Megan woke up at high noon.376Please respect copyright.PENANAESBClbRrYK
She sat up on the comfortable bed, stretching and yawning like a lazy cat. She376Please respect copyright.PENANAe4UbZn2pCg
felt energized after her beauty sleep, thus putting her in a good mood. Her376Please respect copyright.PENANAfFbDBQ4nyt
stomach grumbled resentfully as if complaining about the lack of substance it376Please respect copyright.PENANAqiNNoe1Ta1
hasn’t been given for more than six hours. Megan tried to remember the last376Please respect copyright.PENANAlfMVCcP1NB
time she had eaten; that must be the three muffins’ cupcakes she had to force376Please respect copyright.PENANAeb02SEaTZc
herself to choke down on the plane, as her upset tummy wouldn’t give her376Please respect copyright.PENANAuJZVMLfwLV
appetite for anything more. No wonder she feels a headache and was mildly dizzy376Please respect copyright.PENANAYunFhugWup
when she stood – those were her recognized signs of hunger. Never one to forget376Please respect copyright.PENANA4uDOBMvZrK
hygiene no matter how hungry she is, Megan moved to the door she presumed to be376Please respect copyright.PENANAvUQLFGigZ1
the bathroom to refreshen up. When done, she headed out.
Long hallways stretched out376Please respect copyright.PENANAxXeNX1Gri0
at either side of her, causing her to pause with a small frown. Debating376Please respect copyright.PENANAHoOLMHS5Fc
mentally for some secs, she decided on the left hallway. As much as she tried376Please respect copyright.PENANATJ3jyLGQzz
not to notice, she still found herself admiring the unusual, yet sophisticated376Please respect copyright.PENANAPzs3qXPK6X
interior design of the house. Priceless paintings displaying Scottish history376Please respect copyright.PENANAOTF9VztoZD
with artifacts were mounted on the golden walls. Various-sized vintage vases376Please respect copyright.PENANA2CX5vFujzo
noticeably worth more than she thinks, including the plain-looking ones, stood376Please respect copyright.PENANAd1YrEXfsGq
at every corner of the hallways. She’d have spent more time appreciating if her376Please respect copyright.PENANAGYvz4okdPL
belly didn’t protest again, this time louder.
She walked faster,376Please respect copyright.PENANAS7eghhMTFI
coming out to a staircase. There was another flight of stairs in front of her376Please respect copyright.PENANAfWvFjf2XIr
but she ignored it, choosing to locate the kitchen. Thankfully, she didn’t376Please respect copyright.PENANAxwziQZMAeV
spend much time at all. The spacious, spotless kitchen equipped with modern376Please respect copyright.PENANACsR8HRcMTr
utensils almost made her giddy and Megan couldn’t wait to start preparing tasty376Please respect copyright.PENANAhNE01Rpgp0
food on the big counter. She opened the double-doored fridge and grinned376Please respect copyright.PENANA7WMp97MCEv
broadly at how well-stuffed it is. As someone who enjoys cooking a lot, she376Please respect copyright.PENANA38kGoaMmRE
always appreciates it a lot when the fridge is filled up with all sorts of376Please respect copyright.PENANAxQ9xLVpzER
varieties of foods.
“Oh.”
Megan glanced behind her376Please respect copyright.PENANAvGmbOrP74T
shoulders to see a young girl, she doesn’t look more than nineteen years,376Please respect copyright.PENANApje6gZQE0Q
standing – frozen more like it – at the entrance of the kitchen. Her pale green376Please respect copyright.PENANAvftjyLtNuK
orbs were filled with anxiety, reluctance, and tiny curiosity as she held a376Please respect copyright.PENANAroSIxASsvg
tray holding an empty bowl and cup. Everything regarding her, from her posture376Please respect copyright.PENANA0wSJ8sV8Ch
to her expression, screams she wants to be anywhere but here. Megan felt376Please respect copyright.PENANAQfC6MbYW3j
strangely fascinated. Shutting the fridge, she faced the girl. She noted how376Please respect copyright.PENANAnU11fgy5n3
she tensed up immediately and Megan raised an inquisitive brow at her. The girl376Please respect copyright.PENANAWtEJpAWhVR
crimsoned. She tried to stammer out something, but under Megan’s bold stare,376Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4nJuJVXl9
she couldn’t form anything that made sense.
