Leo had a smile on his 516Please respect copyright.PENANAAbCi5i7mSn
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 516Please respect copyright.PENANAYp50ES1XZh
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 516Please respect copyright.PENANA2kAaYDF9pQ
face right in front of him.516Please respect copyright.PENANAKtyUfviwHT
It was morning and the 516Please respect copyright.PENANABzqIcDGPDK
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 516Please respect copyright.PENANAy1M3SWy6fX
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 516Please respect copyright.PENANAv5lphbdLDg
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 516Please respect copyright.PENANAyGFFJd7OOQ
brilliantly in the morning sun.516Please respect copyright.PENANA94r7Xm2dgA
Carly had joined him 516Please respect copyright.PENANAgnx1z9fj8C
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By516Please respect copyright.PENANAvsJ9ro65q3
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost516Please respect copyright.PENANAhNbAa27zjB
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 516Please respect copyright.PENANAYKbKgu6Yfp
birds, of course.516Please respect copyright.PENANAQ768nj2B2g
It was good she came, 516Please respect copyright.PENANATfHCr9ziUp
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 516Please respect copyright.PENANAxfBUCIQV2A
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He516Please respect copyright.PENANArnss6VL7nB
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 516Please respect copyright.PENANATn0E1XHJe8
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.516Please respect copyright.PENANAFqI6HCx7XQ
He stretched his hand 516Please respect copyright.PENANAOxb3oS4TU9
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,516Please respect copyright.PENANAcicaf5JypZ
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 516Please respect copyright.PENANAopi4m9u5q3
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 516Please respect copyright.PENANAtihc7bVZqP
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.516Please respect copyright.PENANAgJEe0c3Ehe
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.516Please respect copyright.PENANArfic89sYwa
She didn't respond as 516Please respect copyright.PENANAkkjBRnRdo5
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 516Please respect copyright.PENANAhmTGm1pstU
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 516Please respect copyright.PENANAYrKOI3NmGL
himself. Leo chuckled.516Please respect copyright.PENANAxsxVDhh6f8
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.516Please respect copyright.PENANAJNM8iCFJii
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."516Please respect copyright.PENANAxGrKlnbgXA
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.516Please respect copyright.PENANAlhrboaT7pd
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.516Please respect copyright.PENANAbIedAoTP64
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."516Please respect copyright.PENANAmdV824BOvF
"You're right. But I 516Please respect copyright.PENANAB1qSbXu1kj
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend516Please respect copyright.PENANAZ1irbNDUTc
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."516Please respect copyright.PENANATdhgCkefbo
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"516Please respect copyright.PENANACNBxPnjnS1
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."516Please respect copyright.PENANA4vhWaIzZQ5
They both got out of bed516Please respect copyright.PENANAS8MRBAeWiS
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 516Please respect copyright.PENANA9N1vCNWy6j
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 516Please respect copyright.PENANAqEne1CwbB7
way to Carly's.516Please respect copyright.PENANAMsjeVOt4Ac
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."516Please respect copyright.PENANAQKd1MoadpT
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.516Please respect copyright.PENANAMQhInThzsh
Carly gave him a simple 516Please respect copyright.PENANAGJQsoIAiZm
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 516Please respect copyright.PENANAb3gUxeJjLy
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 516Please respect copyright.PENANAsFiEcJI6hM
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 516Please respect copyright.PENANASjc3qzcK7m
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.516Please respect copyright.PENANArWxXLCDa3S
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.516Please respect copyright.PENANAW7gsIBCoZh
He made his way 516Please respect copyright.PENANAWVeAFda1kN
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 516Please respect copyright.PENANAhwSmtD25KV
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 516Please respect copyright.PENANAA6JILgr7CA
kitchen.516Please respect copyright.PENANANupYeLPexH
He wondered who could be516Please respect copyright.PENANAlZP3oyg7M2
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 516Please respect copyright.PENANArzLxdra34a
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 516Please respect copyright.PENANAzibcCmx2Cj
