Leo had a smile on his 843Please respect copyright.PENANAbtIdCsGHTo
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 843Please respect copyright.PENANA7j9g5014hN
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 843Please respect copyright.PENANAj3fZUhLAIA
face right in front of him.843Please respect copyright.PENANARbkZ93wdie
It was morning and the 843Please respect copyright.PENANAWzC7ea7O24
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 843Please respect copyright.PENANAg5aBNlf5BJ
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 843Please respect copyright.PENANAXF7axG9Pyu
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 843Please respect copyright.PENANAPDntpOoNBA
brilliantly in the morning sun.843Please respect copyright.PENANAa6jQd7Msub
Carly had joined him 843Please respect copyright.PENANAodkLCH8Nya
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By843Please respect copyright.PENANAdRlOtP8ry7
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost843Please respect copyright.PENANA6xOWzwSiTl
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 843Please respect copyright.PENANA02oe6h4FWe
birds, of course.843Please respect copyright.PENANA5vbooHfcsP
It was good she came, 843Please respect copyright.PENANAxEKIyHplNj
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 843Please respect copyright.PENANA9ClgKrAqK9
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He843Please respect copyright.PENANAZmpKHi5vzj
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 843Please respect copyright.PENANAcFQUcKEoTI
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.843Please respect copyright.PENANAAQgIvOz0Uo
He stretched his hand 843Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9s6l4cGOd
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,843Please respect copyright.PENANATjy5wDLbyj
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 843Please respect copyright.PENANAJQCozWti7I
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 843Please respect copyright.PENANAMswGVTddGb
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.843Please respect copyright.PENANA9n1vixoniL
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.843Please respect copyright.PENANAsAGy7Go2ta
She didn't respond as 843Please respect copyright.PENANAJV8GBWK7O7
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 843Please respect copyright.PENANAyECRR2aLRI
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 843Please respect copyright.PENANAWnQ2xX6NFf
himself. Leo chuckled.843Please respect copyright.PENANAlq7zvAOxQF
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.843Please respect copyright.PENANAYlkJel88Vd
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."843Please respect copyright.PENANAse9ZTB1yIU
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.843Please respect copyright.PENANAvnYFF4na85
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.843Please respect copyright.PENANAbKdwYn2bWv
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."843Please respect copyright.PENANAJdXPHePAsh
"You're right. But I 843Please respect copyright.PENANA8oW8L0MK4g
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend843Please respect copyright.PENANAgaSonStYme
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."843Please respect copyright.PENANAx9r9RzLNuo
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"843Please respect copyright.PENANA6udDaw4PTa
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."843Please respect copyright.PENANAqEhPydBQQe
They both got out of bed843Please respect copyright.PENANA0i1KPSd8Gz
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 843Please respect copyright.PENANADCQFUOhOl3
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 843Please respect copyright.PENANAVROcUAPGBQ
way to Carly's.843Please respect copyright.PENANAcBXqC64aBJ
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."843Please respect copyright.PENANAJJdR8syLrU
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.843Please respect copyright.PENANArLoSnCBky1
Carly gave him a simple 843Please respect copyright.PENANAzjoIoqyj9r
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 843Please respect copyright.PENANAWfkSw10KxE
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 843Please respect copyright.PENANAIrol6f1YJp
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 843Please respect copyright.PENANA4r5J4fMOgq
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.843Please respect copyright.PENANAksLDxcA0nI
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.843Please respect copyright.PENANA7N0KpkczTy
He made his way 843Please respect copyright.PENANAxscTNudJFy
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 843Please respect copyright.PENANA9nOozHIaJA
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 843Please respect copyright.PENANAZgBo6CBL9o
kitchen.843Please respect copyright.PENANA2kzLa2JYDt
He wondered who could be843Please respect copyright.PENANAJZ3iHAkptB
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 843Please respect copyright.PENANAAeVA4drKeh
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 843Please respect copyright.PENANANmgj7V4Peg
