Chapter 34
Finnegan saw Theodore carrying Bambi and immediately pushed open the car door to step out
Finnegan was broad–shouldered and muscular at nearly 6’2“. His short–sleeved black T–shirt was stretched taut over his well- defined physique.
“Give her to me,” he said while extending a strong, sinewy arm toward Theodore.
Theodore had no choice but to hand Bambi over.
Finnegan took her with one arm effortlessly, then turned to Elara. “Let’s go.”
After bidding farewell to Theodore, Elara got into Finnegan’s car.
Finnegan carefully placed Bambi in the back seat and shut the door. As he walked toward the driver’s side, he even swept a cold gaze over Theodore
Theodore ignored Finnegan entirely as his softened expression was focused solely on Elara.
“Drive safe,” he said. The curve of his lips formed a polite yet distant smile.
Theodore then watched the off–road vehicle disappear into the distance.
As Finnegan drove, he glanced at Elara through the rearview mirror. “Who was that just now?”
“Theodore Snapp, Dr. Snapp’s son,” she replied.
Finnegan frowned slightly. I’ve seen him before at your university.”
Elara was unfazed. “He was probably visiting his father.”
To her knowledge, Theodore had never been a student at Capitol University.
But Finnegan recalled the times he had gone to Capitol University to check on Elara. There had always been a man in the
back of her classroom, wearing a black face mask and a baseball cap, keeping a deliberately low profile.
As a former soldier, Finnegan was trained to notice the most inconspicuous people–the ones who didn’t want to be noticed.
And this man’s gaze had always been fixed on Elara.
“That guy’s a creep. Be careful around him,” Finnegan warned.
Elara paused, struggling to associate the refined and highly regarded Theodore Snapp with the word creep
Finnegan didn’t dwell on the subject and instead asked, “What’s your plan.now?”
He already knew about her divorce from Harvey. Just then, Bambi stirred awake
“Daddy is bad, Mr. Theodore is good”
Finnegan’s eyes widened in shock.
The traffic light ahead turned red, and he stepped on the brake, turning around to look at Bambi.
The little girl blinked her large, dark eyes. There was confusion flickering across her face
“Huh?” She reached up and touched her ear, as if trying to figure out why she had just said that
Elara was just as surprised. “Bambi, where did that come from?”
Bambi shook her head. “I think I had a dream… In my dream, a voice kept saying. Daddy is bad, Mr. Theodore is good.‘
*But Bambi also thinks Mr. Theodore is really nice….
-25 BONUS
Thinking about Theodore made Bambi smile sweetly.
Elara was amused by her daughter’s reaction, and she gently pinched her chubby cheek. “I never thought Mr. Snapp would be so good with kids.”
Finnegan rested both hands on the steering wheel “Or maybe dreams are the opposite of reality. That Mr. Theodore might actually be a bad guy.”
Elara recalled her time at the Snapp residence and laughed. “Even if Theodore is a bad guy, and even if he’s a creep
“At least he’s a beautiful bad guy. A gorgeous creep…”
J
The next day, Elara took Bambito Finnegan’s gym, where she asked him to find a boxing coach for her daughter–someone who had once competed on the national team.
The young coach Beryl Caddel, blurted out upon seeing the round, chubby Bambi, “Wait… She’s a girl?”
Finnegan’s sharp tone cut through the air. “She’s my niece. Train her properly.”
Beryl crouched down, studying Bambi with skeptical eyes. “Boxing is tough. You’d better not cry halfway through.”
Bambi’s little face turned serious as she responded in a clear, confident voice, “I won’t cry!”
Beryl grinned. “Alright then, let’s start by helping you lose some weight. T
Picking up a punching pad, he held it up and said, “Now, give me your hardest punch.”
Bambi clenched her tiny fists, then looked up at him with big, innocent eyes.
“Mr Caddel, you’d better stand firm she warned in her sweet, childish voice.
2/2
