Leo had a smile on his 496Please respect copyright.PENANAg5XFCz7QK7
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 496Please respect copyright.PENANAftBy7NM9p4
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 496Please respect copyright.PENANASiwdIpRTMd
face right in front of him.496Please respect copyright.PENANAkEdCtvRv5p
It was morning and the 496Please respect copyright.PENANAUDR5BLVzXk
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 496Please respect copyright.PENANAaX9IBkSRDN
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 496Please respect copyright.PENANAcRx3eskxyu
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 496Please respect copyright.PENANAUJwSnUDooD
brilliantly in the morning sun.496Please respect copyright.PENANArm7gINY4lZ
Carly had joined him 496Please respect copyright.PENANAxEGDELpUH8
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By496Please respect copyright.PENANALHEoJUbTFz
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost496Please respect copyright.PENANAa7iYvk31Km
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 496Please respect copyright.PENANA9iYdRSbWpU
birds, of course.496Please respect copyright.PENANArY90j8fXCR
It was good she came, 496Please respect copyright.PENANAao2zjQ1Ryf
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 496Please respect copyright.PENANAvID29aZZ0B
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He496Please respect copyright.PENANAMWVKw80nGX
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 496Please respect copyright.PENANAHoAP7Zb4Oj
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.496Please respect copyright.PENANAr5DGWTd8Hp
He stretched his hand 496Please respect copyright.PENANAfZRAgOS0Le
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,496Please respect copyright.PENANAHQFqvxeEJi
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 496Please respect copyright.PENANAmfDlfq3B9Z
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 496Please respect copyright.PENANAk6mXiV0stR
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.496Please respect copyright.PENANAfnvlnyXodH
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.496Please respect copyright.PENANA7ArORfkVk0
She didn't respond as 496Please respect copyright.PENANAVkMWhKUPJd
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 496Please respect copyright.PENANA5Kpc7aIVnQ
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 496Please respect copyright.PENANAZ2vNjD2WTw
himself. Leo chuckled.496Please respect copyright.PENANAkHhxjoOy5T
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.496Please respect copyright.PENANADb8WSTZK3o
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."496Please respect copyright.PENANAYkpMJChCAf
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.496Please respect copyright.PENANALw827cWL8Y
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.496Please respect copyright.PENANAiPZ4Nn2llh
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."496Please respect copyright.PENANAvzwfSyU0C3
"You're right. But I 496Please respect copyright.PENANAprFJkA1pwm
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend496Please respect copyright.PENANAjcQhhfny7V
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."496Please respect copyright.PENANAQOtEwzbUjR
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"496Please respect copyright.PENANAJJzjuXNfop
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."496Please respect copyright.PENANAsvyI37fvl9
They both got out of bed496Please respect copyright.PENANAnZVQysx9jL
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 496Please respect copyright.PENANAlmFkQoowlF
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 496Please respect copyright.PENANASzOA2EdofL
way to Carly's.496Please respect copyright.PENANAfFXF0tnKjw
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."496Please respect copyright.PENANAU3x15wdj6k
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.496Please respect copyright.PENANAHv7x9cLTwy
Carly gave him a simple 496Please respect copyright.PENANAMadN0VhEOw
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 496Please respect copyright.PENANAhOfbWG2V3a
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 496Please respect copyright.PENANAokKG3xMYsy
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 496Please respect copyright.PENANA6e2tZb9RVp
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.496Please respect copyright.PENANAmdgDtZNHNf
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.496Please respect copyright.PENANALN2kvayqvC
He made his way 496Please respect copyright.PENANAvhAthPGiIQ
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 496Please respect copyright.PENANA1PCbnPqnxu
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 496Please respect copyright.PENANA3vQ92oAEty
kitchen.496Please respect copyright.PENANA0Qf8AWQWlr
He wondered who could be496Please respect copyright.PENANAmzlhWwkpt3
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 496Please respect copyright.PENANALoNoykWPmp
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 496Please respect copyright.PENANAuY5bidW1Wo