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 516Please respect copyright.PENANAkutQFcaIuk
little.516Please respect copyright.PENANAisbLq1jWpV
Angel was standing by 516Please respect copyright.PENANA0jfULImCLO
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 516Please respect copyright.PENANA8gG1Rtzcuj
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 516Please respect copyright.PENANArhIHFF4th5
thing that shook him the moment he got there.516Please respect copyright.PENANARnY7hbeRcQ
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.516Please respect copyright.PENANA9zCcSxBZLa
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.516Please respect copyright.PENANADcGeEND4dT
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.516Please respect copyright.PENANAGwLkerqbvC
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."516Please respect copyright.PENANA5TJ66Z7njN
"I just had to."516Please respect copyright.PENANA4tHls9HqZB
"Ummm," Leo still 516Please respect copyright.PENANATPDERfed7g
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 516Please respect copyright.PENANAog0eoMKp7S
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"516Please respect copyright.PENANASHsvpsSUOW
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."516Please respect copyright.PENANAFq0nGKPqYb
The coffee maker soon 516Please respect copyright.PENANAbxCGQ93iZC
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 516Please respect copyright.PENANAyQOpLtFobP
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 516Please respect copyright.PENANAx40c10x9c4
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.516Please respect copyright.PENANAvAiQtD4ifx
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.516Please respect copyright.PENANAONVFeN2Duk
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.516Please respect copyright.PENANAgGAfGgIXLT
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."516Please respect copyright.PENANATuXlit4Wy1
"Why? You wanted me 516Please respect copyright.PENANAJsjNkbUdBG
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before516Please respect copyright.PENANANplWEiRcUE
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself516Please respect copyright.PENANAcPa63oc9Mt
a cup.516Please respect copyright.PENANAXz8v4oSbyQ
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."516Please respect copyright.PENANAWLpWj9wvuU
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."516Please respect copyright.PENANAz6TGdORgCu
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.516Please respect copyright.PENANAw93usTcY4w
"You still don't seem 516Please respect copyright.PENANAvHkdOUUsLE
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 516Please respect copyright.PENANA8ethLm0ZK0
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 516Please respect copyright.PENANAdvo74YxUPI
things."516Please respect copyright.PENANAOqyiEk1UJf
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"516Please respect copyright.PENANAZNnBfq6OTY
Angel took a sip of her 516Please respect copyright.PENANAnSNodZ2qd0
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know516Please respect copyright.PENANA1mioQOcfYh
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 516Please respect copyright.PENANATVNAalSVc8
spent her night with you."516Please respect copyright.PENANAMUqvzv43Mu
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."516Please respect copyright.PENANALfZPZQU8kY
Angel smirked and Leo 516Please respect copyright.PENANAM6huEXtidp
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 516Please respect copyright.PENANAXTU6kFeD0T
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.516Please respect copyright.PENANAbvz5ilb4K4
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.516Please respect copyright.PENANApPk3rVpaJq
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"516Please respect copyright.PENANAxAgRw4JvPB
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."516Please respect copyright.PENANAwsRDd4gBHB
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."516Please respect copyright.PENANA56cwwSZFIo
"You're right, Leo. It's516Please respect copyright.PENANAiOA8XsL2rB
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 516Please respect copyright.PENANAJmsobDdBAs
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 516Please respect copyright.PENANAErqKPhKfQ3
have any control over."516Please respect copyright.PENANAGSz9EzVVOu
Leo was a little shocked516Please respect copyright.PENANAuORKAM7xP5
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 516Please respect copyright.PENANAElkmrWqwFL
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 516Please respect copyright.PENANAZNMRTPgxIw
game?516Please respect copyright.PENANALRi0P6pjSU
She slowly made her way 516Please respect copyright.PENANAW6FmHSA4B2
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to516Please respect copyright.PENANALug7cCMwcZ
look at her and something came up in his mind.516Please respect copyright.PENANA8K4lgymzpJ
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.516Please respect copyright.PENANANc3ndSmrwx