Having a strong impression,376Please respect copyright.PENANAWNDnEyRgk2
she was terrifying the poor girl, Megan eased up her expression, putting on the376Please respect copyright.PENANAcKwdw0ofVw
winning, a failsafe smile she used whenever she wants to soothe her376Please respect copyright.PENANAWWDJ1OazPC
not-so-polite, demanding customers of her culinary abilities. “I’m sorry if I376Please respect copyright.PENANAup0lXbH26J
frightened you or anything. Believe me, it’s not my intention.”
The girl gave a brief smile,376Please respect copyright.PENANAwelc0B6FHt
her stance relaxing. “I-I’m the one who’d apologize to you,” she went to the376Please respect copyright.PENANAlmXhFtjJkx
sink to drop the tray. “I shouldn’t have behaved like that. It was incredibly376Please respect copyright.PENANAo8l6uMuT0s
rude of me. I’m sorry, ma’am.”
She’s still376Please respect copyright.PENANAD8DPuIk0rJ
uncomfortable with me, Megan thought. “You weren’t rude. So, there’s no need to376Please respect copyright.PENANAezkRcIwbN7
apologize….”
The girl stared at her376Please respect copyright.PENANADaghiSCapu
blankly. Realizing she was asking for her name, she quickly replied, “Arabel376Please respect copyright.PENANAhAaB5qp3Od
Shaw, ma’am.”
“Oh. A lovable beauty376Please respect copyright.PENANAWRaqvOgjxK
worth of her name.”
The girl went red, almost376Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8iQ9mX7cT
like the gingery curls on her head.
A low growl sounded out of376Please respect copyright.PENANAEuziwOOlMX
Megan’s stomach, prompting Arabel to turn pale and become frantic. “Oh, my God!376Please respect copyright.PENANAIkHF8jcHgu
I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe I’m such an idiot. How can I not know that376Please respect copyright.PENANAwm70DnTyUD
you’d be hungry when you awake?” She pulled out a pot and pan. Going to the376Please respect copyright.PENANAE8gM8TnVJ3
fridge, she was just about to pull out a crate of eggs but was stopped.
“You don’t need to do376Please respect copyright.PENANAh5LxqDoMfA
that. I can make something for myself.”
“But—"
“Even if you cook for376Please respect copyright.PENANAP0bwBi37WW
me, there’s a high probability I won’t like it. So, to save ingredients and376Please respect copyright.PENANAUvpdtg5xY9
time, let me do it.”
“But—”
Arabel has led away376Please respect copyright.PENANANAhlexOyWn
from the refrigerator and lightly pushed one of the stools in the kitchen.376Please respect copyright.PENANAyOp7R74jdW
“Sit.” She complied. Like a three-year-old child who always wants to keep his376Please respect copyright.PENANAypBohio5fB
mother within his sight, she trailed her every move with large curious eyes.376Please respect copyright.PENANAwXiMUIF27O
Whenever she sees her not knowing where some things she needs are, she bolts up376Please respect copyright.PENANA3ITgEewmAZ
like an antelope. Providing said items within a blink. The smile on Megan’s376Please respect copyright.PENANAzDNs9AGXjb
lips keeps increasing.
“So, what are you376Please respect copyright.PENANAPjNiBnEkUu
doing to cook?” The young girl, unable to hold it in anymore, asked. She was376Please respect copyright.PENANAjFhv3RFvBX
standing alongside Megan, taking in the things she was preparing on the376Please respect copyright.PENANAaqFmbq5um4
counter.
“Brisket hash with376Please respect copyright.PENANAH7ikl3ciG5
eggs."
“Oh.”
