Leo had a smile on his 495Please respect copyright.PENANAeHbNKSanlV
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 495Please respect copyright.PENANAwaJIm8ZtW9
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 495Please respect copyright.PENANAKPO7SXttPc
face right in front of him.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfjiWtlhAzo
It was morning and the 495Please respect copyright.PENANAAjLXqfcSDj
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 495Please respect copyright.PENANA7xekoUCJCK
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 495Please respect copyright.PENANArwUjTeI5Ac
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 495Please respect copyright.PENANAuLFB1paOOg
brilliantly in the morning sun.495Please respect copyright.PENANApxArij6ZJz
Carly had joined him 495Please respect copyright.PENANApVEMmMdVXf
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By495Please respect copyright.PENANAhzk9KBIhBX
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost495Please respect copyright.PENANAWAvBvrFBBi
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 495Please respect copyright.PENANA7Vl7BDoTIB
birds, of course.495Please respect copyright.PENANAu4mqGa94zE
It was good she came, 495Please respect copyright.PENANAIsFa5gqTnv
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 495Please respect copyright.PENANAq5LvTZJcnY
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He495Please respect copyright.PENANArzoHvIRNcv
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 495Please respect copyright.PENANAXgoi25ynUC
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.495Please respect copyright.PENANA1FRvh4yGVL
He stretched his hand 495Please respect copyright.PENANAEyKh7SY5Jw
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,495Please respect copyright.PENANACpHjtJorhU
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 495Please respect copyright.PENANAHkhuA4pTUY
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 495Please respect copyright.PENANAgOyH1rOxqo
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.495Please respect copyright.PENANAOYvIP7RvkR
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.495Please respect copyright.PENANAYAuFR1uS66
She didn't respond as 495Please respect copyright.PENANA2TMv46ouUn
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 495Please respect copyright.PENANA96DxpqeuBT
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 495Please respect copyright.PENANA7mRcH2ghwH
himself. Leo chuckled.495Please respect copyright.PENANAB7UloJWLeP
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.495Please respect copyright.PENANAi2dDf7mx28
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."495Please respect copyright.PENANA04DmCqSsV3
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.495Please respect copyright.PENANA82tgS4UyuG
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.495Please respect copyright.PENANAOje9vO1qxD
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."495Please respect copyright.PENANAADTSqqGmdu
"You're right. But I 495Please respect copyright.PENANA14xKYokgE8
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend495Please respect copyright.PENANANZJbqR6TTp
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."495Please respect copyright.PENANABfvW8kQpUZ
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAvNfKs2koUT
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."495Please respect copyright.PENANAx0wBPiRhI6
They both got out of bed495Please respect copyright.PENANAeAtMSldCzJ
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 495Please respect copyright.PENANA2yGBL7dih7
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 495Please respect copyright.PENANAvLXEUancs1
way to Carly's.495Please respect copyright.PENANAOuGoBtqcVT
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."495Please respect copyright.PENANAeqyCXMRnvX
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.495Please respect copyright.PENANAu1g2Z90t3t
Carly gave him a simple 495Please respect copyright.PENANA2XniuMch6d
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 495Please respect copyright.PENANAGdSe0PHPMP
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 495Please respect copyright.PENANAgw4FbOlr9E
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 495Please respect copyright.PENANA1oisIlXWWI
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.495Please respect copyright.PENANAOOxBZ4qYTU
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.495Please respect copyright.PENANArQ93kKHSZh
He made his way 495Please respect copyright.PENANAVJmdMz1XnS
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 495Please respect copyright.PENANAqQ7gseKvb7
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 495Please respect copyright.PENANAeYSZZgDYTv
kitchen.495Please respect copyright.PENANAgwwce3nKUH
He wondered who could be495Please respect copyright.PENANAG4LuKFGDbg
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 495Please respect copyright.PENANAW5S9U4WP2L
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 495Please respect copyright.PENANAtbTRllaCuY
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 495Please respect copyright.PENANAv4xeGnrb77
little.495Please respect copyright.PENANAdnGtXbYiuO
Angel was standing by 495Please respect copyright.PENANAobujzFYdtq
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 495Please respect copyright.PENANAj9Sil8A8LC
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 495Please respect copyright.PENANAy5qLnJeTsQ
thing that shook him the moment he got there.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfC8wLc2XZz
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.495Please respect copyright.PENANAhFtW8FbK5q
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.495Please respect copyright.PENANAxcBnAiRY9k
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.495Please respect copyright.PENANAQxLCGEHLTc
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."495Please respect copyright.PENANAKFCXrUfEVB
"I just had to."495Please respect copyright.PENANATzRNJSVeLu
"Ummm," Leo still 495Please respect copyright.PENANAWJcw5ZveJ8
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 495Please respect copyright.PENANABntIMVDQVl
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAvvAT6ykXpN
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."495Please respect copyright.PENANA8EoshK0yrN
The coffee maker soon 495Please respect copyright.PENANAwCISp30k7H
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 495Please respect copyright.PENANAf83E53WipX
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 495Please respect copyright.PENANAYZY8jlgm52
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.495Please respect copyright.PENANAPBHjoM87Gn