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.516Please respect copyright.PENANAcxD2eoPJCl
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.516Please respect copyright.PENANAaeav5zjrV4
"The time you came into 516Please respect copyright.PENANAjNinaKiEXZ
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 516Please respect copyright.PENANAEAjXQIG14U
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"516Please respect copyright.PENANAH8tlF1dd35
Angel smiled at Leo. 516Please respect copyright.PENANAI6ROmAqxwU
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 516Please respect copyright.PENANArKRgFBvkCL
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she516Please respect copyright.PENANAmqZDHMDQpg
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got516Please respect copyright.PENANAdE1oq7GWCO
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."516Please respect copyright.PENANAnvIYo14k13
"I don't believe you."516Please respect copyright.PENANAO7XRWb8hHd
"You don't have to, Mr 516Please respect copyright.PENANAY9zdsC7oj2
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 516Please respect copyright.PENANAAP9XdrZ7X3
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 516Please respect copyright.PENANAgdsoY3P7ZH
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."516Please respect copyright.PENANAH48E6aWE4k
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.516Please respect copyright.PENANAB4u0pcL1fl
"I'll be heading out for516Please respect copyright.PENANAbS7KznvRCT
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 516Please respect copyright.PENANANDDnGs26HA
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"516Please respect copyright.PENANAuQuSUyWQzR
Leo didn't have to 516Please respect copyright.PENANAMvXBgi3mW7
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 516Please respect copyright.PENANAGCU02Je9IG
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 516Please respect copyright.PENANAH6GZHDPVbe
her.516Please respect copyright.PENANAzBf2xj1nDU
Leo stared at the closed516Please respect copyright.PENANAfdNvm6TrXE
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 516Please respect copyright.PENANAAShQorQJsc
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 516Please respect copyright.PENANApV1VFAQMRV
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 516Please respect copyright.PENANAgwmaYBimAh
utterly disturbed.516Please respect copyright.PENANA5oVXPgFr6z
***516Please respect copyright.PENANAlw7TWma97X
In516Please respect copyright.PENANA6gNy1KTwph
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 516Please respect copyright.PENANAO6pwPDoDKD
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.516Please respect copyright.PENANAL78Irqtq9z
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.516Please respect copyright.PENANANogeT1zXfD
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.516Please respect copyright.PENANAyDWkN40yZO
"Morning," said Amanda.516Please respect copyright.PENANAL67hPuf4ng
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.516Please respect copyright.PENANA7gWIjG5AOe
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.516Please respect copyright.PENANAs7mVAzC8vH
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."516Please respect copyright.PENANA0MW6Koh5nj
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.516Please respect copyright.PENANAZJE81ORPUY
"And516Please respect copyright.PENANAeDMM2G031p
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 516Please respect copyright.PENANAFmdOyejFmB
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.516Please respect copyright.PENANA9dVxTYrLQx
"Do I?" Leo asked.516Please respect copyright.PENANAX79Xiomb52
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."516Please respect copyright.PENANA5Br2zqr0tf
Leo516Please respect copyright.PENANAs0Noh7meMg
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 516Please respect copyright.PENANAx2DhBZfMTs
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 516Please respect copyright.PENANAWHUwJhjVp3
knew the reason too.516Please respect copyright.PENANAVWNTMqh6rS
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.516Please respect copyright.PENANABQOKqnCxm3
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."516Please respect copyright.PENANAyrKMjzYgf7
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."516Please respect copyright.PENANAp3NvQfLlFQ
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."516Please respect copyright.PENANAaoZwfv6b4A
"Lovely."516Please respect copyright.PENANAwc1WViAf4w
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.516Please respect copyright.PENANArEyf39C3vz
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.516Please respect copyright.PENANADuZbe8bNDN
Upon516Please respect copyright.PENANAqoXxD8lZH9
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.516Please respect copyright.PENANAKxcjbIV2VL
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.516Please respect copyright.PENANAVxIdT30rrn
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."516Please respect copyright.PENANAHrz5ueSDzk
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.516Please respect copyright.PENANAg5bZPFss2F