Done making ready376Please respect copyright.PENANAZagrLo2j7F
the ingredients, Megan placed a large skillet over medium heat and poured in376Please respect copyright.PENANAISuACFU46a
two tablespoons of olive oil. When it was heated, she added diced onion and376Please respect copyright.PENANAUYDT0Jfa6C
fried it until it was translucent. She put in minced garlic cloves with one medium376Please respect copyright.PENANA7AP68vzNvs
red pepper, which she’d seeded and chopped. She mixed them, leaving it for a376Please respect copyright.PENANAUBaVjgjPvY
moment. Adding the potatoes she’d cut into cubes to the vegetables, she had376Please respect copyright.PENANApPn05v6kPC
everything cooked for fifteen minutes. An eager-to-help Arabel, who had been376Please respect copyright.PENANAiU24oTGIDN
salivating nonstop the instant the mouthwatering aroma spread out, was in376Please respect copyright.PENANApzrtTvuGq0
charge of monitoring and flipping the mixture every few minutes with a flat376Please respect copyright.PENANAIAYw854yvw
spatula so the lot browned evenly while she whisked down the eggs.
When it was time, Megan376Please respect copyright.PENANASWPE6zR0LN
tossed in the cubed brisket. She combined it well, afterward seasoning it with376Please respect copyright.PENANAFn2pwBWFc1
salt and black pepper. She gave a quick turn after that leave it to cook for376Please respect copyright.PENANABzUPvHlUeN
some minutes. Until the beef became brown and the potatoes succulently tender,376Please respect copyright.PENANAGganAbGgjW
before removing it from the heat. In a separate pan, she made scrambled eggs376Please respect copyright.PENANAKDck69ldoc
and then plated them, not forgetting to add barbeque sauce.
Arabel was genuinely stunned376Please respect copyright.PENANAAiFaRONtMJ
when Megan gave her a sizeable portion of the food. It took a whole minute to376Please respect copyright.PENANAbNZMokqQIT
get her to stop thanking her. The second Arabel took a bite, her head never376Please respect copyright.PENANARJ9U0y5Kdv
came up again 'til she’d wiped her plate clean. Literally. Within a few blinks.376Please respect copyright.PENANAG8Phb8VhHo
That spoke of how delicious the food is.
Megan had paused from taking376Please respect copyright.PENANAGOVxy78Mmx
lifting her spoon. She googled, half shocked, half amazed. But secretly376Please respect copyright.PENANA6xfHNn3g64
pleased. Arabel felt embarrassed, even wished the earth should open and swallow376Please respect copyright.PENANAm9sVe8MFfN
her up, when a light belch sipped out from her lips, despite her hard best to376Please respect copyright.PENANAIohkwGyjLq
keep it in.
“Here.” Megan handed376Please respect copyright.PENANAAJLsoXOGvi
her the glass of orange juice meant for her, which after small hesitation, she376Please respect copyright.PENANAuFcGzpoIiV
gulped down. “I’ve never had anyone react that much to my cooking, and quite376Please respect copyright.PENANA95KVnCK73C
frankly. Arabel, I love it.”
The girl pepped up, looking376Please respect copyright.PENANAWIkYU8UmkW
partly convinced. “Really?”
“Cooking is a great376Please respect copyright.PENANAzQncKj7AHp
passion of mine and as a chef, there’s nothing more that delights my soul than376Please respect copyright.PENANA1udqMpB4f1
seeing my food consumed with such great…. relish.”
Arabel ducked her head.376Please respect copyright.PENANA2sYwfCZQTG
“Okay, whatever you say.”
“I—”
“Arabel!”
A voice called from somewhere376Please respect copyright.PENANA3eIwPdT5nl
outside the kitchen. The way Arabel jumped from her seat would’ve been comical376Please respect copyright.PENANAnJiyWTcCq0
if she didn’t nearly trip over her feet and fallen flat on the floor. “Arabel!376Please respect copyright.PENANAkl3vxf2Ybo
Where are ye, silly lass?”