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.495Please respect copyright.PENANAMJPe9o0AlW
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.495Please respect copyright.PENANAY6lhE3YvkY
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."495Please respect copyright.PENANAB6sTrRVZ0D
"Why? You wanted me 495Please respect copyright.PENANAy48KUh0Gtt
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before495Please respect copyright.PENANAVjAekvKTqZ
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself495Please respect copyright.PENANAn2AGaRf1AV
a cup.495Please respect copyright.PENANAkOEzJ9zkva
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."495Please respect copyright.PENANALa2ON3oBJk
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."495Please respect copyright.PENANAbGZalQimqr
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.495Please respect copyright.PENANADAtMQkRPbi
"You still don't seem 495Please respect copyright.PENANAtf3bxtUOF5
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 495Please respect copyright.PENANATcUa4AlemZ
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 495Please respect copyright.PENANAwRGEk90Mze
things."495Please respect copyright.PENANAjcUBkhsZmQ
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"495Please respect copyright.PENANABipvmzPC5U
Angel took a sip of her 495Please respect copyright.PENANA5Agqw5WEeY
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know495Please respect copyright.PENANAYhDU6sph4Y
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 495Please respect copyright.PENANAfqjvX8Xoiv
spent her night with you."495Please respect copyright.PENANA2XZ0k60PgT
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."495Please respect copyright.PENANAWWXkbmRlQa
Angel smirked and Leo 495Please respect copyright.PENANADlsl4OeBa7
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 495Please respect copyright.PENANAuZkr3k8olY
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.495Please respect copyright.PENANAl5LilkpUCi
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.495Please respect copyright.PENANAEKlEoJOqz7
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAtLmrAzjiVA
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."495Please respect copyright.PENANAGY4dNExGJG
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."495Please respect copyright.PENANAFxrTGZCZ9u
"You're right, Leo. It's495Please respect copyright.PENANA8TY4zZMolC
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 495Please respect copyright.PENANAXg6tnuvSqI
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 495Please respect copyright.PENANAUiN36ZFWbg
have any control over."495Please respect copyright.PENANAQMzbGbnm4g
Leo was a little shocked495Please respect copyright.PENANAC5Qk363RF4
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 495Please respect copyright.PENANAJxVkMGnH9q
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 495Please respect copyright.PENANAFZCR7WMByH
game?495Please respect copyright.PENANAneSN65i2lR
She slowly made her way 495Please respect copyright.PENANAu8V8yVpEQk
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to495Please respect copyright.PENANA7fAQkGU0hZ
look at her and something came up in his mind.495Please respect copyright.PENANA8M1ss02lA2
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.495Please respect copyright.PENANA81iZ9XULM1
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfwfSBEO8tE
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.495Please respect copyright.PENANAnDl87uebmI
"The time you came into 495Please respect copyright.PENANAIjq9Lojhpe
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 495Please respect copyright.PENANAezBTOFGLWr
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAtGTUzxh13H
Angel smiled at Leo. 495Please respect copyright.PENANA4uMpAqf5XL
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 495Please respect copyright.PENANAeTd6h0o6rp
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she495Please respect copyright.PENANAmeMlX21SCh
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got495Please respect copyright.PENANAngHCQmv6L4
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."495Please respect copyright.PENANAGdcOzx3B7K
"I don't believe you."495Please respect copyright.PENANAzblAc16RXA
"You don't have to, Mr 495Please respect copyright.PENANADMBUDxlhRu
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 495Please respect copyright.PENANAVTZBB0yINX
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 495Please respect copyright.PENANAhHLT9Oby5h
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."495Please respect copyright.PENANAWXAkcs53Hd
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.495Please respect copyright.PENANArx31G2UJZE
"I'll be heading out for495Please respect copyright.PENANAX3rAAREaC6
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 495Please respect copyright.PENANAsIBt4mFjDo
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAjM3YiRtXp9
Leo didn't have to 495Please respect copyright.PENANAsuVjRbe6Su
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 495Please respect copyright.PENANAPNxYIJjkcE
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 495Please respect copyright.PENANAeuKSV0ktxh
her.495Please respect copyright.PENANAmf9TzCQvcx
Leo stared at the closed495Please respect copyright.PENANAcoleHs3wbZ
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 495Please respect copyright.PENANAmguU1MJ8uv
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 495Please respect copyright.PENANAnqSYDZYDQh
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 495Please respect copyright.PENANAwP98CwiOcM
utterly disturbed.495Please respect copyright.PENANA1RqmMeEzUt
***495Please respect copyright.PENANAB678uOsHyG
In495Please respect copyright.PENANAfMBrQnydIo
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 495Please respect copyright.PENANACypitDbhvt
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.495Please respect copyright.PENANA5vlC8msMXd
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfmu6QCkw9o
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.495Please respect copyright.PENANAUPRhsQgRDy
"Morning," said Amanda.495Please respect copyright.PENANAZyHUobtTle
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.495Please respect copyright.PENANAXgk8FhgYuJ
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.495Please respect copyright.PENANAz6FJXieHwU
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."495Please respect copyright.PENANAHieLI4S2YI
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.495Please respect copyright.PENANAztqqwR4yZz
"And495Please respect copyright.PENANAF2NQ8CQ7ya
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 495Please respect copyright.PENANAwIbzHLaX0N
