Leo had a smile on his 482Please respect copyright.PENANAjmSvRQARC8
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 482Please respect copyright.PENANARgCufBYQ2e
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 482Please respect copyright.PENANAPvkOFff324
face right in front of him.482Please respect copyright.PENANAKn9jDFUPMF
It was morning and the 482Please respect copyright.PENANA69A8WxcSux
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 482Please respect copyright.PENANAB19Jv9y9Sf
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 482Please respect copyright.PENANARv86uxjlFE
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 482Please respect copyright.PENANAFa6aecgAGb
brilliantly in the morning sun.482Please respect copyright.PENANAOOA1kz9ykN
Carly had joined him 482Please respect copyright.PENANAlj9AiWHbA5
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By482Please respect copyright.PENANAEYO6gvs8AE
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost482Please respect copyright.PENANA1523uBvgnh
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 482Please respect copyright.PENANApHhPOyWLUu
birds, of course.482Please respect copyright.PENANAomLtfQ6hhp
It was good she came, 482Please respect copyright.PENANAAgKZtMDxIH
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 482Please respect copyright.PENANAl57rYWjePQ
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He482Please respect copyright.PENANAFisCbaIMBy
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 482Please respect copyright.PENANAq0s8ySg7pr
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.482Please respect copyright.PENANA6VAcdPflYR
He stretched his hand 482Please respect copyright.PENANAkkyYGb7fTN
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,482Please respect copyright.PENANAPJrOKKDGEY
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 482Please respect copyright.PENANAXqDmyzGArw
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 482Please respect copyright.PENANAbmz7tdFw1s
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.482Please respect copyright.PENANAcZjEsHgej0
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.482Please respect copyright.PENANA20iZMBTa1I
She didn't respond as 482Please respect copyright.PENANARPpmWeyqY5
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 482Please respect copyright.PENANAVmb8tK3ERh
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 482Please respect copyright.PENANA8l2aPmW8qb
himself. Leo chuckled.482Please respect copyright.PENANAzyO83E1tJt
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.482Please respect copyright.PENANAVfIW4d3gyl
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."482Please respect copyright.PENANATT6T2cWM2o
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.482Please respect copyright.PENANACxfhvI24jr
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.482Please respect copyright.PENANAeqCHpB2l5b
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."482Please respect copyright.PENANAxufuDW9Ijb
"You're right. But I 482Please respect copyright.PENANAsi5FGwg5MW
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend482Please respect copyright.PENANAodIioYFpFx
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."482Please respect copyright.PENANArXfSvdIGZQ
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"482Please respect copyright.PENANADJdYMV06Ql
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."482Please respect copyright.PENANAs8RHrv7WUl
They both got out of bed482Please respect copyright.PENANA4GosIq8n8Y
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 482Please respect copyright.PENANAGRp957l8u7
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 482Please respect copyright.PENANAhguqpvNVDP
way to Carly's.482Please respect copyright.PENANAnJlLOQFljK
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."482Please respect copyright.PENANArXYXMAmeTn
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.482Please respect copyright.PENANApQWxeKaBTo
Carly gave him a simple 482Please respect copyright.PENANAqUT2mB51cI
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 482Please respect copyright.PENANARLeABwp7Pz
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 482Please respect copyright.PENANArYXlR4132W
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 482Please respect copyright.PENANAxG3fuC1Z6n
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.482Please respect copyright.PENANAm2q7ApaBNK
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.482Please respect copyright.PENANAckbZnKSZf4
He made his way 482Please respect copyright.PENANA9I2EQtS4AK
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 482Please respect copyright.PENANACvVw6zqXKr
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 482Please respect copyright.PENANA3vvswNdmGi
kitchen.482Please respect copyright.PENANAoN7HH9SZUv
He wondered who could be482Please respect copyright.PENANAg4Txab1deg
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 482Please respect copyright.PENANAjYmSo2ldlY
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 482Please respect copyright.PENANAgWBMLaTpol