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 843Please respect copyright.PENANAYrpHMfe3AV
little.843Please respect copyright.PENANAWvSU2yDc01
Angel was standing by 843Please respect copyright.PENANAWAflaXO1r4
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 843Please respect copyright.PENANAIOK6lGs2ps
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 843Please respect copyright.PENANAktkuA8JgPP
thing that shook him the moment he got there.843Please respect copyright.PENANAePzMpw4ioQ
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.843Please respect copyright.PENANA7BcfSYQRUh
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.843Please respect copyright.PENANAux4isrmUGP
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.843Please respect copyright.PENANA0c4PpwHCQI
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."843Please respect copyright.PENANAtQynAkxfwR
"I just had to."843Please respect copyright.PENANAz81TGBwHJe
"Ummm," Leo still 843Please respect copyright.PENANArDfRrh3FmD
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 843Please respect copyright.PENANAVDsoJAR9YF
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"843Please respect copyright.PENANAkU8OLfsgag
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."843Please respect copyright.PENANApdeAOMYeyJ
The coffee maker soon 843Please respect copyright.PENANA0f9cpH6TET
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 843Please respect copyright.PENANAMUq4V45PtJ
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 843Please respect copyright.PENANA2lvgiinswt
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.843Please respect copyright.PENANATexDc8kg27
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.843Please respect copyright.PENANAt7ifyV7oWx
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.843Please respect copyright.PENANAir6srJYP9i
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."843Please respect copyright.PENANAzbKvmqZaXb
"Why? You wanted me 843Please respect copyright.PENANAPalDQsgFRt
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before843Please respect copyright.PENANAuVwAwRzX1R
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself843Please respect copyright.PENANAWeJlPXZLEw
a cup.843Please respect copyright.PENANATKVzSUkFd9
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."843Please respect copyright.PENANAd6xYkl4d6P
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."843Please respect copyright.PENANAQEnOTO6eHb
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.843Please respect copyright.PENANAf5X5inf67u
"You still don't seem 843Please respect copyright.PENANAybpnY8AiJQ
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 843Please respect copyright.PENANAmgYqCWfk54
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 843Please respect copyright.PENANABsyoy1bmrL
things."843Please respect copyright.PENANA5CzVO1jPVB
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"843Please respect copyright.PENANAP2rAz8lCBZ
Angel took a sip of her 843Please respect copyright.PENANAa4WvcWBKQT
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know843Please respect copyright.PENANAU7y5lXLD3c
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 843Please respect copyright.PENANAe7RYUITkhw
spent her night with you."843Please respect copyright.PENANAIlGDG2ICw0
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."843Please respect copyright.PENANAOpAHZonvDL
Angel smirked and Leo 843Please respect copyright.PENANAxdGh0j1WfC
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 843Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZqCu0wwqu
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.843Please respect copyright.PENANAspCHYfmBO3
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.843Please respect copyright.PENANAbucMPbrWtp
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"843Please respect copyright.PENANA6tqh6kM7vT
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."843Please respect copyright.PENANA972K5dY96x
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."843Please respect copyright.PENANAbefwVrrbkk
"You're right, Leo. It's843Please respect copyright.PENANAFvD64kBm6k
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 843Please respect copyright.PENANA63uFZvJ4Iv
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 843Please respect copyright.PENANAbi8zzxnQV0
have any control over."843Please respect copyright.PENANA30NI1QtMsO
Leo was a little shocked843Please respect copyright.PENANAXHpQj67LTv
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 843Please respect copyright.PENANA6MNtKisTFh
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 843Please respect copyright.PENANAGNwH6x3Mcc
game?843Please respect copyright.PENANA42rFMVsZ4t
She slowly made her way 843Please respect copyright.PENANAMJNenVJsEM
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to843Please respect copyright.PENANAgO0UwWWNar
look at her and something came up in his mind.843Please respect copyright.PENANAo3D2CkpF4s
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.843Please respect copyright.PENANAzsSkzzE1HZ
