Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 606

Mia wasn't one to trust the rough, cheap clothing you find on the streets, nor did she feel confident about their cleanliness. Even though it wasn't like babies would catch diseases from them directly, the thought of her little one wearing clothes that had been carelessly tossed onto a carpet gave her anxiety.

What if her son developed a rash or, heaven forbid, some skin condition after a photo shoot? The mere thought of her delicate little boy crying in discomfort was enough to make her heart ache for the entire family.

Luckily, when she felt the fabric, Mia was relieved to find it soft to the touch, clearly made of pure cotton, and the craftsmanship was impeccable. She also checked out the laundry area and was pleased to see it met her standards of cleanliness.

As she was about to inquire about the prices, Anya, who had been watching her with admiration, said, "Aunt Mia, when I have my own babies, I'll be sure to learn from you."

Mia shrugged modestly, "What's there to learn? I'm just winging it with Henry as my first."

Around six-thirty, the big boss, finally free from his busy schedule, called his wife.

"Mia, how's the photo studio? Where are you now? I'll come pick you up."

After Mia told him where they were, she added, "Why don't you come check it out as well? Anya and I will wait for you."

When they agreed to have her husband sign the contract too, Mia informed the manager, who was visibly shocked, "Andre is coming over personally?"

Mia nodded, then said something that surprised the manager even more, "And he'll probably be here all day for the shoot."

Realizing her reaction might have been a bit much, the manager joked, "Guess I'll have to have a serious chat with the photographer. With Andre around, I'm not sure the photographer can handle the pressure."

Twenty minutes later, Andre walked in, greeted by Mia's enthusiastic, "Honey, over here, come here!"

The manager, slightly nervous, greeted Andre, "To think you'd come to our humble studio. Perhaps I should give you a thorough tour?"

Andre waved off the offer, "No need. My wife can make the decisions on this."

Mia, however, was keen on showing him around, especially the photo studio where they saw a little baby being photographed.

Andre, with his wife clinging to his arm, looked at the infants and asked the manager, "My son isn't skinny. Will wrapping him in silk harm him in any way, like causing breathing difficulties or pressing too hard against his body?"

The manager quickly reassured, "Don't worry, Andre. Our staff is trained to handle it carefully. The scenario you're worried about won't happen."

Mia, swaying her husband's arm, corrected him playfully, "Honey, our son isn't that chubby. He's just adorably plump."

Andre looked down at his wife with a fond smile.

That day, after briefly reviewing the contract and adding a confidentiality clause, Andre signed his name with confidence. Mia, leaning on her husband's arm, looked up at him with eyes full of admiration.

Later, Anya followed Andre to the Irvin family to pick up the kids, then returned to the Maplewood Estates.

During the ride, Anya realized, "As long as Chad is with me, I never get to hold the baby."

"Why didn't Leo pick you up from school today?" Andre inquired.

Anya, puzzled, looked at her uncle. Wasn't Chad supposed to work late today?

"Oh, I told Chad I'd be with Aunt Mia visiting the photo studio, so he said he'd pick me up later," Anya covered up for Leo.

The couple didn't suspect a thing and took her at her word.

Only Anya looked down at the little one in her arms, her thoughts elsewhere.

By eight, Leo finally called, "Anya, are you still at Maplewood Estates?"

"I've been waiting for you, Chad."

Streetlights had come on, lighting up the busy city nightlife. Even taxis were scarce in this suburban area.

Leo, trying to hail a cab while on the phone, said, "Just finished up. I'll be there soon."

But Leo was half an hour late picking up Anya.

By then, Mia had already changed into her home clothes.

"What's up? Why so late picking up Anya?" Mia asked, holding her baby.

Leo stepped forward, attempting to take the baby from her.

Mia immediately blocked him, "I warn you, my son needs to sleep now. If you wake him and make him cry, you're in trouble tonight!" Anya quickly intervened, preventing Leo from getting any closer to the baby.

Leo, resigned, said, "Fine, I won't hold him. Just let me look."

After a brief visit, Leo took Anya and left Maplewood Estates, embarking on a walk back to the city under the moonlight.

As they walked, Anya playfully stepped on Leo's shadow and balanced on the curb, with Leo carefully guiding her to prevent any falls.

The night air was cool, prompting Anya to zip her jacket all the way up.

Seeing her shiver, Leo suggested, "Come with me to the car show tomorrow."

Anya stopped in her tracks, her eyes lighting up, "Did Uncle say you could buy a car?"

Leo scoffed, "Your Chad can make his own money."

Instead of the awe he expected, Anya fell silent, then looked up at him with a pout, "Chad, you didn't work late tonight, did you?"

Leo's hand slipped away from Anya's, landing casually on her shoulder as he tucked his other hand into his pocket, responding with a lazy tone, "Was supposed to pull an all-nighter at work, but then a buddy of mine had his computer crash, so I went over to fix it." Anya immediately followed up, "Did you manage to fix it?"

"Of course, I did. I've never met a problem I couldn't solve."

Pouting, Anya mustered up the courage to ask, "Chad, this 'fixing computers' thing... it's all above board, right?"

After Anya's question, Leo's arm tightened around her shoulder, his finger tapping her head lightly as he said, "What's running through that mind of yours? I wouldn't break the law just because I'm short on cash."

Anya's voice was soft and slightly plaintive as she explained, "But you kept it from me, and then suddenly you had money. It's hard not to suspect you were up to no good."

Leo kept his arm around Anya's shoulder, his tone reassuring, "If I hadn't shown up tonight, would you have thought I'd been arrested?"

Anya nodded weakly.

He tapped her head again, "Can't you think a bit more positively of me? It was just a company's system that got hacked. Their tech department couldn't handle it, so they called me in to give it a shot."