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 482Please respect copyright.PENANAGNSYoLcIIk
little.482Please respect copyright.PENANAaRcAZOOoK5
Angel was standing by 482Please respect copyright.PENANA1w11gpglDo
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 482Please respect copyright.PENANA7YYopYI5rV
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 482Please respect copyright.PENANAfxC1vEOUg0
thing that shook him the moment he got there.482Please respect copyright.PENANAnwO7v21EEa
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.482Please respect copyright.PENANA4OLM3JXayQ
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.482Please respect copyright.PENANAA1qR26pW1i
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.482Please respect copyright.PENANAOnUnxsQEYt
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."482Please respect copyright.PENANAQFcbCwtAZO
"I just had to."482Please respect copyright.PENANAHP0PzygK24
"Ummm," Leo still 482Please respect copyright.PENANAHHoueCc6um
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 482Please respect copyright.PENANAsIy85EsxaM
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"482Please respect copyright.PENANAyphwmGKp4Z
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."482Please respect copyright.PENANAnDYPNfGrF2
The coffee maker soon 482Please respect copyright.PENANAE69BegnAsg
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 482Please respect copyright.PENANAhzxrBxhCaV
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 482Please respect copyright.PENANAfXzEpaeF7u
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.482Please respect copyright.PENANALO0nnFKmWQ
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.482Please respect copyright.PENANAeyAKKnAXA1
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.482Please respect copyright.PENANAMsHuIghF2a
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."482Please respect copyright.PENANAjA3rwKDo7m
"Why? You wanted me 482Please respect copyright.PENANAwKy49OmTcf
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before482Please respect copyright.PENANACUqxrSklOM
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself482Please respect copyright.PENANAHvj56jNW8A
a cup.482Please respect copyright.PENANATGxaIgpY53
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."482Please respect copyright.PENANAtNlwsBssVd
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."482Please respect copyright.PENANAh0gapisMpq
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.482Please respect copyright.PENANA8EsaoOjIfL
"You still don't seem 482Please respect copyright.PENANA7U3ePPjB9y
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 482Please respect copyright.PENANAr6d0NUjQ5D
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 482Please respect copyright.PENANACK1SuDeAoD
things."482Please respect copyright.PENANAhPuhg7D3Os
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"482Please respect copyright.PENANAKP9InXY6cP
Angel took a sip of her 482Please respect copyright.PENANAN9vx2uISVz
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know482Please respect copyright.PENANAvuWIUuCIss
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 482Please respect copyright.PENANAwpr1gLhjtZ
spent her night with you."482Please respect copyright.PENANAdv4lzM0Hep
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."482Please respect copyright.PENANAkOuXrteCBk
Angel smirked and Leo 482Please respect copyright.PENANAMdVQ6h6F4y
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 482Please respect copyright.PENANAbNYUooKFtD
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.482Please respect copyright.PENANAIwnCQnLcF9
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.482Please respect copyright.PENANAJMdREUvhGJ
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"482Please respect copyright.PENANA8x9NfWG77B
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."482Please respect copyright.PENANAk2UeOoJBL0
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."482Please respect copyright.PENANAWvxRobOGFc
"You're right, Leo. It's482Please respect copyright.PENANAu53RMU3C3Z
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 482Please respect copyright.PENANA8DNYXJ0ZPV
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 482Please respect copyright.PENANAKhPHSu7W9n
have any control over."482Please respect copyright.PENANAEA4OZUNeV8
Leo was a little shocked482Please respect copyright.PENANANJ3wMeLyKS
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 482Please respect copyright.PENANAMuoyXz5Y4t
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 482Please respect copyright.PENANAIfvgDc05sn
game?482Please respect copyright.PENANABD9BnMQvGU
She slowly made her way 482Please respect copyright.PENANASKq9gkgbeO
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to482Please respect copyright.PENANAox1OdVoI9B
look at her and something came up in his mind.482Please respect copyright.PENANA1vOZ4Zizee
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.482Please respect copyright.PENANAULWXkrccxg