Said person had gone376Please respect copyright.PENANAdJEtTxACza
pale, as though she’d seen a ghost. In a flash, she was at the sink. Dropping376Please respect copyright.PENANADFcyNc9jKy
the plate, the one she’d eaten with, she packed the bowls and pans used for376Please respect copyright.PENANAnzOqQkpp78
cooking and began to demonstrate the quickest washing and rinsing known in376Please respect copyright.PENANAp31864Ko5V
history. Megan watched like a captivated audience while eating. Drawn to the376Please respect copyright.PENANALih22oWCuz
clanging of the utensils, footsteps drew closer to where they are. Just as376Please respect copyright.PENANA7DHpFGXMkK
Arabel finished, the woman Megan saw yesterday stepped into the kitchen. An376Please respect copyright.PENANA0VkV9RfdRT
exasperated frown covered her expression but there was no misreading the376Please respect copyright.PENANABNVnreSNvH
fleeting surprise and repulsion Megan spied in her gaze. This time, she was376Please respect copyright.PENANArVj5ZnPbG1
certain this sweetishly-looking woman has something against her.
Whatever.
“Ye silly lass! Why376Please respect copyright.PENANAvfWc5vNnad
didn’t ye answer me when I was yellin’ for you at the top of my lungs? I was376Please respect copyright.PENANAUBu1GZH0vz
expectin’ ye back ages ago!”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Rhona.376Please respect copyright.PENANAoRdB7O52re
I-I was busy preparing something for Mrs. Henderson when I saw there’s nothing376Please respect copyright.PENANAmxsYDHdcPr
left of breakfast for her.”
Both women flinched.
Rhona shot a nasty glare at376Please respect copyright.PENANA5QlSKCTtCE
the young girl, her displeasure apropos to the way Megan was addressed,376Please respect copyright.PENANAHyAKtLhpuU
however, Arabel misunderstood it. “I didn’t know ye know you’re conversant with376Please respect copyright.PENANA4a1mSKs0l4
Amerikie’s food.”
“When I knew Mrs.376Please respect copyright.PENANAoI6JOhEtiV
Henderson was an American, I did tons of research on the country so I can serve376Please respect copyright.PENANAFKU4mcYUVi
her needs better.”
Megan felt incredibly376Please respect copyright.PENANAvNhdl9Gz3D
uncomfortable being called that title again. She glanced at376Please respect copyright.PENANANyJcng298t
Arabel from the corners of her eyes; seeing her sweaty, bright face and376Please respect copyright.PENANA61nS7kXUFM
quivering lips, she pitied her and decided not to expose her for her clear lie.
Rhonda observed Arabel376Please respect copyright.PENANArqNa46Gsft
suspiciously. She’s not convinced of whatsoever nonsense she spewed out. A few376Please respect copyright.PENANAHicRTboR15
seconds later, she waved her to leave the kitchen and the girl readily fled.376Please respect copyright.PENANA8oXtTfZskn
Giving her head a shake, she turned back to Megan who had gone over to the376Please respect copyright.PENANAoDlMN0Z0qL
sink. This time, she didn’t bother hiding her feelings.
“Ms. Michelle, I’d like376Please respect copyright.PENANAlHkiGL6i16
it if ye don’t make Arabel cook for ye. She isn’t among the maids376Please respect copyright.PENANABVX3NXMmlc
in charge of cooking, so don’t force the poor girl to do376Please respect copyright.PENANACClctA0YTR
what she doesn’t want.”
Wow. Way to rip off the376Please respect copyright.PENANAYq1zudbQa7
bandage, Megan sardonically noted. Wiping her hands with a napkin, she met the376Please respect copyright.PENANAhbYj9Qg81p
angry older woman with the angering smile she uses on the people she doesn’t376Please respect copyright.PENANAkQ3rxo8xWS
like. “Hmm, but I wonder why any food wasn’t left for me?”
