Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 576

Molly blinked in disbelief, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "So the only reason you married me was to sleep with me?" "Yep."

Usually thick-skinned, Molly found herself outmatched by Chad, of all people. How did he manage to outdo her in audacity?

"Oh, please! Dream on, buddy," Molly retorted, her cheeks flushing a telltale crimson. Lately, she didn't know what was up with her. Every time she faced Chad, her verbal sparring took a nosedive, as if she'd met her match. After their spat, Molly, unashamed, asked, "So, Chad, when do you get off work?"

"Why?"

"Well, it's almost Christmas, and I haven't gotten a new dress yet," she hinted.

Chad flushed with embarrassment. "Didn't you just...?"

Catching the disapproving glare from Molly's sparkling eyes, he quickly corrected himself. "I'm off at six, just wait for me on the couch."

Just the other day, Molly had splurged on new clothes, and here she was, craving a Christmas outfit already.

The enigma of a woman's desire to shop was something Chad still found baffling.

Come afternoon, Chad took Molly's hand as they left the station.

Behind them, Donnie started his teasing, "There she goes, there she goes, off with the captain's credit card."

Old Cody chuckled. "Donnie, give up the badge, man. The local comedy club is hiring. You've got talent; maybe it's time for a career switch."

Donnie packed up his desk, ready to call it a day, and joked, "If I switch, my old man would kill me."

Chad thought Molly would go for another dress or the latest designer bag, but at the mall, she dragged him straight to the men's section.

He looked at her in surprise. "Who's this for?"

"For the dog."

Molly's waist got another playful slap from Chad as he teased, "Say that again!"

Reluctantly, she muttered, "For Chad."

Chad was thrilled. All his affection for Molly wasn't wasted.

Even though he was the one footing the bill, he was charmed by her all the same.

Before, it had always been Chad lounging on a couch while she tried on a variety of dresses. This time, the roles reversed. Now she watched him try on clothes, giving approving nods or decisive headshakes. Fortunately, since Molly had once shopped with her friend Coleen for Chad's clothes, she didn't struggle too much with men's fashion.

Thanks to her keen eye, a nearby salesperson complimented them. "Are you siblings? You two are so close."

Since the salesperson had heard Molly switch between calling him "Chad" and "bro," she naturally assumed they were brother and sister. Chad clarified while paying, "We're getting married next March."

"Oh, fiancés! Congratulations!"

Chad's impression of the store got even better.

After the identity shift, Chad took a day to announce his upcoming marriage to Molly to everyone in their usual hangouts.

"Officer Chad, aren't you siblings?" everyone gasped in shock.

Chad clarified, "My last name's Sullivan, hers is Jiang. We were like siblings before, but we'll be spouses soon."

Molly had no clue that in the time it took to try on a few outfits, her wedding date had become common knowledge.

Later, claiming fatigue from shopping, Molly persuaded Chad to take her to a new restaurant in town.

Two thousand for clothes, three thousand for dinner.

Chad was still over the moon.

Molly, as usual, showed no signs of excitement about getting married. Puzzled, she asked her friend Mia, "Do you think I'm taking this marriage too lightly? I have zero reaction, almost like it isn't even happening to me. How did you feel before you got married?" Mia replied, "You're asking me? Before I got married, I dragged you out to rant about Andre being too old not to settle down, ending up with his dad taking a shine to me... We bashed the Cedillo family for two hours, remember?"

That reminded Molly. She had indeed joined her friend's rant against the Cedillo clan.

"So weird, I feel nothing. Could it be that I don't like Chad?"

Mia quickly curbed her friend's dangerous thoughts. "Stop it. Don't start doubting your feelings. Maybe you're just too familiar with the Byrne family, and marrying into it feels like going back home. Maybe the wedding's just a formality to you?" The thought of questioning her affection for Chad now, right before their wedding, was preposterous.

Mia would bet if Molly dared to call off the engagement, Chad would have none of it.

Molly sat cross-legged on her bed, utterly dejected.

It wasn't long before a knocking came at her door, followed by the sounds of a little one crying for mommy.

Without a word, Mia opened the door to find her husband with their bundle-of-joy son in his arms.

She took the little guy, and his cries slowly subsided.

As the night deepened, the baby became fussier, only quieting down with his mother near.

Though he was a mama's boy, sometimes he needed his daddy too.

Waking up at midnight to find only his mother and no father, the little guy would cry.

Mia couldn't fathom why her son had suddenly become so tearful.

The festive season was upon Havenbrook, blanketed in a fresh layer of snow, enhancing the holiday spirit.

The "Good Fortune" signs were up, the snow at the doorstep shoveled away.

Mia and Molly were outside making snowmen, while Naomi commented, "Aren't you cold? You kids are so resilient."

Soon, Hansen joined them, his nose turning red from the cold.

Andre was off work but inundated with calls to pay seasonal respects.

He stood by the window with his son, watching the happy children outside, their faces red from the cold, their hands touching the snow, then warming them with their breath before continuing to roll snowballs.

Hansen, coerced by his daughter, donned a scarf and began writing in the snow with his feet.

Molly started shoveling snow with a bucket, but soon she discovered a new game and dashed off, completely forgetting about the snowman.

Mia, too, left the snowman behind for the allure of a new game.

The two of them had promised their families a snowman, but in the end, they spent the entire afternoon laughing and playing in the yard, the snowman long forgotten.

Leo had seen this coming. "Ten years, Uncle, and in all that time, they've never once managed to build a proper snowman."

As evening fell and the New Year's Gala played on TV, the snow outside piled up once more.

Bruce and Naomi weren't about to miss out on the fun. Urged on by their two vivacious daughters, the whole family set out to build a snowman in the yard.

Hansen, with the precision of a sculptor, whittled a carrot into a perfect nose for their frosty creation. Naomi found a bright red scarf to wrap around the snowman's neck, while Jade happily donated her beanie to top off their chilly friend. Meanwhile, the Cedillo brothers were putting their backs into it despite the biting cold, rolling snowballs across the yard.

One picked up where his young bride had left a half-finished snowball earlier that day, while the other grabbed a basin that their sister had used for shoveling snow.

"Leo, is your base ready yet?" one brother called out.

"Hey, Leo, weren't you supposed to be working on the arms? What are you doing picking branches?" another teased.

"Leo, hurry it up, will you?" the voices chorused.

Leo's voice boomed across the yard. "One at a time, I can't be in two places at once. Mia and Molly, what are you girls up to? I thought you two were all about building this snowman!"