Leo had a smile on his 485Please respect copyright.PENANAH92Jy97BVG
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 485Please respect copyright.PENANA4ExPj3imng
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 485Please respect copyright.PENANAgPdgmDAKb4
face right in front of him.485Please respect copyright.PENANA2YtIYrsdIA
It was morning and the 485Please respect copyright.PENANA4TdMRU2doT
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 485Please respect copyright.PENANAZmAQFHCSA9
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 485Please respect copyright.PENANAXpqnn2AcLg
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 485Please respect copyright.PENANAIJl25DfrZ6
brilliantly in the morning sun.485Please respect copyright.PENANASl2aancZrL
Carly had joined him 485Please respect copyright.PENANAdr6j1IwZ2a
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By485Please respect copyright.PENANAUTdieCmIL3
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost485Please respect copyright.PENANAsugbONFmTI
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 485Please respect copyright.PENANAKU6Y1aCRLo
birds, of course.485Please respect copyright.PENANAbp6XbmOJvz
It was good she came, 485Please respect copyright.PENANATQoXRkZkxr
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 485Please respect copyright.PENANAbbAvu0PFmu
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He485Please respect copyright.PENANAFCjru5PFOP
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 485Please respect copyright.PENANAurajipOSx1
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.485Please respect copyright.PENANA4rMaJCKQ42
He stretched his hand 485Please respect copyright.PENANAX2u2OEnUGD
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,485Please respect copyright.PENANAVrAcZ68a5B
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 485Please respect copyright.PENANAZbwT16zyHt
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 485Please respect copyright.PENANA8uOfi8gUnJ
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.485Please respect copyright.PENANAhhUicUL9yz
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.485Please respect copyright.PENANA8SxWUqzVfy
She didn't respond as 485Please respect copyright.PENANAB814LOLHo7
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 485Please respect copyright.PENANA34sK1W1NuV
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 485Please respect copyright.PENANAEhQLW5WlZS
himself. Leo chuckled.485Please respect copyright.PENANAzgR50lVtcZ
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.485Please respect copyright.PENANAMo28Vez4iL
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."485Please respect copyright.PENANAb79Ga8DCU8
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAM5Tmbkcm2O
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.485Please respect copyright.PENANAV4s967V0ad
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."485Please respect copyright.PENANAeOWXkpXqYy
"You're right. But I 485Please respect copyright.PENANAMHMKeALWeO
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend485Please respect copyright.PENANATUJX0sqCxZ
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."485Please respect copyright.PENANALZt1VXiKae
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"485Please respect copyright.PENANA12Jfn0dQH1
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."485Please respect copyright.PENANA1bYmmQeSwY
They both got out of bed485Please respect copyright.PENANAEf3mUKFZku
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 485Please respect copyright.PENANAxbquUvPJDz
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 485Please respect copyright.PENANAzpjSqLmFi6
way to Carly's.485Please respect copyright.PENANAmSoTCbPNpk
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."485Please respect copyright.PENANACFMnVBG4nP
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.485Please respect copyright.PENANAZjUXm0sSeG
Carly gave him a simple 485Please respect copyright.PENANAoeoQFaT6LH
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 485Please respect copyright.PENANA1SeDgqF5En
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 485Please respect copyright.PENANALp68ekpJBB
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 485Please respect copyright.PENANAEWEOofO5Ke
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.485Please respect copyright.PENANACHSWPYWrPH
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.485Please respect copyright.PENANANTX7gXWKiN
He made his way 485Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7WjIzISEc
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 485Please respect copyright.PENANAvizRY606ce
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 485Please respect copyright.PENANAv8hEOyJypX
kitchen.485Please respect copyright.PENANACMSyfUD5gW
He wondered who could be485Please respect copyright.PENANAcreeo8ESsV
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 485Please respect copyright.PENANArD6ozrEhm0
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 485Please respect copyright.PENANAIMWsgt3TMJ
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 485Please respect copyright.PENANAxCfu0g4Cca
little.485Please respect copyright.PENANATPBd7ikBQb
Angel was standing by 485Please respect copyright.PENANAMPErH19yqa
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 485Please respect copyright.PENANAYqd2t4OWCP
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 485Please respect copyright.PENANATQgN7Xucnx
thing that shook him the moment he got there.485Please respect copyright.PENANA171q0hYddd
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.485Please respect copyright.PENANA2os2LSLVPV
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.485Please respect copyright.PENANAnpVID1qZ9y
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.485Please respect copyright.PENANAfd0hyMxRLi
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."485Please respect copyright.PENANAo2j4JovtEy
"I just had to."485Please respect copyright.PENANAQ86LMp92IK
"Ummm," Leo still 485Please respect copyright.PENANAFb6xe5mAek
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 485Please respect copyright.PENANAUEC7h9w0PB
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAtvYnIIJW7d
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."485Please respect copyright.PENANAJuz4a5Lbe5
The coffee maker soon 485Please respect copyright.PENANARAeMRwHYCM
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 485Please respect copyright.PENANABIJumkbmNm
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 485Please respect copyright.PENANAqC6kMquiIM
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.485Please respect copyright.PENANAD7G57G4cWN