“I told the maids not376Please respect copyright.PENANAkpYvyAegJs
to leave any because I don’t know whether you’d like what we cooked or not. Ye376Please respect copyright.PENANAN0FMTVcWYZ
were needlessly finicky of what you ate the last time you came here so I took376Please respect copyright.PENANA0i9zqzh80G
it upon myself to be the one to cook for ye,” Rhona paused, casting a376Please respect copyright.PENANAXDapUB2cWD
depreciative look over at her figure. “Though if ye don’t mind me saying this,376Please respect copyright.PENANALzFasi8RH9
Ms. Michelle, I think starving a bit would do ye a solid good.” She jibed,376Please respect copyright.PENANAF5ttvFwYBn
smirking when that smile was erased.
Megan dropped being376Please respect copyright.PENANAMsdus1tOzR
polite. “Remind me again, what is your job exactly here?”
“What? Don’t tell me376Please respect copyright.PENANA0K26wmKtqb
you’ve forgotten?”
“Oh, I haven’t. But I376Please respect copyright.PENANA3sTXt32a1v
just want to know if you’ve gotten promoted to a new high rank that gives you376Please respect copyright.PENANAMm1qRwSB1L
the unrestricted authority to disrespect me, the lady of this house? Or have376Please respect copyright.PENANAH9UOWb3i4a
you forgotten that I’m married to your boss and that also makes me your boss?”
“Ye---”
“Oh, how scatterbrained376Please respect copyright.PENANAvdYKtTE4d0
of me. You’re what? Sixty? Sixty-five? Your brain probably isn’t as sharp as it376Please respect copyright.PENANAWhlFn79m0O
is if you were my age, so I’ll take it that those stupidly inappropriate376Please respect copyright.PENANA711O4JpRTM
comments were caused by the parasite living in your head because I want to376Please respect copyright.PENANAZkn7wS8aUQ
believe you valve your job and you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it.376Please respect copyright.PENANAtkpfiVmIuz
Perhaps I’ll talk to my husband to let you retire. After all, you’re getting376Please respect copyright.PENANADRVvvROhPv
old. It’s obvious you’re no longer fit for this job and it’d be very cruel of376Please respect copyright.PENANAgdCAkCqO4T
us to continue to make me do what you don’t want to do. Don’t you think so?”
Rhona glared with reddened376Please respect copyright.PENANAMZCZUHHXad
eyes; her smirk long gone. She wanted nothing more than to close the distance376Please respect copyright.PENANAKoo7PvkI4u
between them and serve the insolent lass a well-earned slap. How dare she talk376Please respect copyright.PENANA2syJTTRAzR
to her that way.
Standing there, her376Please respect copyright.PENANA09owrIV4Jk
chest heaving and looking as though she had been abandoned and betrayed by the376Please respect copyright.PENANAi9p8TosiDD
world, Megan felt zero ounces of pity for her. And why should she? Out of376Please respect copyright.PENANAhI1Om6XoAD
nowhere, this judgmental woman – she had mistaken as someone good at first –376Please respect copyright.PENANA7YEL8kU8Nd
start spurting crap concerning her, disparaging her. Megan knew she’d be pissed376Please respect copyright.PENANAAhAwKQERs5
at herself later if she didn’t return the favor. She might look gentle, doesn’t376Please respect copyright.PENANAd2VZVCw61T
mean she’s not a pushover for anyone.
“Y-Ye j-jest! Ye think376Please respect copyright.PENANAXhTHev0PMa
after what you did, Elie would want to listen to anything ye say, much less376Please respect copyright.PENANAF48hEY0xed
believe ye? Ah, you’re delusional.”
“You wanna bet? He’s a376Please respect copyright.PENANAnfeOCtlTrZ
man, isn’t he? Please, a little seduction and he’ll become pudding in my hands376Please respect copyright.PENANAiNgluSk1I8
in a flash.” Megan tilted her head a bit to the side; the slow smile that376Please respect copyright.PENANAobIZDhQt2O
stretched on her face made her look very much like a vixen. “Would you like me376Please respect copyright.PENANAaErIK3EPhq
to show you how it’s done?”
Rhona rushed out.
