Leo had a smile on his 770Please respect copyright.PENANABsnFsMZC7Y
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 770Please respect copyright.PENANA4VpFIkivHT
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 770Please respect copyright.PENANA65vMbwspTi
face right in front of him.770Please respect copyright.PENANAfUm2DqAjVp
It was morning and the 770Please respect copyright.PENANA3A7vo5EZKp
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 770Please respect copyright.PENANA4G3nYxzqZe
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 770Please respect copyright.PENANAAvfWLaoAxx
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 770Please respect copyright.PENANAiMFPIeo4bp
brilliantly in the morning sun.770Please respect copyright.PENANAhbNkEe76NY
Carly had joined him 770Please respect copyright.PENANAedCOoB0fzf
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By770Please respect copyright.PENANAqQiK9ukuRU
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost770Please respect copyright.PENANAUuH0qdHN0F
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 770Please respect copyright.PENANAjxOC4XqlLk
birds, of course.770Please respect copyright.PENANA0UrBWMC3v6
It was good she came, 770Please respect copyright.PENANAVkJL7snbLG
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 770Please respect copyright.PENANACjIhoi65CA
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He770Please respect copyright.PENANAxlQxauwO8b
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 770Please respect copyright.PENANAd71xQqD7oU
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.770Please respect copyright.PENANAZA8oEUXdf6
He stretched his hand 770Please respect copyright.PENANALpQeEMrISx
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,770Please respect copyright.PENANAj69UMORljn
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 770Please respect copyright.PENANAIBPLL5VbQL
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 770Please respect copyright.PENANA2BG3TQkTb9
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.770Please respect copyright.PENANAgie9sSphVC
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.770Please respect copyright.PENANAUSUL9isylg
She didn't respond as 770Please respect copyright.PENANAaVw2IFuKzV
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 770Please respect copyright.PENANAEFwPYHlELY
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 770Please respect copyright.PENANAkFt0fMFG2d
himself. Leo chuckled.770Please respect copyright.PENANA0jGFRSszfU
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.770Please respect copyright.PENANALGV1Y7ze9l
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."770Please respect copyright.PENANAlKxUllFYyz
Carly groaned like a little girl who didn't want to wake up to go to school as she covered her head with the bed covers.770Please respect copyright.PENANAI0PaSNbm2m
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.770Please respect copyright.PENANAakjqRhRJYS
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."770Please respect copyright.PENANA00C3tsImpH
"You're right. But I 770Please respect copyright.PENANATEdpQzOXDF
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend770Please respect copyright.PENANAvXEtWL1KsI
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."770Please respect copyright.PENANAvQOX6c6KBF
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"770Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1VPMAknAo
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."770Please respect copyright.PENANAnGxeVULj6k
They both got out of bed770Please respect copyright.PENANA5cIPK5aQXR
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 770Please respect copyright.PENANATL7Dhkx2YO
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 770Please respect copyright.PENANAGcTPwFH0oP
way to Carly's.770Please respect copyright.PENANACNrnG1GLD2
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."770Please respect copyright.PENANA6G1bsZ3qe9
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.770Please respect copyright.PENANAgT39NOVygN
Carly gave him a simple 770Please respect copyright.PENANAWlBCTuO82a
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 770Please respect copyright.PENANA1VelDh9CUM
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 770Please respect copyright.PENANAzX6XhAmWRu
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 770Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9cAZNoScr
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.770Please respect copyright.PENANAUsBlp6U3P0
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.770Please respect copyright.PENANACwpXYK6mjI
He made his way 770Please respect copyright.PENANAXjLRDkBUr1
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 770Please respect copyright.PENANAnZBsaMeMPd
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 770Please respect copyright.PENANAe5OR43UuPO
kitchen.770Please respect copyright.PENANAsuJXXDBXhq
He wondered who could be770Please respect copyright.PENANAVYapmrEvGd
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 770Please respect copyright.PENANAZEUvQtVc15
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 770Please respect copyright.PENANAT1gdxMkeOc
