to what she had seen at the doorway.

Now, Molly sat with her head in her hands in the Byrne family living room, silent, knowing she was beyond defense; all she could do was sigh. Chad broke the silence, "Since you all know, I'm willing to marry Molly and take responsibility."

"No way!" Molly's eyes widened as she vehemently objected.

Coleen stood up. "Molly, come upstairs with me."

Molly followed her mother to the study.

Before Coleen could interrogate her, Molly started, "Mom, there's nothing between Chad and me - absolutely nothing."

"How does he know about your birthmark?"

Molly bit her lip. "He saw it by accident."

"And the kiss in the photo?"

"It was an accident."

"And the same hotel room?"

Before Molly could answer, Coleen said, "You accidentally slept in the wrong room? And the hickey on your neck, was that an accident too?" Molly knew she was cornered and started to cry. "Mom-"

Coleen demanded, "Is this how I raised you? To be a self-respecting young woman? Which of those lessons did you learn?"

Tears streaming down her face, Molly whimpered, "I didn't."

Coleen leaned on the desk, furious. This revelation hit her harder than if she had just found out her children were dating. "When did you two become intimate?"

Molly insisted, "We haven't."

Coleen retorted, "It's already happened. Is there any point in hiding it now?"

Molly, sobbing with a face towards the ceiling, lied, "Chad told me to tell you, it was after Henry's christening party."

"Why are you only saying this now?"

Molly felt like banging her head against the wall.

"Do you love Chad?" her mother asked sternly.

...

Downstairs, Chad was fervently seeking his father's and grandparents' approval for his supposed marriage to Molly.

"I kept it from you because Mom was sick, and she couldn't handle the shock. But since it's out, I need to be responsible for Molly. Selfishly, Molly marrying me is good for our family. If we broke up, she wouldn't be able to face me, and you might lose a daughter and a granddaughter. If Molly marries me, she can rightfully inherit Chade Inc., and she'll still be part of the Byrne family." Kendrick asked his son, "Why do you want to marry my daughter? Is it just out of obligation?"

Chad met his father's gaze. "No, it's because I love her."

For the first time, he openly confessed his feelings in front of his parents and elders.

Half an hour later, a red-eyed Molly followed her mother down from upstairs.

Chad had just ended his own grilling.

"Chad, come upstairs with me," Coleen called her son away.

Molly was about to face another round of questioning, feeling frustrated, wronged, and trapped.

The Byrne family spent their entire noon hour not eating lunch but dealing with the couple's situation.

At three in the afternoon, Chad took Molly away.

Once in the car, Molly burst into tears.

Chad listened to her weep, driving to a diner's parking lot. He watched her cry until she had no more tears left. "Come on, let's get some food. You can cry again after you've eaten."

Chad guided her into the diner, the bell above the door jingling as they entered. Molly's eyes were misty as she asked, "What did Mom and Dad say to you?"

"They were asking what my intentions are with you. How about you?"

Molly sniffed, "No one believes what I say."

In front of her was her usual favorite, a classic cheeseburger with a side of crispy fries, but at that moment, Molly had no appetite whatsoever. "How can I possibly explain this to my dad and brothers of the Cedillo family?" Chad spoke gently, "All you need to do is nod and agree to marry me, and I'll handle the Cedillo family."

Molly remained silent, pushing the fries around with her fork, her stomach tied in knots, and soon found herself being escorted back to the hotel.

Chad's phone rang again, and this time he answered it, listening to Easton's voice on the other end. "I can't be involved in Molly's case from now on."

Easton sounded puzzled. "What? Weren't you just hounding me in my office for updates on the case?"

Chad replied, "Before, I wasn't family. But now, I just might be."