Megan dropped the act,376Please respect copyright.PENANAF8X7UBTRdU
disgusted beyond expression. What a pretentious, elderly woman. Brushing the376Please respect copyright.PENANAuHG52iXJzC
conversation aside, she strode back to her room, put on some workout outfits,376Please respect copyright.PENANA7QThysbYfH
and did yoga for an hour or so.
|!|!|!|!| |!|!|!|!|
“So, how is the376Please respect copyright.PENANAbvRswBcSEt
bakery doing?” Megan went straight to the point after exchanging pleasantries376Please respect copyright.PENANAe3XOOhtPAn
with the vibrantly dressed woman on a video call with her. Clad in her lazy-day376Please respect copyright.PENANAqOnZMbK9XH
outfit; an old, baggy shirt having faded baseball logo – she snatched it from Shane376Please respect copyright.PENANA6tyUGYlGiP
months back when they began dating – and her favorite woolen cutoff – panties,376Please respect copyright.PENANAxDduT5eiKC
her aunt claimed they were – underneath. She was standing on the veranda376Please respect copyright.PENANAnKv2bXNVM0
outside her room; enjoying the pleasurable breeze which slip in and out of her376Please respect copyright.PENANA5nFWqRAOwh
cloth and the beautiful, green scenery that lays around the manor.
“Oh, we’re doing376Please respect copyright.PENANA5SYmpf74Te
alright. The guy your aunt brought, Kilian, is a gem. Granted, the cakes and376Please respect copyright.PENANAVRrAnjlIqL
pastries he bakes aren’t precisely as great as yours, but the customers love376Please respect copyright.PENANAmNJwSbnt9D
them! Look, just the first day and we’re already sold out.” The camera shifted,376Please respect copyright.PENANAAS3vxeMTco
showing her the inside of her shop, which was crowded with people – just as376Please respect copyright.PENANAk1SWqqRneO
when she was there – and the show glass was empty. Megan's brows lifted; she376Please respect copyright.PENANAyHVK44OGdt
was impressed. It’s good to know she chose the right person among the four376Please respect copyright.PENANAIjFC90kEZM
chefs she’d talked to.
Jemma’s excited chocolate376Please respect copyright.PENANAlzk2YZ27aP
face came back into view. “Do you know he’s quite a shy guy? When one of your376Please respect copyright.PENANA4QpA1hwdnu
regulars Mrs. Copson, wanted to meet the new chef and Grey called him out, he376Please respect copyright.PENANAYVBcaPG4qI
was such a cute nerve wrack. The way he stuttered in that lovely Greek accent,376Please respect copyright.PENANAxkCF7ES11j
fiddled with his back hair, and blushed nonstop? Ah, I think I’m in love. I376Please respect copyright.PENANA4j2IdimwG1
don’t think I’m the only one; all your female clients are also in love with376Please respect copyright.PENANArfqMkSYFcQ
him. 90% of our buyers are females and I don’t think it’s entirely our goods376Please respect copyright.PENANAcuZNKjfjua
they’re eager for if you get my drift. Not that I blame them one bit; I mean376Please respect copyright.PENANAE6FNCdHBXl
have you ever seen a man who’s so sinfully gorgeous you just want to lick him376Please respect copyright.PENANAaM4F6enuVD
up---”
“Godmother, please!” Megan had376Please respect copyright.PENANA3A8dn4VP4k
to interrupt, or her ears would be filled with descriptions she’d rather not376Please respect copyright.PENANAD4HvMAMnob
have regarding her employee. She wondered if she made the right decision,376Please respect copyright.PENANA4MFoFwoMjz
allowing her godmother to persuade her to be her temporary manager. “You’re376Please respect copyright.PENANAibd2v351ql
fifty-four years and happily married with three children. For goodness’ sake,376Please respect copyright.PENANAwqOlUOuDT6
act your age for once!”
“Killjoy. I was just376Please respect copyright.PENANAgPyBnl3FKO
looking, okay? There’s no one yet that can make leave that delicious,376Please respect copyright.PENANAmw6lm9IYDa
one-of-its-kind specimen I have for a husband. Besides, my observation isn’t376Please respect copyright.PENANAYLSaGjCf9r
for me, it’s all for you, prude.” Jemma had that gleam in her eye, warning376Please respect copyright.PENANAQrHsq29mKk
Megan she was going to launch into her usual advice/speech – cough, nagging,376Please respect copyright.PENANAEcZx0GLxTw
cough – before she’d rush her off the phone, she went off. Leaving her with no376Please respect copyright.PENANAHdQBMm3HBk
choice but listen.