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."516Please respect copyright.PENANAL4cuICXyce
Eric516Please respect copyright.PENANAhcxXjVtMIk
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 516Please respect copyright.PENANAk2zWv2Dbrw
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 516Please respect copyright.PENANA4vwZWA4jO1
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.516Please respect copyright.PENANAkOkY3Bqgsa
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.516Please respect copyright.PENANAJRBPSWFuBM
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.516Please respect copyright.PENANAdJsIJ5MKSJ
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.516Please respect copyright.PENANAEIKoEwV0hC
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.516Please respect copyright.PENANAH6U2EDP9C4
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.516Please respect copyright.PENANAOO14YcXEbM
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.516Please respect copyright.PENANAhSsOCLPrJK
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.516Please respect copyright.PENANAkJypu1o3Pe
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.516Please respect copyright.PENANA6KqlzjUFpa
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."516Please respect copyright.PENANAlPi82oP5jH
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."516Please respect copyright.PENANA8bcLEg6INk
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."516Please respect copyright.PENANAyiVCIGBTUW
Leo516Please respect copyright.PENANAk5d6FhofQZ
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 516Please respect copyright.PENANAL6iAF0dTtp
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 516Please respect copyright.PENANA075eGXFFZ1
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with516Please respect copyright.PENANAgR3TCX3DPH
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.516Please respect copyright.PENANAViNjSpGHUY
Angel516Please respect copyright.PENANAHDHxOqcClW
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 516Please respect copyright.PENANAQLid3cunHY
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 516Please respect copyright.PENANAbyPNjruDIa
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.516Please respect copyright.PENANA5zzY1Okk1n
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.516Please respect copyright.PENANA4Qglfw8qnu
"I'll516Please respect copyright.PENANA7VkI6AliR0
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 516Please respect copyright.PENANAxadZmeaj44
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."516Please respect copyright.PENANAFHbXzEQzSR
"Yes, I would," said Angel.516Please respect copyright.PENANAbrQVnw656R
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.516Please respect copyright.PENANAWPZZjTSB9A
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.516Please respect copyright.PENANAobraw4JEQ8
"Yes, I'm not."516Please respect copyright.PENANAyoZVvv9qZ9
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."516Please respect copyright.PENANAPQ2k4tLE2s
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."516Please respect copyright.PENANAcJPJHhon8X
"Yes, I would."516Please respect copyright.PENANA6rhMh3F7E0
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."516Please respect copyright.PENANAdIonkw6uWm
"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."516Please respect copyright.PENANAxmeG1IXoib
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.516Please respect copyright.PENANAhVbyxPLJuf
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.516Please respect copyright.PENANAKn1iTTEKgA
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"516Please respect copyright.PENANAHzZtiW9AZk
"Yes."516Please respect copyright.PENANAbMaNPxQqOa
Leo516Please respect copyright.PENANA6PQ21TPnXY
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 516Please respect copyright.PENANAwmHWf3g5sk
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 516Please respect copyright.PENANAHCfvrTrg6P
talking about Angel.516Please respect copyright.PENANA6dsJ7JyHKm
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.516Please respect copyright.PENANAmSIbRr0PAk
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.516Please respect copyright.PENANAlCTY6vf4IU
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.516Please respect copyright.PENANAE1U0BMaqvO
Before Angel could find 516Please respect copyright.PENANAxnzi71Cc1X
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 516Please respect copyright.PENANA7Fw7hfa03N
seeing her sister, standing on her own.516Please respect copyright.PENANAFZrewSwe5N
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."516Please respect copyright.PENANAB84Fz3B7CO
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."516Please respect copyright.PENANAEqoW2TZFpb
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.516Please respect copyright.PENANAgxfm2LFK2W
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."516Please respect copyright.PENANAjugYv1NSru
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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