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 496Please respect copyright.PENANAxTCx98k39a
little.496Please respect copyright.PENANAsaUVZoJjoB
Angel was standing by 496Please respect copyright.PENANAXJQkMGs7ko
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 496Please respect copyright.PENANAvmK27Csryo
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 496Please respect copyright.PENANAf8zE4uEOET
thing that shook him the moment he got there.496Please respect copyright.PENANAdMGtCQmdeG
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.496Please respect copyright.PENANA5UBR5zVFAc
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.496Please respect copyright.PENANAx9Eg32SjW0
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.496Please respect copyright.PENANAL5RtcRQsfB
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."496Please respect copyright.PENANAGjLjMbFIrS
"I just had to."496Please respect copyright.PENANAeSrNO1xNAT
"Ummm," Leo still 496Please respect copyright.PENANANLDebOQfSa
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 496Please respect copyright.PENANALvkBWTRSmp
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"496Please respect copyright.PENANAiFCiH1R5VO
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."496Please respect copyright.PENANAOc4SFYQdD5
The coffee maker soon 496Please respect copyright.PENANAkWaC0ne2eS
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 496Please respect copyright.PENANA6Q107zWWLr
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 496Please respect copyright.PENANA1pAyP8X6BS
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.496Please respect copyright.PENANAFMYR97uAfN
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.496Please respect copyright.PENANAXfnIFskXot
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.496Please respect copyright.PENANA6SUzG0IfWe
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."496Please respect copyright.PENANATXFfFNMUxG
"Why? You wanted me 496Please respect copyright.PENANAZZ04sucyoJ
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before496Please respect copyright.PENANAqUxO8aCL9z
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself496Please respect copyright.PENANABGxewfybtL
a cup.496Please respect copyright.PENANAVFNZLH2eK3
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."496Please respect copyright.PENANABMhLjh6KFq
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."496Please respect copyright.PENANAdrcbs01ly5
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.496Please respect copyright.PENANAXEQ0wYQGFo
"You still don't seem 496Please respect copyright.PENANAVoMFnPXlCA
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 496Please respect copyright.PENANAzBeVJE07r9
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 496Please respect copyright.PENANAyl9tAHt8Pd
things."496Please respect copyright.PENANALFrDmZtXYl
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"496Please respect copyright.PENANAAjWYo9dBOA
Angel took a sip of her 496Please respect copyright.PENANABoBCnC289M
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know496Please respect copyright.PENANA4lMPehS7fn
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 496Please respect copyright.PENANAvF33VEXj8s
spent her night with you."496Please respect copyright.PENANApm5YfpDHYH
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."496Please respect copyright.PENANA95xfPMcFpD
Angel smirked and Leo 496Please respect copyright.PENANAkSq0ki6j4H
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 496Please respect copyright.PENANAxMYGWGAXHl
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.496Please respect copyright.PENANAorzZlTGGTh
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.496Please respect copyright.PENANALpu2enFuey
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"496Please respect copyright.PENANA92u0as3l9X
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."496Please respect copyright.PENANAdXzcYOV6yH
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."496Please respect copyright.PENANAjzLcAQBAm3
"You're right, Leo. It's496Please respect copyright.PENANAAGzrLNzIEm
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 496Please respect copyright.PENANArFD2Kjcoz2
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 496Please respect copyright.PENANAJmHdhNkII7
have any control over."496Please respect copyright.PENANADvkByXimsm
Leo was a little shocked496Please respect copyright.PENANAEI0WuGfakw
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 496Please respect copyright.PENANAHKtD0N6AFF
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 496Please respect copyright.PENANAq1Ht1IlQ6u
game?496Please respect copyright.PENANApp0MReSCGO
She slowly made her way 496Please respect copyright.PENANARlmQjx1IRz
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to496Please respect copyright.PENANAC02Gg2bjF5
look at her and something came up in his mind.496Please respect copyright.PENANARrj0Rhx2p7
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.496Please respect copyright.PENANA8xfZ8Y0cdR