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 770Please respect copyright.PENANAvlEqvITjnj
little.770Please respect copyright.PENANANzR5nuBWg4
Angel was standing by 770Please respect copyright.PENANAX5qVe6tRvD
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 770Please respect copyright.PENANAPvgseUQTgI
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 770Please respect copyright.PENANAZHLp9MKZbt
thing that shook him the moment he got there.770Please respect copyright.PENANA0RTBG60y8M
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.770Please respect copyright.PENANAtYkd0qYhX6
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.770Please respect copyright.PENANAoib8pzt5uN
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.770Please respect copyright.PENANAzZAFCzPhgG
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."770Please respect copyright.PENANA0g57N1x755
"I just had to."770Please respect copyright.PENANAuhf1VFahSa
"Ummm," Leo still 770Please respect copyright.PENANAFf7NAJl5RR
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 770Please respect copyright.PENANAMJ2tY26xOc
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"770Please respect copyright.PENANA4Q5OsgiAnP
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."770Please respect copyright.PENANAx42zPQ40qB
The coffee maker soon 770Please respect copyright.PENANAi6VAx2PUns
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 770Please respect copyright.PENANA5980EQA4Xu
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 770Please respect copyright.PENANAds6XN7jVCE
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.770Please respect copyright.PENANA0ffKfwHrjq
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.770Please respect copyright.PENANAytceJhLPxh
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.770Please respect copyright.PENANAw8WvrRiySd
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."770Please respect copyright.PENANAGQFUBV4JY2
"Why? You wanted me 770Please respect copyright.PENANA4wyQ8Nv9be
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before770Please respect copyright.PENANAh7wHJ4TUA3
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself770Please respect copyright.PENANA74kaK7bLjX
a cup.770Please respect copyright.PENANAp0oNeeaNmT
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."770Please respect copyright.PENANAIwpiDL40xa
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."770Please respect copyright.PENANAj9R7akM3Qa
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.770Please respect copyright.PENANAod8abBOlJP
"You still don't seem 770Please respect copyright.PENANAzTqW8yPQzK
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 770Please respect copyright.PENANAWbpIgaYmMf
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 770Please respect copyright.PENANAQMYJ6klTTu
things."770Please respect copyright.PENANA4NLLBrcE5F
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"770Please respect copyright.PENANACoGhy2DyZF
Angel took a sip of her 770Please respect copyright.PENANAV3Og00Zvno
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know770Please respect copyright.PENANAxqvMDLj4It
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 770Please respect copyright.PENANAOYCFe9imE6
spent her night with you."770Please respect copyright.PENANAm10VKEgRaX
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."770Please respect copyright.PENANAwOqwtUqRq7
Angel smirked and Leo 770Please respect copyright.PENANAANpoYiTSP7
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 770Please respect copyright.PENANApCUV0HpvHe
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.770Please respect copyright.PENANAUUZQjoNqAK
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.770Please respect copyright.PENANAjOfoeltqfo
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"770Please respect copyright.PENANAYWKoiyf0QO
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."770Please respect copyright.PENANAWCMX1RVvf0
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."770Please respect copyright.PENANAFoGXLQ3RjN
"You're right, Leo. It's770Please respect copyright.PENANA4CwwMybtxB
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 770Please respect copyright.PENANAYLtHN9SaVe
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 770Please respect copyright.PENANACvOvEbhVjp
have any control over."770Please respect copyright.PENANALHEfI61LBU
Leo was a little shocked770Please respect copyright.PENANAAIzVJbejxc
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 770Please respect copyright.PENANA2srVv9MuO1
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 770Please respect copyright.PENANAq20gFJ5HWQ
game?770Please respect copyright.PENANAVtw8mhJcxJ
She slowly made her way 770Please respect copyright.PENANAtSuO91f1Xv
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to770Please respect copyright.PENANAa2oBREJfYE
look at her and something came up in his mind.770Please respect copyright.PENANAOXyKl6nOY8
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.770Please respect copyright.PENANAw4jgBqReWS
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.770Please respect copyright.PENANAyqglN9t5as