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.485Please respect copyright.PENANA4STCysmaVo
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.485Please respect copyright.PENANAszOzzgBcYe
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."485Please respect copyright.PENANApgXe2boB6p
"Why? You wanted me 485Please respect copyright.PENANAaQZKMf2vTm
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before485Please respect copyright.PENANApurrk7Qxuq
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself485Please respect copyright.PENANAIE3X55gv3S
a cup.485Please respect copyright.PENANAKMnwBOPjBW
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."485Please respect copyright.PENANATdkxMFnmgx
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."485Please respect copyright.PENANAaNSt2lCxMM
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.485Please respect copyright.PENANAyR5q8ShTzx
"You still don't seem 485Please respect copyright.PENANABbFRn2CEAJ
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 485Please respect copyright.PENANAuLf38u2H1q
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 485Please respect copyright.PENANArNkfNFJ6tV
things."485Please respect copyright.PENANAR4dylpi6fC
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAx2YdL86gWs
Angel took a sip of her 485Please respect copyright.PENANA6d6XZELguV
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know485Please respect copyright.PENANA5VgjPxBHoX
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 485Please respect copyright.PENANAjziQWRVb23
spent her night with you."485Please respect copyright.PENANAwW8mlw4rFM
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."485Please respect copyright.PENANANkzRxSxynz
Angel smirked and Leo 485Please respect copyright.PENANAiCstVxeHY0
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 485Please respect copyright.PENANAdLUw7oSdpk
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.485Please respect copyright.PENANAO5jonheWv1
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.485Please respect copyright.PENANAbsp6gz82xO
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAGc60ruWGVb
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."485Please respect copyright.PENANAqv1wm9hOa5
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."485Please respect copyright.PENANAJQhXRoIJZi
"You're right, Leo. It's485Please respect copyright.PENANAnrTfLexjzL
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 485Please respect copyright.PENANA15Fod4LN0R
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 485Please respect copyright.PENANAZMiWYvwXhM
have any control over."485Please respect copyright.PENANAHQk1GqNOES
Leo was a little shocked485Please respect copyright.PENANA1MV9lHPCZz
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 485Please respect copyright.PENANAD8HJG2eoWJ
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 485Please respect copyright.PENANAwrkNBV7wSC
game?485Please respect copyright.PENANAO76XAmSyKu
She slowly made her way 485Please respect copyright.PENANAqATTBZfhqY
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to485Please respect copyright.PENANAE5htxRboET
look at her and something came up in his mind.485Please respect copyright.PENANAXcPKAQxA6K
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.485Please respect copyright.PENANA5NQqhI22Rw
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.485Please respect copyright.PENANA5yRbdt1DXr
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.485Please respect copyright.PENANAP0tcc9EFBQ
"The time you came into 485Please respect copyright.PENANAyyOmy8buhr
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 485Please respect copyright.PENANAZsLodb9umt
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAKEyYgqzDhE
Angel smiled at Leo. 485Please respect copyright.PENANAdIuTrSkAbb
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 485Please respect copyright.PENANATLRjIxVyH4
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she485Please respect copyright.PENANA3GhrOEbHh4
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got485Please respect copyright.PENANA1GixC52dLE
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."485Please respect copyright.PENANAKB5N03wO41
"I don't believe you."485Please respect copyright.PENANAJZ6eqTL5nn
"You don't have to, Mr 485Please respect copyright.PENANAxgmTwobAYR
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 485Please respect copyright.PENANAefQzKAmYHr
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 485Please respect copyright.PENANADtjn9GxWlq
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."485Please respect copyright.PENANAa8i47PXud4
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.485Please respect copyright.PENANA0U2GiqFgf3
"I'll be heading out for485Please respect copyright.PENANA6Z0FJBLW5N
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 485Please respect copyright.PENANAhltLMOE0x4
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"485Please respect copyright.PENANACZu1b94emz
Leo didn't have to 485Please respect copyright.PENANANem3CLoGos
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 485Please respect copyright.PENANASWejGRkKjY
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 485Please respect copyright.PENANAF0GHCw5uQJ
her.485Please respect copyright.PENANAppeFidPfCo
Leo stared at the closed485Please respect copyright.PENANAkfJQZ1Johq
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 485Please respect copyright.PENANAuZpMWwClTd
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 485Please respect copyright.PENANAzb1dwHs4Da
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 485Please respect copyright.PENANARNMWSp1Cr2
utterly disturbed.485Please respect copyright.PENANAfetYQo7GVq
***485Please respect copyright.PENANATEmU2xRARF
In485Please respect copyright.PENANAzUnBhXM7lQ
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 485Please respect copyright.PENANA9n4118gKwV
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.485Please respect copyright.PENANAkPNNgmFJgA
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.485Please respect copyright.PENANAkXB2cPd5nh
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.485Please respect copyright.PENANATSxKtJWpdx
"Morning," said Amanda.485Please respect copyright.PENANAkVJttQ8e6l
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.485Please respect copyright.PENANAAVnM9WrwxA
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.485Please respect copyright.PENANAEZOPgtAzT6
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."485Please respect copyright.PENANAWBi4K1xlCq
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.485Please respect copyright.PENANAZuutxITqNz
"And485Please respect copyright.PENANACm8x4zMaXC
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 485Please respect copyright.PENANAsid3QigKQw