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.496Please respect copyright.PENANAXzT01kP1Pw
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.496Please respect copyright.PENANAvHaIrgzsAq
"The time you came into 496Please respect copyright.PENANA2SAYExa5ao
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 496Please respect copyright.PENANAJlhwrLlwL6
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"496Please respect copyright.PENANAhXqqdmtgYi
Angel smiled at Leo. 496Please respect copyright.PENANApTWPotbeva
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 496Please respect copyright.PENANAWdkK1BQFtf
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she496Please respect copyright.PENANAL3WTtdGc1g
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got496Please respect copyright.PENANApZTleY7OM8
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."496Please respect copyright.PENANAUCPxfZaMxY
"I don't believe you."496Please respect copyright.PENANA2NAWo864Id
"You don't have to, Mr 496Please respect copyright.PENANAyN6RN0WsTf
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 496Please respect copyright.PENANADplsiG9Isq
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 496Please respect copyright.PENANA3Kwf3oknMA
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."496Please respect copyright.PENANAhGWXrAL51A
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.496Please respect copyright.PENANARA1Y3EnJFG
"I'll be heading out for496Please respect copyright.PENANAbtaGDsso7t
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 496Please respect copyright.PENANAH19himpvKZ
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"496Please respect copyright.PENANAzCRAfYng0n
Leo didn't have to 496Please respect copyright.PENANAORMHzfXsYV
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 496Please respect copyright.PENANAt7WZoLImxa
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 496Please respect copyright.PENANAMjeCodmN3Q
her.496Please respect copyright.PENANASYxmLe3Pjn
Leo stared at the closed496Please respect copyright.PENANAq5GkX4nM3p
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 496Please respect copyright.PENANAXMc6UyAMig
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 496Please respect copyright.PENANAtPa0zJhs68
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 496Please respect copyright.PENANAnruflyH4gz
utterly disturbed.496Please respect copyright.PENANAOZboBjVJFS
***496Please respect copyright.PENANA2OojCjLcW2
In496Please respect copyright.PENANAZFhY4QKbNm
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 496Please respect copyright.PENANADgN954hkAl
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.496Please respect copyright.PENANAhD0xDBLQoN
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.496Please respect copyright.PENANAr0k3ShANt8
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.496Please respect copyright.PENANA54QelKzbWE
"Morning," said Amanda.496Please respect copyright.PENANAd73prI5woh
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.496Please respect copyright.PENANAT3i0SqNuZS
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.496Please respect copyright.PENANAioXFB6yjWl
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."496Please respect copyright.PENANAqqBVtzBxAt
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.496Please respect copyright.PENANA3aNRaY4lPy
"And496Please respect copyright.PENANAVJMwoaWQZi
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 496Please respect copyright.PENANAZiczjE0XK6
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.496Please respect copyright.PENANAsq4mw8AL5R
"Do I?" Leo asked.496Please respect copyright.PENANA2acDa4Ble6
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."496Please respect copyright.PENANAkymesaHomT
Leo496Please respect copyright.PENANAxWpGXA8o2m
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 496Please respect copyright.PENANA2h1hZJAawq
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 496Please respect copyright.PENANAIFHiGrZO0x
knew the reason too.496Please respect copyright.PENANADzKzePiMCq
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.496Please respect copyright.PENANAaArCQrcr1E
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."496Please respect copyright.PENANAlKVQWjmIap
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."496Please respect copyright.PENANA0rJ0897dC3
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."496Please respect copyright.PENANAY9lvQotv14
"Lovely."496Please respect copyright.PENANAxFSO21UwR5
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.496Please respect copyright.PENANAQHMtMb1hOo
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.496Please respect copyright.PENANAm7Hpy61BXt
Upon496Please respect copyright.PENANAn4xlH8nk0E
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.496Please respect copyright.PENANApb1A7ZdmIT
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.496Please respect copyright.PENANA3sZygY23en
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."496Please respect copyright.PENANAmjIjRNPbDc
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.496Please respect copyright.PENANAMD96q2tUmM