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.770Please respect copyright.PENANAWYCyZBkQ2p
"The time you came into 770Please respect copyright.PENANANBmgQEWyUl
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 770Please respect copyright.PENANA1rn0fvChSP
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"770Please respect copyright.PENANAYuazaoc51O
Angel smiled at Leo. 770Please respect copyright.PENANAykRcTEKl9s
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 770Please respect copyright.PENANAT65QTW3vzb
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she770Please respect copyright.PENANANoYljkhP9D
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got770Please respect copyright.PENANArm5TDMuQXg
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."770Please respect copyright.PENANAbwmRDpkrpN
"I don't believe you."770Please respect copyright.PENANAR1w3vMex9O
"You don't have to, Mr 770Please respect copyright.PENANAku0Bx16QQT
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 770Please respect copyright.PENANAXEyaWR3hMu
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 770Please respect copyright.PENANABFHpVbl2Zh
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."770Please respect copyright.PENANAQuc1Xhi59d
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.770Please respect copyright.PENANAmCoAhfY2Ks
"I'll be heading out for770Please respect copyright.PENANAJc7uRFJ7nK
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 770Please respect copyright.PENANAU7eAfopRBd
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"770Please respect copyright.PENANAi9E52vu66Q
Leo didn't have to 770Please respect copyright.PENANAZlPqhbxMMQ
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 770Please respect copyright.PENANAUU4TVB4CI1
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 770Please respect copyright.PENANAKDVj1R2nr1
her.770Please respect copyright.PENANAS5ki0p2lQU
Leo stared at the closed770Please respect copyright.PENANAEnRsn6O2OZ
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 770Please respect copyright.PENANAyGNmDyYhJz
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 770Please respect copyright.PENANAiR299Wkz8e
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 770Please respect copyright.PENANANU9ajNDYUw
utterly disturbed.770Please respect copyright.PENANAMHsP5ukp01
***770Please respect copyright.PENANAfpfYk1x0MU
In770Please respect copyright.PENANA1madOsJ9ep
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 770Please respect copyright.PENANAHVnwu1r3PM
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.770Please respect copyright.PENANAWbeLUw25EA
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.770Please respect copyright.PENANAkZwqTyVxMS
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.770Please respect copyright.PENANAowuPjmrc5Q
"Morning," said Amanda.770Please respect copyright.PENANAZBkW1Uegku
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.770Please respect copyright.PENANADfxpHHaS9G
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.770Please respect copyright.PENANAew6nqqUmTV
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."770Please respect copyright.PENANAMC2FNzREak
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.770Please respect copyright.PENANAO0wKZWeSR7
"And770Please respect copyright.PENANAQoollNDMPa
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 770Please respect copyright.PENANAEPHb3yfHTA
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.770Please respect copyright.PENANAuRzi9lNFFr
"Do I?" Leo asked.770Please respect copyright.PENANAnYGz7NU0oR
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."770Please respect copyright.PENANAJaK856E6bW
Leo770Please respect copyright.PENANADhAzr7xZAl
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 770Please respect copyright.PENANAb5i8oQClzQ
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 770Please respect copyright.PENANArmzrOBhh0g
knew the reason too.770Please respect copyright.PENANAeoI0Wk8Ng0
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.770Please respect copyright.PENANAzp5kLVrbGk
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."770Please respect copyright.PENANAFguhFgpzGQ
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."770Please respect copyright.PENANA8wxLv6jue7
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."770Please respect copyright.PENANALctEsq0zTj
"Lovely."770Please respect copyright.PENANAhWM6cdnsTR
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.770Please respect copyright.PENANAEL1HXkc7a5
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.770Please respect copyright.PENANAf2RuRYaRNP
Upon770Please respect copyright.PENANACoqaQ8CBhG
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.770Please respect copyright.PENANAS80Ss6zgK3
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.770Please respect copyright.PENANA6Qx5r2HdCI
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."770Please respect copyright.PENANA1x40nX6WID
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.770Please respect copyright.PENANACU7c0QEUgf
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."770Please respect copyright.PENANAjGrsIn6XE5
Eric770Please respect copyright.PENANAX4B3YIlN5z
