Leo had a smile on his 791Please respect copyright.PENANAcniiLyd4Ir
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 791Please respect copyright.PENANA8fC0zDl9uN
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 791Please respect copyright.PENANAFmJBqnc5rx
face right in front of him.791Please respect copyright.PENANA6jPBU720ZX
It was morning and the 791Please respect copyright.PENANAL4XKfwYHJd
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 791Please respect copyright.PENANAB6XOuNn7Dt
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 791Please respect copyright.PENANAoGnzlqG3Yf
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 791Please respect copyright.PENANARdilbUS82J
brilliantly in the morning sun.791Please respect copyright.PENANAF684xTJ0xG
Carly had joined him 791Please respect copyright.PENANAOivG5ND4nJ
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By791Please respect copyright.PENANAWMBK9RSFQK
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost791Please respect copyright.PENANALmQwFn5kkz
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 791Please respect copyright.PENANA5HDCrOYq0J
birds, of course.791Please respect copyright.PENANAAjOv1owssD
It was good she came, 791Please respect copyright.PENANAExuPfmHEs3
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 791Please respect copyright.PENANA1AWAt58VUO
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He791Please respect copyright.PENANAjbpqczw692
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 791Please respect copyright.PENANARca3P3WpdA
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.791Please respect copyright.PENANAppARRLRJnU
He stretched his hand 791Please respect copyright.PENANABONRQrkBBj
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,791Please respect copyright.PENANAIQqCrt8WTK
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 791Please respect copyright.PENANAq6by7ZzfmQ
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 791Please respect copyright.PENANAgsgiFNq6Eh
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.791Please respect copyright.PENANAx1Wt4r30ui
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.791Please respect copyright.PENANA82ilKf3jp2
She didn't respond as 791Please respect copyright.PENANACQeem1H44o
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 791Please respect copyright.PENANAlv34zbFQje
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 791Please respect copyright.PENANAl29RctiYy6
himself. Leo chuckled.791Please respect copyright.PENANAwUSx2KFE4X
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.791Please respect copyright.PENANAPI7T9IBY0Q
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."791Please respect copyright.PENANAiftb6AlcK2
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.791Please respect copyright.PENANABIDPVOlPPF
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.791Please respect copyright.PENANA7g9EsjLEwf
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."791Please respect copyright.PENANAMLDUIF7GJQ
"You're right. But I 791Please respect copyright.PENANAok3UvU8L3Q
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend791Please respect copyright.PENANAI31HxuCPpm
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."791Please respect copyright.PENANALz7ujJJGLP
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"791Please respect copyright.PENANAugyIIHHPOw
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."791Please respect copyright.PENANAT3UKJZJnw7
They both got out of bed791Please respect copyright.PENANA67J4X3vnHK
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 791Please respect copyright.PENANAqEqu56yFVf
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 791Please respect copyright.PENANAGQ7b8rvcpi
way to Carly's.791Please respect copyright.PENANAg1wbwGgyqe
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."791Please respect copyright.PENANArXzkRLxptb
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.791Please respect copyright.PENANAhqT7fBkibD
Carly gave him a simple 791Please respect copyright.PENANAyivYBQIu9O
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 791Please respect copyright.PENANAMV6PIGx343
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 791Please respect copyright.PENANAI9EaF5nROc
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 791Please respect copyright.PENANADAwn2CQm7r
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.791Please respect copyright.PENANAOpe3eDLLlw
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.791Please respect copyright.PENANAUNzqcFRoyZ
He made his way 791Please respect copyright.PENANAsM8uzYLtmV
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 791Please respect copyright.PENANAoDx5Vpo3v7
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 791Please respect copyright.PENANAfprVGEtwH5
kitchen.791Please respect copyright.PENANAx7sOFHwywU
He wondered who could be791Please respect copyright.PENANALgPI9KJ8L2
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 791Please respect copyright.PENANAld7i95t8qQ
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 791Please respect copyright.PENANAs6j4LvEOog