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."496Please respect copyright.PENANAEvZBzOuvv2
Eric496Please respect copyright.PENANADRHtNmJFsO
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 496Please respect copyright.PENANAY1pnmVqdCm
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 496Please respect copyright.PENANALIg0Mw0fdI
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.496Please respect copyright.PENANAmMI86uWMyH
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.496Please respect copyright.PENANAzMqnAIeTSc
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.496Please respect copyright.PENANAng037Ij8zp
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.496Please respect copyright.PENANArU6RewHRLY
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.496Please respect copyright.PENANAVvk8gxewm6
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.496Please respect copyright.PENANAFHfZqejala
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.496Please respect copyright.PENANAWvO4IQGG9X
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.496Please respect copyright.PENANAqMlDyB1R8b
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.496Please respect copyright.PENANALKSRTDEbc0
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."496Please respect copyright.PENANAavHUZ5tlqj
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."496Please respect copyright.PENANAnb4NqjNjG6
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."496Please respect copyright.PENANAzD8kq5vbXq
Leo496Please respect copyright.PENANA6aNveL0HoB
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 496Please respect copyright.PENANAvPpkkXriOZ
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 496Please respect copyright.PENANABuyx0R7ho6
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with496Please respect copyright.PENANA9jEzaZy5G9
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.496Please respect copyright.PENANAPcajArXZNe
Angel496Please respect copyright.PENANAHVqw1wjZim
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 496Please respect copyright.PENANA0hbmQEZoGf
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 496Please respect copyright.PENANAkbU7l4G3nM
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.496Please respect copyright.PENANAtmDxnm6iu4
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.496Please respect copyright.PENANA7h4ViNKlxL
"I'll496Please respect copyright.PENANAkr7C7zJaX1
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 496Please respect copyright.PENANALMIXjEuyYv
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."496Please respect copyright.PENANAo1HC4XBpSK
"Yes, I would," said Angel.496Please respect copyright.PENANAfDweR5u30u
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.496Please respect copyright.PENANAELCvoEnrxz
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.496Please respect copyright.PENANAzoz7Sf4XE9
"Yes, I'm not."496Please respect copyright.PENANAwVsYT6Bcd7
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."496Please respect copyright.PENANA7VIVBNXHI5
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."496Please respect copyright.PENANA4oniBKt3aa
"Yes, I would."496Please respect copyright.PENANAb3HsVhopxj
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."496Please respect copyright.PENANAM5PM0RpZdZ
"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."496Please respect copyright.PENANADShxulAjM4
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.496Please respect copyright.PENANABnFYk0fRCF
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.496Please respect copyright.PENANA5FZqIaa4cl
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"496Please respect copyright.PENANAYGxw5GXeie
"Yes."496Please respect copyright.PENANAdajKdWnsRh
Leo496Please respect copyright.PENANA78UPupERoz
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 496Please respect copyright.PENANArGY73rpKlK
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 496Please respect copyright.PENANAMwGl7HkBtz
talking about Angel.496Please respect copyright.PENANAqidzVy6ofL
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.496Please respect copyright.PENANAmlJxkvwjPC
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.496Please respect copyright.PENANAD68Y3r6ZlB
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.496Please respect copyright.PENANAn4vQun8xAp
Before Angel could find 496Please respect copyright.PENANAxwvBqHxeiJ
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 496Please respect copyright.PENANAhP6yz6vlL9
seeing her sister, standing on her own.496Please respect copyright.PENANAw4CCXHGuEf
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."496Please respect copyright.PENANAreKblKCzD7
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."496Please respect copyright.PENANA2MNAdfviwe
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.496Please respect copyright.PENANAPgE4qVfeC4
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."496Please respect copyright.PENANA8PbLrWkqgg
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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