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.495Please respect copyright.PENANAAbKewPgpZZ
"Do I?" Leo asked.495Please respect copyright.PENANAnu5w3A62er
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."495Please respect copyright.PENANAUvLXPnmXRA
Leo495Please respect copyright.PENANA9MvyFdYk1r
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 495Please respect copyright.PENANAyUChMYGwEa
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 495Please respect copyright.PENANAD5DbA28UoJ
knew the reason too.495Please respect copyright.PENANAPyTI4BdT4A
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.495Please respect copyright.PENANARr5PkY98zH
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."495Please respect copyright.PENANAtxybq4X7F3
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."495Please respect copyright.PENANA3SSOKbvGlE
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."495Please respect copyright.PENANAxgQR3HqwSF
"Lovely."495Please respect copyright.PENANAtrv9GiKMpD
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.495Please respect copyright.PENANAJJGaCXygJV
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.495Please respect copyright.PENANA7be3n3wzGj
Upon495Please respect copyright.PENANAnrCvqMu41D
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.495Please respect copyright.PENANA6A8QS6AKEr
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.495Please respect copyright.PENANAk6Td03Ciwr
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."495Please respect copyright.PENANAvlgWF83CuM
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.495Please respect copyright.PENANAXaK6s1xsAI
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."495Please respect copyright.PENANAv90Ytji4kO
Eric495Please respect copyright.PENANAhReufbIuBB
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 495Please respect copyright.PENANAnlGbmPMzO7
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 495Please respect copyright.PENANAIsmJDUJLHa
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.495Please respect copyright.PENANANyChVY3rSQ
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.495Please respect copyright.PENANA1t34SiSnRu
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.495Please respect copyright.PENANA8cZTFdPw98
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.495Please respect copyright.PENANABp9NJUrMXc
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.495Please respect copyright.PENANAgc1RRWja4l
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.495Please respect copyright.PENANAzJsrSjqiwl
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.495Please respect copyright.PENANAjdje7siDPP
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.495Please respect copyright.PENANA8rElGcRg5k
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.495Please respect copyright.PENANACUdm4jZUSr
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."495Please respect copyright.PENANAPVGKnZ3Tk1
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."495Please respect copyright.PENANAfi7ecfMIfW
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."495Please respect copyright.PENANA8ovwoemz4V
Leo495Please respect copyright.PENANA6NUIdoubXu
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 495Please respect copyright.PENANAaEH1FAdWTI
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 495Please respect copyright.PENANAO2vVNGZoVS
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with495Please respect copyright.PENANA6opwGT2BoL
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.495Please respect copyright.PENANA0FxoBuoMmb
Angel495Please respect copyright.PENANAGkBsm6KIXS
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 495Please respect copyright.PENANAbU913JYNUz
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 495Please respect copyright.PENANAdzcPra4Xvo
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.495Please respect copyright.PENANAok8v9moTyQ
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.495Please respect copyright.PENANA20HjG4wkz8
"I'll495Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7RZgtGAHe
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 495Please respect copyright.PENANAv3MtDhgGRh
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."495Please respect copyright.PENANAvNfkSHlJvg
"Yes, I would," said Angel.495Please respect copyright.PENANAPl2eJITbvi
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.495Please respect copyright.PENANAyOJaHhQlnn
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.495Please respect copyright.PENANA3DUAoe5KDv
"Yes, I'm not."495Please respect copyright.PENANAzwcljXF5q4
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."495Please respect copyright.PENANAsn1LdVFqdo
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."495Please respect copyright.PENANA80aPVwTq2Z
"Yes, I would."495Please respect copyright.PENANAzsaZN5wXPC
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."495Please respect copyright.PENANAqJQxvSsxwa
"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."495Please respect copyright.PENANAJFFjA5P6kF
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.495Please respect copyright.PENANAJTt9cb6u23
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.495Please respect copyright.PENANAwL5mE8CCvY
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAfcoabGyetS
"Yes."495Please respect copyright.PENANArkOpivgZla
Leo495Please respect copyright.PENANATupqSYNyLY
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 495Please respect copyright.PENANA0Eoq2IJVYx
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 495Please respect copyright.PENANAU48YsZaG7B
talking about Angel.495Please respect copyright.PENANAcRUaaVxnGl
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.495Please respect copyright.PENANAsapA7piNEc
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.495Please respect copyright.PENANAHrp43oinuU
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.495Please respect copyright.PENANAl823k0iQCx
Before Angel could find 495Please respect copyright.PENANAkBUU1GTVl9
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 495Please respect copyright.PENANAr6Ps8ru1Iz
seeing her sister, standing on her own.495Please respect copyright.PENANARPnLcY6Jm0
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."495Please respect copyright.PENANA3gzwERkI3L
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."495Please respect copyright.PENANANCGlrelLyJ
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.495Please respect copyright.PENANAJnFNhIhm46
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."495Please respect copyright.PENANAO3PHrY42wv
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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