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.843Please respect copyright.PENANAi6cxtZGtU9
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.843Please respect copyright.PENANAsgfh9c2tqs
"The time you came into 843Please respect copyright.PENANAfDlg1AwsWG
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 843Please respect copyright.PENANApXMi5sthMA
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"843Please respect copyright.PENANAIJBKYp6myX
Angel smiled at Leo. 843Please respect copyright.PENANAudffUd9LZU
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 843Please respect copyright.PENANAg0OUZZR5Bk
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she843Please respect copyright.PENANAoJfu9QyDB9
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got843Please respect copyright.PENANAyQEo3M67se
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."843Please respect copyright.PENANAKKNv35kTY6
"I don't believe you."843Please respect copyright.PENANAvUkauXOiLx
"You don't have to, Mr 843Please respect copyright.PENANAUP9O6jtRMu
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 843Please respect copyright.PENANAu1NSLj6t20
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 843Please respect copyright.PENANAzzRU48v8bB
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."843Please respect copyright.PENANA9pWV4buFR2
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.843Please respect copyright.PENANABvvKxzocKU
"I'll be heading out for843Please respect copyright.PENANAONZdIgErxa
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 843Please respect copyright.PENANAeITQgOjAYH
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"843Please respect copyright.PENANAPPRog3NmvI
Leo didn't have to 843Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2kouMmVy6
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 843Please respect copyright.PENANAM051alpnEJ
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 843Please respect copyright.PENANAlMTmmJsP4l
her.843Please respect copyright.PENANApzjz92QOfE
Leo stared at the closed843Please respect copyright.PENANAp8YoWaRH1f
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 843Please respect copyright.PENANAnLKD3TEpd5
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 843Please respect copyright.PENANA5QMYHdwjyN
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 843Please respect copyright.PENANAxYngmfLG6M
utterly disturbed.843Please respect copyright.PENANAMtEN9sAhjP
***843Please respect copyright.PENANAi4bkoaaTqt
In843Please respect copyright.PENANA4MAsDFTN8j
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 843Please respect copyright.PENANAneeM4GUa7S
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.843Please respect copyright.PENANA57h8Xzqguz
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.843Please respect copyright.PENANAP616RceHq2
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.843Please respect copyright.PENANAOwtarQ6I3P
"Morning," said Amanda.843Please respect copyright.PENANA0S3PtJDlUe
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.843Please respect copyright.PENANAc1UXhAKAmh
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.843Please respect copyright.PENANAwrA0CfgjQo
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."843Please respect copyright.PENANAdEJSdaMaYt
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.843Please respect copyright.PENANAEJCL1BDmdO
"And843Please respect copyright.PENANAhyv0YPruk8
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 843Please respect copyright.PENANALgPJNemjl2
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.843Please respect copyright.PENANAFbiAEwHA9b
"Do I?" Leo asked.843Please respect copyright.PENANAnXIusDk8y6
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."843Please respect copyright.PENANAcE6JYNlJzV
Leo843Please respect copyright.PENANAWBUE0DNCwz
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 843Please respect copyright.PENANAK1wygMRY7P
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 843Please respect copyright.PENANACVL40jLTrt
knew the reason too.843Please respect copyright.PENANAEHBOCh3C8l
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.843Please respect copyright.PENANAgmIBELk5kV
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."843Please respect copyright.PENANA7csdg1rIwz
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."843Please respect copyright.PENANAxlDhMuBUqE
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."843Please respect copyright.PENANAti9JqzE1EO
"Lovely."843Please respect copyright.PENANA1HAowade1p
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.843Please respect copyright.PENANArZaxB5yW6T
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.843Please respect copyright.PENANAq6gh6zDg8Z
Upon843Please respect copyright.PENANAY0i5qhlObr
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.843Please respect copyright.PENANAx7zHFUjJ2O
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.843Please respect copyright.PENANAxQj1hc2Ea4
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."843Please respect copyright.PENANAUe8fZJxtt7
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.843Please respect copyright.PENANACGs8IGL80Y