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 770Please respect copyright.PENANAAplLGJ7TeV
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 770Please respect copyright.PENANAdDtYoV0wos
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.770Please respect copyright.PENANARz4DlUDva8
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.770Please respect copyright.PENANAz6bXnhySSg
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.770Please respect copyright.PENANAhLL0Aol2Rz
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.770Please respect copyright.PENANAXUqYHOxOBQ
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.770Please respect copyright.PENANAn7uaVtAMbU
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.770Please respect copyright.PENANAMeeMHfkrMc
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.770Please respect copyright.PENANA3QoaKG2xxr
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.770Please respect copyright.PENANAT7WW1rUHEH
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.770Please respect copyright.PENANAe7cySj1yZT
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."770Please respect copyright.PENANAeZNLmb9kWn
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."770Please respect copyright.PENANAGYoLZ7cc2b
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."770Please respect copyright.PENANA7SxSlzUKIH
Leo770Please respect copyright.PENANAeOVaBGTklR
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 770Please respect copyright.PENANAr6fjXuP8mJ
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 770Please respect copyright.PENANAYwVRJ1wMLv
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with770Please respect copyright.PENANAJEsVTzN9gG
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.770Please respect copyright.PENANAZAp5YAhJ8i
Angel770Please respect copyright.PENANAZiEO3Zb71I
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 770Please respect copyright.PENANAPks1kvnoAo
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 770Please respect copyright.PENANAPIPoJrnc1l
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.770Please respect copyright.PENANAFfrRFzzCqa
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.770Please respect copyright.PENANAUu8nGYUgDi
"I'll770Please respect copyright.PENANA9lcPwABeqa
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 770Please respect copyright.PENANABgYreDDYne
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."770Please respect copyright.PENANAHdx5JMHeln
"Yes, I would," said Angel.770Please respect copyright.PENANA91MmPfmBSP
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.770Please respect copyright.PENANAbBsKCJC8nH
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.770Please respect copyright.PENANA0GMLpcev3T
"Yes, I'm not."770Please respect copyright.PENANA3Q6JIzqqJM
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."770Please respect copyright.PENANA2tq4jdJegk
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."770Please respect copyright.PENANA55qWh3RP0c
"Yes, I would."770Please respect copyright.PENANArJaqGbJ6dT
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."770Please respect copyright.PENANACzkEIgvV4k
"I'm afraid that's the one thing all the boys have in this house, charm," said Diana. "And sadly, no one can say no to them."770Please respect copyright.PENANAVKE28lqJ9i
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.770Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2GvyJtcfE
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.770Please respect copyright.PENANAe6Sp2M3GnQ
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"770Please respect copyright.PENANAKTgeDjrxog
"Yes."770Please respect copyright.PENANAoEBacNB7Tr
Leo770Please respect copyright.PENANAFvHVS55hGM
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 770Please respect copyright.PENANAhTuR84N6xv
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 770Please respect copyright.PENANAo66aUhrWil
talking about Angel.770Please respect copyright.PENANAf5IA8IrXvz
Surprisingly, Angel also stood up from her seat at the same time as he did. The two of them looked at each other for a moment.770Please respect copyright.PENANAZT7Blxvm8Y
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.770Please respect copyright.PENANAgk33b60pjt
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.770Please respect copyright.PENANApyZDpjkLv6
Before Angel could find 770Please respect copyright.PENANAfRgN2PWwku
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 770Please respect copyright.PENANAFJDGYPXL0T
seeing her sister, standing on her own.770Please respect copyright.PENANA2AFXWjvFzh
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."770Please respect copyright.PENANAYQpyPAwDSr
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."770Please respect copyright.PENANASM7TCU7NeM
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.770Please respect copyright.PENANAZZENUd2Pjp
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."770Please respect copyright.PENANAO1LQr5XUct
Angel made her way out of the dining room while Carly stood there wondering what Mr McDonell wanted to talk about.
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