“I’m not saying waiting376Please respect copyright.PENANAXReCFEtySG
for Shane is a bad thing but you have waited enough time on the man. You’ve376Please respect copyright.PENANA8JpCasAnN0
been obsessed with him since you were what, nineteen?”
“Twenty. But I’m---”
“Twenty! For six years376Please respect copyright.PENANAxcBMh43eWj
he never looked your way once. Why then are you still pining with that kind of376Please respect copyright.PENANAkB2DTdwitP
man, huh?”
Megan gritted her teeth,376Please respect copyright.PENANAbKQ1nmiQYw
“He confessed to me five months ago – I told you and mom all of it – and we376Please respect copyright.PENANAOIol810Jbx
both decided to take it slow. I don’t see what’s so wrong that everyone is376Please respect copyright.PENANAVrWN1820vI
complaining.” She couldn’t help the sass at the last words.
Jemma narrowed her jade-green376Please respect copyright.PENANABti3VpAosB
eyes, threateningly. “Don’t think that because you’re far away, you can run376Please respect copyright.PENANAEBvDylx38V
your mouth on me on the phone anyhow, I won’t tolerate that.” Thank God she376Please respect copyright.PENANAWDla7xcQ0Z
wasn’t close by or her godmother would’ve slapped her silly.
“Sorry.” She felt like376Please respect copyright.PENANAf2cnu0kh8s
a schoolgirl as she apologized. “But I love him, Jemma.”
“You’re almost376Please respect copyright.PENANAyHxVTCTZxc
thirty---” Jemma started.
“Twenty-six.”
“---and he hasn’t put a376Please respect copyright.PENANA61SqBvKX5h
ring on your finger yet---”
“Again, we just started376Please respect copyright.PENANAZvtNcSpn84
dating,”
“---What is he waiting376Please respect copyright.PENANALIiQcdX3xr
for? The apocalypse? He isn’t sincere with you. Well, it’s a good thing you got376Please respect copyright.PENANAqoW55Tg4ao
married to that Scottish guy, Aneislis, right? He’s the right one for you.”
Megan looked376Please respect copyright.PENANAWGpPKPkPaq
incredulous, “In case you’ve forgotten, he’s Michelle’s husband. I have no376Please respect copyright.PENANA1bp2QBO8kP
interest in him.”
“He’s yours for life,376Please respect copyright.PENANAfiRcYIlvaH
whether you accept it or not. Even though Michelle is found, she won’t be with376Please respect copyright.PENANAfCBLbVeuEc
him. You should know this. Also, it’s best if---”
Megan was distracted.376Please respect copyright.PENANAWQK7AXKxFj
Her sight was drawn to the glittering, luxurious car – a Maserati – gliding376Please respect copyright.PENANAySotYSDFuG
towards the manor. It stopped, the backseat door opened, and out came the man376Please respect copyright.PENANAy5kjqUzZfK
her godmother approved of. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste. She stared,376Please respect copyright.PENANA98Wv40Lkcv
sour-faced, as he helped someone down – an adorable, little girl. He shut the376Please respect copyright.PENANA0SfMbM1sUR
car door and walked hand-to-hand a few steps before the girl made a demand.
“Daddy, carry me.”
Her cheerful, childish voice376Please respect copyright.PENANAuUBetnkNB9
rang out. Aneislis obeyed, continuing his journey inside the house.
Megan unintentionally376Please respect copyright.PENANAXNuFAOmJhH
pressed the end button to the video call as her mind pondered about the376Please respect copyright.PENANApXH8ISf8h1
information she had learned.
So, he had a daughter. Wonder376Please respect copyright.PENANAnpQkIQ6Okl
why that tiny detail wasn’t told to her, she rolled her orbs.