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.482Please respect copyright.PENANAEu38ktKptZ
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.482Please respect copyright.PENANAzjuNhGXaK4
"The time you came into 482Please respect copyright.PENANAEcWSuuxcOR
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 482Please respect copyright.PENANA8i5rrrIvIT
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"482Please respect copyright.PENANAkZAl5TJHyj
Angel smiled at Leo. 482Please respect copyright.PENANA3MC6AOIBcM
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 482Please respect copyright.PENANAyiUzjII4RY
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she482Please respect copyright.PENANAxZSbdrLhgI
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got482Please respect copyright.PENANAwhYpw3Jcrg
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."482Please respect copyright.PENANAX65wygUUPn
"I don't believe you."482Please respect copyright.PENANAfeN1Epiirk
"You don't have to, Mr 482Please respect copyright.PENANAIEUmUJucXz
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 482Please respect copyright.PENANATNghocAJ8n
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 482Please respect copyright.PENANAgKyNT6WkjK
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."482Please respect copyright.PENANAjK7FOFaFjk
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.482Please respect copyright.PENANAWHFIRVwjUO
"I'll be heading out for482Please respect copyright.PENANAQNrcyiZbuX
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 482Please respect copyright.PENANA4QEl0ObFvp
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"482Please respect copyright.PENANApgnArkzOSc
Leo didn't have to 482Please respect copyright.PENANAZH635DWetC
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 482Please respect copyright.PENANAp3wvqsGAzo
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 482Please respect copyright.PENANAj338FFtqnZ
her.482Please respect copyright.PENANAfJ1RXEYquj
Leo stared at the closed482Please respect copyright.PENANAUP0vmpyUKp
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 482Please respect copyright.PENANAFMj4Xci1d7
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 482Please respect copyright.PENANAvaGLP4BxeE
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 482Please respect copyright.PENANAfqVcHEfSNR
utterly disturbed.482Please respect copyright.PENANAglBeragfKn
***482Please respect copyright.PENANApe4FsFEtuT
In482Please respect copyright.PENANARZ7hHB0Kgk
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 482Please respect copyright.PENANAYYroV65hcb
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.482Please respect copyright.PENANA4aPxonVbYM
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.482Please respect copyright.PENANAYzIZOdliTC
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.482Please respect copyright.PENANAE9VtVvfkkG
"Morning," said Amanda.482Please respect copyright.PENANAC4kEoha3aw
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.482Please respect copyright.PENANAF383zVn1LL
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.482Please respect copyright.PENANAQa7uZQmEa2
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."482Please respect copyright.PENANAGFvmLpESAI
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.482Please respect copyright.PENANAOimX478F5b
"And482Please respect copyright.PENANAw5xPJeNCQD
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 482Please respect copyright.PENANAj1hGLfQGeL
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.482Please respect copyright.PENANAcqWnjSj7SF
"Do I?" Leo asked.482Please respect copyright.PENANAV75HGoniK6
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."482Please respect copyright.PENANA4dFPzxWk5N
Leo482Please respect copyright.PENANA33JXJ88toL
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 482Please respect copyright.PENANACa5M0OS26C
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 482Please respect copyright.PENANAvHqBxFc2pF
knew the reason too.482Please respect copyright.PENANA8YOfNxeCq6
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.482Please respect copyright.PENANATWz3hQqEk7
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."482Please respect copyright.PENANAv0AjtWmXA5
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."482Please respect copyright.PENANA9gent4ulVi
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."482Please respect copyright.PENANAH8LQa2Skxp
"Lovely."482Please respect copyright.PENANApvzDb1TtAF
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.482Please respect copyright.PENANAOLkT5E97pq
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.482Please respect copyright.PENANArhfktq8CMe
Upon482Please respect copyright.PENANAm2RDVuvtpf
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.482Please respect copyright.PENANADP3ahHCycf
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.482Please respect copyright.PENANA4cUI6Hc2RV
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."482Please respect copyright.PENANA79xDiTnoSM
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.482Please respect copyright.PENANAozjMUidiz9
