Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle-Chapter 175: Moved Again

By the third day, the house no longer carried the tension of illness.

It moved again.

Not quickly. Not fully returned to its usual pace. But enough that the difference could be felt in the way sound traveled through the rooms. Footsteps no longer hesitated in the hallway. Doors opened and closed without pause. Even the air felt lighter, no longer held in place by the careful weight of the past two nights.

Franz noticed it before he left the bedroom.

The bed behind him had already settled into a different arrangement.

Leo was awake.

The boy sat near the edge of the mattress, his tablet resting against his knees, his head lowered as he typed. The steady rhythm of tapping filled the space—a familiar sound that had been absent long enough to feel new again.

He didn’t look up when Franz stood.

That, more than anything, marked the change.

Two days ago, Leo would have been pressed against his side, one hand twisted in his shirt, eyes following every movement. Now he typed without looking up. Franz felt the absence like a small loss and a larger gain all at once. The boy was getting better. They both were.

On the other side of the bed, Lily had pushed the blanket aside entirely. She sat cross-legged near the pillow, turning her head toward the window.

"It’s lighter today," she said.

Arianne, standing near the dresser, adjusted the sleeve of her blouse before glancing over. "The clouds are clearing."

Lily seemed satisfied with that. She slid off the bed without asking for help. Her steps were steady.

Franz watched her cross the room. Two days ago, she wouldn’t have made it halfway without stopping. Now she reached the door, turned the handle, and stepped into the hallway without hesitation.

Leo followed a moment later. He didn’t wait. He simply took the tablet in one hand and moved after her.

Franz remained where he was for a second longer. Then he reached for his shirt and buttoned it slowly, his gaze drifting toward Arianne.

She had already moved on. Laptop open. Phone beside it. Her attention had turned elsewhere.

The kitchen carried a different calm.

Morning light filtered through the wide window above the sink, catching along the edges of the counter where small droplets of melted frost had gathered overnight. Outside, the snow that had covered the estate began to thin, revealing uneven stretches of stone beneath the white.

Arianne stood near the counter, reviewing something on her phone while a small pot warmed on the stove.

Franz entered. "They’re up."

"I know." Her eyes remained on the screen.

"They left the room."

Franz moved toward the cabinet. "That’s a good sign."

Arianne set the phone down. "It is." She reached for a pair of bowls and placed them on the counter. "They should eat something light."

Franz filled two glasses with water. "They will."

For a few minutes, they worked side by side. No discussion. No need. Arianne adjusted the heat when the contents of the pot began to rise. Franz placed the cups on the table before stepping back to check the drawer for spoons.

Their movements aligned without instruction. It had been less consistent two days ago. Now it felt settled.

She noticed it too. The way they moved around each other now—no thinking, no adjusting, just doing. Two days of fever and sleeplessness had worn away something. Left something smoother in its place. She didn’t name it. Just let it settle beside her like another presence in the room.

Lily arrived first. She walked into the kitchen with the same curiosity she had shown earlier, her gaze moving from the stove to the table before settling on Arianne.

"I’m hungry."

"You should be."

Lily climbed into the chair with a small effort, pulling herself up without waiting for assistance.

Leo followed. He moved more slowly but without hesitation, stopping beside Franz before placing the tablet down on the table.

Franz handed him a glass of water. Leo took it without looking up.

Arianne brought the bowls over. "Eat slowly."

Lily nodded. She took her time and moved carefully, now confident in her actions. Between bites, she looked at Arianne, as if to confirm something she no longer needed to ask.

Leo ate in silence. At one point, he stopped and looked at Franz, then back at the tablet. He didn’t reach out or hold anything. He was just present.

Franz noticed that too.

After breakfast, the house settled into its next rhythm.

The sitting room became the center of the house again. Lily walked between the couch and the window, stopping whenever she saw something outside. The melting snow caught her attention for a while, slowly changing and keeping her occupied.

Leo returned to the couch. The tablet remained in his hands, his posture relaxed as he leaned back into the cushions. The steady tapping resumed, filling the space without interruption.

Arianne sat at the table. Laptop open. Documents spread beside her. Her focus had turned completely now.

But not entirely.

Every few minutes, her gaze lifted. Lily. Leo. Then back to the screen.

Franz stood near the window. From there, he could see the driveway clearing in uneven lines, the dark surface emerging beneath the melting snow.

