Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Ten minutes later, three distinguished gentlemen were lounging on the hotel lobby sofas.

Leo, with a cheeky grin, remarked, "Uncle, seems like your 'son-in-law' title doesn't hold much sway here."

Andre had tried his luck at the front desk, only to face a polite but firm response, "I'm sorry, sir, we can't provide that information. Are you looking to check in or perhaps dine with us? Our waterpark opens tomorrow; today's activities are over." In an attempt to assert some authority, Andre declared, "I'm Mia's husband, and Henry's dad."

The front desk attendant, still smiling, replied, "I'm sorry, sir, but we have no record of a 'Mia' checking in."

Leo, too, came up empty-handed; her details weren't in the system. Their inquiries nearly escalated to the point of involving the hotel manager.

Andre quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "If you ask the manager, he'll spill everything," Leo pointed out.

Andre replied, "If the manager knows, then Mia will find out." No matter how influential a son-in-law is, the manager's primary loyalty is to the young miss of the house. So, naturally, he would inform Mia of everything.

The women had gone to great lengths-flying and driving for hours, turning off their phones, and halting bank cards-all to see their men worry, frantic and regretful because they couldn't locate them.

And yet, on the very first day of their absence, the men had tracked them down, stripping away any sense of victory the women might have felt. It was akin to throwing fuel on a fire.

Not only could they not appease them, but they risked an even bigger uproar.

Their purpose for coming was to ensure the safety of the three women and the child. So, even though they had arrived, they had to act like they hadn't.

Chad and Andre were in agreement on this; they needed to wait until the women had cooled off before revealing their presence. Approaching them now would be like banging rocks together to see which would break first. "André, let's hang out in the lobby. Molly's got a thing for late-night snacks. She'll definitely order takeout. As long as we're here, we'll find out where they're staying," Chad, knowing his pregnant wife all too well, suggested. No sooner had he said this than a delivery guy turned up. "Hello, takeout for Seaview Room 888."

All three men's heads snapped towards him.

The delivery guy was on the phone, "Hello, is this Ms. Cedillo? Just letting you know your takeout is at the front desk. Our delivery bots are swamped, so it'll be a minute."

Molly's voice came through, "How long is it going to take? My food's gonna get cold. Fine, we'll come down and grab it."

The men didn't catch the whole exchange, but they saw the delivery guy finish with, "Enjoy your meal, goodbye," before walking off.

Chad casually strolled over to the delivery shelf, pretending to be indifferent but sneakily checking the order.

"Yep, it's theirs," he confirmed.

Andre nodded, "Let's get a room."

They handed over their IDs at the desk, asking for the room next to Seaview Room 888.

Meanwhile, in their room, the women and child were making plans.

"Auntie, I'll get the takeout," Anya offered with enthusiasm.

With one heavily pregnant and the other busy with a child, they didn't protest, "Don't lock the door; we'll be waiting for you."

Once the men had checked in, Leo, with his keen eye, spotted a young girl in slippers emerging from the elevator. He recognized her instantly but was quickly silenced by Andre, who clamped a hand over his mouth, while Chad stood by, avoiding eye contact. One was the son-in-law of the Irvin family, a business mogul; another, the young master of the Byrne family, a top cop; and the last, the eldest grandson of the Cedillo family, a legendary hacker. Yet here they were, sneaking around like schoolboys caught in mischief. The front desk staff looked on, bemused and slightly on edge.

Anya, dressed in a bear-themed nightgown, breezed past them to collect the takeout: "Auntie's skewers, my noodles, baby's fruit salad, and... all these junk foods belong to Auntie."

Happily, she gathered her takeout and skipped back into the elevator, oblivious to the men behind her.

Once Anya was out of sight, Andre let go of his nephew, "What a mess."

Leo whispered frantically, "I'm in this because of you two."

After Anya left, the men followed her into the elevator.

Barely a minute later, as they stepped out, Anya was still meandering down the corridor, "Auntie, Auntie, baby, I'm back."

The three men, like thieves in the night, discreetly entered the adjacent room.

A king-sized bed and a single bed awaited them.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

They exchanged glances, unsure.

Next door, the party was in full swing.

The TV blared a "Boonie Bears" movie, with everyone munching, snapping photos, clinking glasses, and even Henry playing cameraman. "Son, hold the phone for mommy, alright?" On one side, the evening was vibrant and merry.

On the other, separated by a mere wall, the three men stood on their balcony, peering into the next room.

"They're watching 'Boonie Bears," Chad observed.

Andre scoffed, "What's so fascinating about cartoons at this hour?"

Leo, having been through it, chimed

in, "Ha. Back in high school, you women couldn't get enough of 'Logger Vick' chopping trees on your phones. Now you've got a son, and it's the same story. My girl was a bear fan from the start; she could drain my phone's battery watching 'Logger Vick.""

Andre checked his watch, "It's past midnight."

After all the hassle.

In their darkened room, Chad and Andre, reassured by their wives being nearby, finally sipped some water.

Leo sprawled out on the king-sized bed, instantly asleep.

By about 3 a.m., the sounds next door quieted as sleep overtook them.

Henry, with tired little eyes, couldn't stay awake, had a few bites of his fruit salad, and snuggled into his mom, slipping into dreams.

Mia and Anya shared a bed, leaving the single bed for the pregnant Molly.

Mia carefully tucked blankets and pillows around Molly, "The belly gets heavier as you go along; having something underneath makes it comfier."

"Mia, how did you get by without a pregnancy pillow when you were expecting?" Molly often commandeered Chad's pillow at night for belly support.

Mia smiled, "Andre was my

pregnancy pillow. I'd prop my legs on him, and he'd adjust my position If I stayed in one spot too long, he'd shift me without a word so I could

roll to the other side. But let's d

not

dwell on these men. Molly, shout if

you cramp up tonight."

Mia took care of her sister, and as she settled down, they asked Anya, "Anya, when did Leo realize those two men had taken off?"

Anya, overjoyed to be sleeping with

the baby, answered eagerly, "Chad knew from day one. He said Uncle barely travels now because of his family, and if he does, he always

tells Auntie first. As for Uways ne

secret missions, if they were talked about, they wouldn't be secret anymore. That's how Chad figured it out."