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.485Please respect copyright.PENANASoZvfaCgxw
"Do I?" Leo asked.485Please respect copyright.PENANAANA8JixyTm
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."485Please respect copyright.PENANAYIHKSkO3ta
Leo485Please respect copyright.PENANAZzWqtIuQZT
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 485Please respect copyright.PENANA0vseXiPTcd
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 485Please respect copyright.PENANAiyiGWsxtdM
knew the reason too.485Please respect copyright.PENANAAMnnIiMDLZ
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.485Please respect copyright.PENANASbX0pLivXX
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."485Please respect copyright.PENANAPeF0GwNQZ5
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."485Please respect copyright.PENANAhn93j78sle
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."485Please respect copyright.PENANAi0H3tuXI6z
"Lovely."485Please respect copyright.PENANAHSVGR0xsCX
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.485Please respect copyright.PENANAo1tchq19W7
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.485Please respect copyright.PENANAamVGNk1Qn2
Upon485Please respect copyright.PENANAuLUecDkpOO
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.485Please respect copyright.PENANA4ALe8hOGiJ
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.485Please respect copyright.PENANAeMwhHy8jmO
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."485Please respect copyright.PENANAtlSxUTlgNb
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.485Please respect copyright.PENANANUNEubkCVO
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."485Please respect copyright.PENANAmFNbAJJyk2
Eric485Please respect copyright.PENANACJarFpYQMo
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 485Please respect copyright.PENANALCl7Tk01Sp
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 485Please respect copyright.PENANASt9wre4Mmi
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.485Please respect copyright.PENANArWmegWNTVY
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.485Please respect copyright.PENANASpebUGvHVY
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.485Please respect copyright.PENANA9BPbeksifv
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.485Please respect copyright.PENANA627dSdP48A
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.485Please respect copyright.PENANAmFxi6KNshT
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.485Please respect copyright.PENANASIKauV2qoy
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.485Please respect copyright.PENANAarMSJo9Zs0
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.485Please respect copyright.PENANAfNE92Iym3g
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.485Please respect copyright.PENANAphIeOmDOiy
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."485Please respect copyright.PENANAWqbb03mHMO
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."485Please respect copyright.PENANAKiI1zKqzrn
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."485Please respect copyright.PENANA7C1lUfnIMF
Leo485Please respect copyright.PENANAWYid5WXbm9
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 485Please respect copyright.PENANAPaiWJRB9At
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 485Please respect copyright.PENANAotPbdymMPH
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with485Please respect copyright.PENANAfeDqw9a908
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.485Please respect copyright.PENANAmsxvVoeCo6
Angel485Please respect copyright.PENANAJRXBwqO54a
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 485Please respect copyright.PENANAZKjt0UuhBt
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 485Please respect copyright.PENANADzz00QKvmq
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.485Please respect copyright.PENANADVtRlAkrWg
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.485Please respect copyright.PENANAM3wnmltk8v
"I'll485Please respect copyright.PENANA87zJmh8J77
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 485Please respect copyright.PENANA91TfebGZSV
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."485Please respect copyright.PENANAsctp9JXVII
"Yes, I would," said Angel.485Please respect copyright.PENANAR4YTJ5kVoo
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.485Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ws2dTy1f5
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.485Please respect copyright.PENANADiRumH33s4
"Yes, I'm not."485Please respect copyright.PENANAV81tXkT21V
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."485Please respect copyright.PENANA8utpDF9iak
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."485Please respect copyright.PENANA2Incq253vA
"Yes, I would."485Please respect copyright.PENANA8Q5Mj7ZuWL
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."485Please respect copyright.PENANAwReH81VMEC
"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."485Please respect copyright.PENANAvHNpWzhjVx
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.485Please respect copyright.PENANA21BUhXKNTP
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.485Please respect copyright.PENANAmwVwETOJ7d
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"485Please respect copyright.PENANAw5OlmvXKY1
"Yes."485Please respect copyright.PENANA5E0jLx5Evl
Leo485Please respect copyright.PENANA2Si3xgCAAJ
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 485Please respect copyright.PENANAGQDUF4JbvL
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 485Please respect copyright.PENANA64X7X8JFd1
talking about Angel.485Please respect copyright.PENANADLZNtqEY3w
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.485Please respect copyright.PENANAFSktFnxgQC
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.485Please respect copyright.PENANAp3mM4uvq0s
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.485Please respect copyright.PENANAk44Low8fpM
Before Angel could find 485Please respect copyright.PENANArjGX0aPPoS
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 485Please respect copyright.PENANARcdtSsvi1D
seeing her sister, standing on her own.485Please respect copyright.PENANA8hHCpEtCZ6
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."485Please respect copyright.PENANAGDic2jc52o
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."485Please respect copyright.PENANASAQmHrQz4O
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.485Please respect copyright.PENANAYUMYYgu82e
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."485Please respect copyright.PENANA8zmmXinAPG
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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