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."482Please respect copyright.PENANAMEC9dXjZoF
Eric482Please respect copyright.PENANA7i3YiaPClj
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 482Please respect copyright.PENANAEG8jgstxsU
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 482Please respect copyright.PENANA2rJ3HvJXci
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.482Please respect copyright.PENANAFEwhYCE04h
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.482Please respect copyright.PENANAke75yjWtNs
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.482Please respect copyright.PENANAdxOVakhhS3
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.482Please respect copyright.PENANALd6oV9axZv
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.482Please respect copyright.PENANAM54a0cBDBb
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.482Please respect copyright.PENANAdQd3OawOH4
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.482Please respect copyright.PENANAy5cO7IzsrQ
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.482Please respect copyright.PENANAkWgQKDfzEL
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.482Please respect copyright.PENANAAnQjqulfjY
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."482Please respect copyright.PENANA2HxWkAYSZV
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."482Please respect copyright.PENANAWMQgP08ekC
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."482Please respect copyright.PENANAMTfUACRbCW
Leo482Please respect copyright.PENANAHXQfcFybcr
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 482Please respect copyright.PENANAmtO1W8UR95
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 482Please respect copyright.PENANArG5Yu2VHiW
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with482Please respect copyright.PENANAbuR5yWl5Lx
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.482Please respect copyright.PENANANUfiYfPf43
Angel482Please respect copyright.PENANAhA8gh6MFAv
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 482Please respect copyright.PENANA1vlKl3HEbL
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 482Please respect copyright.PENANADrzIIlbjC7
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.482Please respect copyright.PENANAIyZzXghNWh
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.482Please respect copyright.PENANALApOQYjZGu
"I'll482Please respect copyright.PENANAm2G6iASIU0
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 482Please respect copyright.PENANAU1XMl41RIt
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."482Please respect copyright.PENANAjdAsaGqgxp
"Yes, I would," said Angel.482Please respect copyright.PENANAzvZ8NfcM6P
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.482Please respect copyright.PENANAHZFvYlTnEd
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.482Please respect copyright.PENANA9cKBmh8Xzj
"Yes, I'm not."482Please respect copyright.PENANAIZSPDgw2kb
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."482Please respect copyright.PENANAZPBIvUusXB
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."482Please respect copyright.PENANAS88mrwpUUd
"Yes, I would."482Please respect copyright.PENANAW5QuiKyS32
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."482Please respect copyright.PENANAe2H7BEk44O
"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."482Please respect copyright.PENANAAw9gi9zSjc
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.482Please respect copyright.PENANA41NEF2cqmP
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.482Please respect copyright.PENANAawmZb1ZWuR
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"482Please respect copyright.PENANAdTD8UMwIZ7
"Yes."482Please respect copyright.PENANAqZcn2ruhw4
Leo482Please respect copyright.PENANABbYYyvSvT0
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 482Please respect copyright.PENANA1nmkuhrFvP
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 482Please respect copyright.PENANAqQAPszFsVW
talking about Angel.482Please respect copyright.PENANAzT5Y9spvF0
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.482Please respect copyright.PENANAyzYnRZAIqq
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.482Please respect copyright.PENANAbzZ33lSTjL
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.482Please respect copyright.PENANApDHS2eBHk8
Before Angel could find 482Please respect copyright.PENANAPH0nN0DWS3
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 482Please respect copyright.PENANAtmfFXV3zvR
seeing her sister, standing on her own.482Please respect copyright.PENANALcAz6ZqwDl
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."482Please respect copyright.PENANAxFzb2etpG0
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."482Please respect copyright.PENANAoxDtdDMUZ8
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.482Please respect copyright.PENANAcASIgWcCAo
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."482Please respect copyright.PENANAAvE9IsRv35
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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