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."843Please respect copyright.PENANAqAIDsLJUQO
Eric843Please respect copyright.PENANAGpyjNSFSWy
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 843Please respect copyright.PENANAvDNMFj2BHI
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 843Please respect copyright.PENANA4w0MQ94vsn
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.843Please respect copyright.PENANAKrG6ISCSxv
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.843Please respect copyright.PENANAUknaJU1Llt
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.843Please respect copyright.PENANALT33R5cP9v
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.843Please respect copyright.PENANA7pkpu2WHKm
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.843Please respect copyright.PENANA4koW5rlm5N
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.843Please respect copyright.PENANAyYHoJAKZVt
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.843Please respect copyright.PENANA49hCeBeFBy
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.843Please respect copyright.PENANAur3s7afHd9
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.843Please respect copyright.PENANAZW3ZIxldAL
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."843Please respect copyright.PENANAGMOxCHUDVL
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."843Please respect copyright.PENANAMSIgmUZp7p
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."843Please respect copyright.PENANAkFcNT2Dhbt
Leo843Please respect copyright.PENANAu3hkJsO8mk
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 843Please respect copyright.PENANAKoxzsytt5e
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 843Please respect copyright.PENANAFvJ9sUlrQ6
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with843Please respect copyright.PENANAtAPQXNSBVI
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.843Please respect copyright.PENANANHkqTabfgH
Angel843Please respect copyright.PENANAjBDV4KZT1B
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 843Please respect copyright.PENANAOiMRY7v23Y
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 843Please respect copyright.PENANASRW6cj16KR
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.843Please respect copyright.PENANAvqKVnDVaXV
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.843Please respect copyright.PENANAwWf75hraJj
"I'll843Please respect copyright.PENANAwPYOlaY7qC
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 843Please respect copyright.PENANAxoPUW48G5n
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."843Please respect copyright.PENANA6UH7AMERYZ
"Yes, I would," said Angel.843Please respect copyright.PENANATe8c1VoNJr
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.843Please respect copyright.PENANAs2nrt1K4oG
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.843Please respect copyright.PENANA7rqvTGAk6G
"Yes, I'm not."843Please respect copyright.PENANAGPa37zyMsA
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."843Please respect copyright.PENANAJCvCEylrpZ
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."843Please respect copyright.PENANAJFDJSyhb60
"Yes, I would."843Please respect copyright.PENANAuteJ9PCBNy
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."843Please respect copyright.PENANA8hPRtZ0sI3
"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."843Please respect copyright.PENANAZo8wPZWGlv
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.843Please respect copyright.PENANAwiZAUu5pwy
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.843Please respect copyright.PENANAzGHrADmob2
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"843Please respect copyright.PENANAtaE1rKAcYx
"Yes."843Please respect copyright.PENANAbORNDfEnOG
Leo843Please respect copyright.PENANASXv1pT1Bwo
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 843Please respect copyright.PENANAkmgBxn3652
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 843Please respect copyright.PENANATHA0rEJ7iQ
talking about Angel.843Please respect copyright.PENANAnU1UngkP9M
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.843Please respect copyright.PENANAoChRJW4Oek
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.843Please respect copyright.PENANA9ppkDL33zn
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.843Please respect copyright.PENANAUUjgoEjPyn
Before Angel could find 843Please respect copyright.PENANAe7upVIIoCc
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 843Please respect copyright.PENANAus3gXpbhiB
seeing her sister, standing on her own.843Please respect copyright.PENANAQTRLAx5tUz
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."843Please respect copyright.PENANArVITmXJ5vN
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."843Please respect copyright.PENANAFNKykK3iNc
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.843Please respect copyright.PENANAyRslgr5n0S
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."843Please respect copyright.PENANAG2tPeTQTVU
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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