The house behind him moved without effort.

The television had been left on.

No one had turned it off. The volume remained low, blending into the background.

"...fans are continuing to speculate about the identity of the mysterious woman featured alongside Noah Hart..."

The segment moved smoothly into view.

"...however, industry analysts now believe the campaign is part of a broader promotional strategy tied to Hart’s upcoming medical drama series..."

Franz glanced once toward the screen. Then away.

Arianne didn’t look up.

"...with engagement continuing to rise..."

Lily followed the sound. "That’s you again."

Franz adjusted his cuff. "Yes."

She watched for a moment. Then turned back to the window.

Leo didn’t react.

Arianne’s phone rang.

She answered without hesitation. "Yes."

"The board is ready for tomorrow. I’ve sent the final revisions." Gio informed her.

"I’ll review them."

"Media coverage has stabilized."

"That was expected."

"Anything else you need moved?"

"No."

"Understood."

The call ended. Arianne placed the phone down. She did not pause before returning to her work.

Franz checked the time.

He moved toward the chair where his jacket rested and picked it up, slipping it over his shoulders.

Leo stopped typing.

He looked up.

This time, he held Franz’s gaze a second longer. Then he typed. He turned the screen.

You go work.

Franz read it. The message sat differently from the one two days ago.

He nodded. "I will."

Leo watched him for a moment. Then returned to his tablet. No hesitation. No follow-up.

Franz stepped closer and rested his hand against the back of the boy’s head. "Stay inside today."

Leo nodded.

Arianne closed her laptop halfway. "You’re leaving now?"

Franz turned. "Yes."

She stood, adjusting the sleeve of her blouse as she moved away from the table. "The roads should be clearer."

"They are."

Arianne reached for her glass, taking a sip before setting it down.

"What’s your schedule for today?"

"Interviews first. Then a recording."

She nodded. "Don’t skip meals."

Franz’s expression changed. "I won’t."

A pause followed. Not empty. Held.

Then Franz spoke. "Saturday."

Arianne met his gaze. "I remember."

No elaboration. No change in tone. Just confirmation.

Franz nodded. He moved toward the hallway.

Behind him, the room continued. Lily moved on the couch. Leo typed. Arianne reopened her laptop.

The door opened. Cold air slipped in. Then disappeared.

Franz stepped outside.

The cold hit him—not harsh, but present. The kind of cold that reminded you winter hadn’t finished yet, even if the snow was melting.

He walked toward the car. His boots crunched against the remaining patches of ice. The driveway stretched ahead, dark stone visible now in long strips where the snow had retreated.

Halfway there, he stopped.

Turned.

Looked back at the house.

Through the sitting room window, he could see them. Lily had moved closer to the glass, her small face visible between the curtains. She wasn’t waving. Wasn’t signaling. Just watching.

Behind her, Leo’s silhouette remained on the couch. Arianne hadn’t moved from the table.

Franz stood there for three seconds. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Then he continued to the car.

Three seconds. Long enough to register the shape of them through the glass. He turned away because if he didn’t, he might not leave at all. The car door opened. Closed. The driveway began to move beneath him.

From inside, the house remained steady.

Through the window, Lily watched the car move slowly down the driveway, its path cutting through the thinning snow before disappearing beyond the gates.

Leo didn’t look up. But his typing had slowed.

Arianne continued working. Her fingers moved across the keyboard. The documents in front of her hadn’t changed in the last five minutes.

"Uncle Franz left," Lily said.

Arianne glanced up. "I know."

Lily pressed her palm against the cold glass. "He’s coming back?"

"He said he would."

Lily considered that. Then nodded, satisfied.

He said he would. Not because she doubted her Uncle Franz—she didn’t. But because grown-ups said things, and sometimes things changed. She pressed her palm harder against the glass, leaving a faint print on the cold surface, and decided to believe him anyway.

She turned from the window and walked back to the couch, climbing up beside Leo. He moved to make room.

Arianne watched them for a moment. Then returned to her work.

The tapping of Leo’s tablet resumed. Lily leaned against his shoulder. The television murmured in the background, another segment beginning, another mention of Noah Hart that no one in the room acknowledged.

Outside, the last of the snow melted across the Rochefort estate, slipping from the branches and gathering along the stone paths as the morning light settled fully over the grounds.