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 791Please respect copyright.PENANA5LM4Xyqied
little.791Please respect copyright.PENANAwCEl572QXT
Angel was standing by 791Please respect copyright.PENANAf6kyuP52AU
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 791Please respect copyright.PENANA9EFFs4Fz3o
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 791Please respect copyright.PENANAO8InPslsI3
thing that shook him the moment he got there.791Please respect copyright.PENANA2BIW6IbwC5
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.791Please respect copyright.PENANAJkJc3nmSiU
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.791Please respect copyright.PENANAARUhLKf5bg
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.791Please respect copyright.PENANA7Gb6ttetSW
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."791Please respect copyright.PENANAu3HCgzVHPV
"I just had to."791Please respect copyright.PENANAauvUyifitw
"Ummm," Leo still 791Please respect copyright.PENANAZDNEJgpaNH
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 791Please respect copyright.PENANAr7V6eqA8Mu
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"791Please respect copyright.PENANAlT1M5sBTas
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."791Please respect copyright.PENANAoAphXxiPoc
The coffee maker soon 791Please respect copyright.PENANA8N7NUAZPb6
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 791Please respect copyright.PENANAsK01y1BGsu
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 791Please respect copyright.PENANAwPC9FHHk2B
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.791Please respect copyright.PENANAlHNAqrzfIJ
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.791Please respect copyright.PENANADnWh1EkbQ4
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.791Please respect copyright.PENANAUzt5pdDd7J
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."791Please respect copyright.PENANAkrM3qaoIKo
"Why? You wanted me 791Please respect copyright.PENANA8NYWok9ipn
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before791Please respect copyright.PENANAJZedj3YtkI
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself791Please respect copyright.PENANADVt33DkF3m
a cup.791Please respect copyright.PENANAklruhfxlA6
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."791Please respect copyright.PENANAHvSX7FePJr
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."791Please respect copyright.PENANAKj6lOevmdi
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.791Please respect copyright.PENANABPrYX0924l
"You still don't seem 791Please respect copyright.PENANATDjuELERD8
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 791Please respect copyright.PENANAZkS6ivIDuh
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 791Please respect copyright.PENANA0LVVYwnTtX
things."791Please respect copyright.PENANAv825eYk4zN
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"791Please respect copyright.PENANA2uJLxx2Li5
Angel took a sip of her 791Please respect copyright.PENANAPU70ejr1yH
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know791Please respect copyright.PENANAyk2iWc4j16
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 791Please respect copyright.PENANAlKkgP1btCM
spent her night with you."791Please respect copyright.PENANA2eeQeYNGe6
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."791Please respect copyright.PENANAMiIxfCJLLr
Angel smirked and Leo 791Please respect copyright.PENANAN1McXf9gUf
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 791Please respect copyright.PENANAtGpdYHvvDn
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.791Please respect copyright.PENANA3knkhTxRTt
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.791Please respect copyright.PENANAouwHC8Qjh0
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"791Please respect copyright.PENANAJJXYemDwZE
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."791Please respect copyright.PENANA1fAVjQ6Tpn
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."791Please respect copyright.PENANAHihyizLdoD
"You're right, Leo. It's791Please respect copyright.PENANA96cqXTDyre
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 791Please respect copyright.PENANACK0gGankGi
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 791Please respect copyright.PENANAwWJE2wjgZ2
have any control over."791Please respect copyright.PENANAb5AATtYguC
Leo was a little shocked791Please respect copyright.PENANAXkf41HyUto
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 791Please respect copyright.PENANAotIvmrhYfn
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 791Please respect copyright.PENANAcWGn82pwex
game?791Please respect copyright.PENANAuYrV2UpWkz
She slowly made her way 791Please respect copyright.PENANAULyI49JN7r
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to791Please respect copyright.PENANAAo9uLwAXWk
look at her and something came up in his mind.791Please respect copyright.PENANAbXTflVs93g
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.791Please respect copyright.PENANALkFfODvZLn
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.791Please respect copyright.PENANAgigUeXykM2
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.791Please respect copyright.PENANAR1GOufbgC9
"The time you came into 791Please respect copyright.PENANAdv0Q5UowGm
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 791Please respect copyright.PENANAAeab2HvZ96
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"791Please respect copyright.PENANAaGJD9mz2YW
Angel smiled at Leo. 791Please respect copyright.PENANA9itWdJ0ti2
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 791Please respect copyright.PENANAWUx7107t1M
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she791Please respect copyright.PENANA6NymeypovN
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got791Please respect copyright.PENANA469ImEaJDF
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."791Please respect copyright.PENANANTQPz0D2Pa
"I don't believe you."791Please respect copyright.PENANAQUAtV64LI1
"You don't have to, Mr 791Please respect copyright.PENANAYRhYFXIU41
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 791Please respect copyright.PENANA3UBkKHwY0t
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 791Please respect copyright.PENANAKEzfBYf3Hm
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."791Please respect copyright.PENANAR1dltqg68S
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.791Please respect copyright.PENANA3ayklvO4En
"I'll be heading out for791Please respect copyright.PENANAow1AFN8dLt
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 791Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1ztmA59P3
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"791Please respect copyright.PENANAmd5qD6LLoK
Leo didn't have to 791Please respect copyright.PENANA3Wic249Qjv
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 791Please respect copyright.PENANAuqdbxSL1dh
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 791Please respect copyright.PENANAzfVdAuUDiE
her.791Please respect copyright.PENANAT0FIS8J6Lk
Leo stared at the closed791Please respect copyright.PENANAeXI3pdXGTU
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 791Please respect copyright.PENANA8Z7twBmHBW
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 791Please respect copyright.PENANAyLBrpPm8zJ
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 791Please respect copyright.PENANAH9ix7mxZ1L
utterly disturbed.791Please respect copyright.PENANADzgwKsPrpp
***791Please respect copyright.PENANAKvx9x6EjDk
In791Please respect copyright.PENANAPfYG6FWQCW
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 791Please respect copyright.PENANA1rtsIGwJ2O
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.791Please respect copyright.PENANAJKEGLUaKDT
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.791Please respect copyright.PENANA73v9PZ9XjN
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.791Please respect copyright.PENANA123DOwdZgd
"Morning," said Amanda.791Please respect copyright.PENANA9WccfV2Fo4
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.791Please respect copyright.PENANA4QcCHt4DU8
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.791Please respect copyright.PENANAaNl5BVrMAW
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."791Please respect copyright.PENANAphq22p8km0
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.791Please respect copyright.PENANAdRA0pZPxjn
"And791Please respect copyright.PENANAO8tWFZGdag
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 791Please respect copyright.PENANAC1DnttfCYT
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.791Please respect copyright.PENANAl41Vf20f7J
"Do I?" Leo asked.791Please respect copyright.PENANAH29zQmbHSS
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."791Please respect copyright.PENANArCNVWzyHch
Leo791Please respect copyright.PENANAY7Zl1q5ryV
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 791Please respect copyright.PENANAYQj7y0NboV
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 791Please respect copyright.PENANAmzyidOo16P
knew the reason too.791Please respect copyright.PENANAnmYxoHDt4W
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.791Please respect copyright.PENANAKQMMpTkt0k
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."791Please respect copyright.PENANAOww4AkvYU0
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."791Please respect copyright.PENANAOo0vgPfUYs
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."791Please respect copyright.PENANAPzgKuxvNEG
"Lovely."791Please respect copyright.PENANAMam7RgyqN3
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.791Please respect copyright.PENANApFkJLyo7p5
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.791Please respect copyright.PENANASLDHDzTzJK
Upon791Please respect copyright.PENANAWnBPzKBogq
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.791Please respect copyright.PENANA0FgIHzMx4p
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.791Please respect copyright.PENANAvLIbTD3lzK
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."791Please respect copyright.PENANAj4v56LxvlB
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.791Please respect copyright.PENANAC76x38oXre
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."791Please respect copyright.PENANAPRTs71SDfp
Eric791Please respect copyright.PENANAOT2ayShECp
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 791Please respect copyright.PENANAts9nECf7AC
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 791Please respect copyright.PENANAwewm2uCIE4
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.791Please respect copyright.PENANAHfCNzSguCW
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.791Please respect copyright.PENANALHvU5gzioO
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.791Please respect copyright.PENANAbL4tEbq63x
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.791Please respect copyright.PENANAiDlnevVz9W
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.791Please respect copyright.PENANAKQL8iKlfN2
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.791Please respect copyright.PENANAbj4VBjgkj5
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.791Please respect copyright.PENANADrxvaYV5BI
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.791Please respect copyright.PENANAUCcxTIM4bs
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.791Please respect copyright.PENANAs2YHZhHCpT
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."791Please respect copyright.PENANA1CaOg01VbD
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."791Please respect copyright.PENANAr3Tf7oT0es
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."791Please respect copyright.PENANAFoJhiQgHs2
Leo791Please respect copyright.PENANAd3tUAduzfH
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 791Please respect copyright.PENANArYN9UcZyC9
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 791Please respect copyright.PENANAth9WZQY7tl
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with791Please respect copyright.PENANA1kpghyO0Qj
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.791Please respect copyright.PENANApzBAGwGjNG
Angel791Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2xRPAXHZf
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 791Please respect copyright.PENANAVSvWXKQXEi
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 791Please respect copyright.PENANAsHOJ7kFB9P
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.791Please respect copyright.PENANAWxb3pyDUzz
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.791Please respect copyright.PENANA1CraezLGa1
"I'll791Please respect copyright.PENANAFXeH01mEan
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 791Please respect copyright.PENANAZN2UvzUZof
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."791Please respect copyright.PENANAOImuCIC8pY
"Yes, I would," said Angel.791Please respect copyright.PENANASuyTKNOrPD
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.791Please respect copyright.PENANAuqLSmuPlFe
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.791Please respect copyright.PENANAH6L0UWZA3T
"Yes, I'm not."791Please respect copyright.PENANA7xoFmZGZO6
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."791Please respect copyright.PENANAMUgiuuPdKe
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."791Please respect copyright.PENANAHNtZtNB8hT
"Yes, I would."791Please respect copyright.PENANAlil27U335Z
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."791Please respect copyright.PENANAvfCsx0Au6P
"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."791Please respect copyright.PENANALw95lkf6JO
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.791Please respect copyright.PENANACiePaUQWJ6
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.791Please respect copyright.PENANA6dPFNB2ii3
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"791Please respect copyright.PENANAcfAizuVihP
"Yes."791Please respect copyright.PENANA34b1DGMhBh
Leo791Please respect copyright.PENANAiIcTqQpuNr
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 791Please respect copyright.PENANAxTDsoA9UpK
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 791Please respect copyright.PENANA42KKS10MLc
talking about Angel.791Please respect copyright.PENANArfjhwt6cZr
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.791Please respect copyright.PENANA65HM0UBcqp
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.791Please respect copyright.PENANADlTDkYkMxI
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.791Please respect copyright.PENANAzbS4VoQxsC
Before Angel could find 791Please respect copyright.PENANA68nO0EWYLG
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 791Please respect copyright.PENANAuia0LLqfV2
seeing her sister, standing on her own.791Please respect copyright.PENANABKAiaBjccC
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."791Please respect copyright.PENANAhTp2fRcUTG
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."791Please respect copyright.PENANAOPSF69rRgz
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.791Please respect copyright.PENANAKwFGhlVAek
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."791Please respect copyright.PENANA8sE0tw6ldJ
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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