Leo had a smile on his 509Please respect copyright.PENANAXvafSeFJlF
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 509Please respect copyright.PENANAdug1bGo6N7
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 509Please respect copyright.PENANAOlHswxQYlz
face right in front of him.509Please respect copyright.PENANAQIW2zcuwbq
It was morning and the 509Please respect copyright.PENANA4ejPRrKm6Y
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 509Please respect copyright.PENANAD6DnoJJQgc
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 509Please respect copyright.PENANAy2jfjpKP7K
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 509Please respect copyright.PENANArmcdfblzvZ
brilliantly in the morning sun.509Please respect copyright.PENANAu1FRPDKkl5
Carly had joined him 509Please respect copyright.PENANAQ6HJZSE6mb
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By509Please respect copyright.PENANAi62ssL3Raw
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost509Please respect copyright.PENANAmlSpwbYVyG
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 509Please respect copyright.PENANAjxsK5iov8l
birds, of course.509Please respect copyright.PENANAxGfYEQdWJ2
It was good she came, 509Please respect copyright.PENANAXA7Pag8P3d
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 509Please respect copyright.PENANAWSKpTZEz8e
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He509Please respect copyright.PENANA4ufOri5i6n
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 509Please respect copyright.PENANAWRpB8h2IU8
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.509Please respect copyright.PENANAbfU8ovZy03
He stretched his hand 509Please respect copyright.PENANApm2vscXFcU
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,509Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6YuMxpQvu
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 509Please respect copyright.PENANAk4EDX46ija
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 509Please respect copyright.PENANATtwROiH4Zh
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.509Please respect copyright.PENANA5aUS9ODaRw
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.509Please respect copyright.PENANAvnSNtI7zjO
She didn't respond as 509Please respect copyright.PENANAFUK3L4JRzB
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 509Please respect copyright.PENANA3nxzEuiZX5
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 509Please respect copyright.PENANAqdrRRhOMSV
himself. Leo chuckled.509Please respect copyright.PENANAx90zwKr2Hm
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.509Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2XX8L2Cmd
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."509Please respect copyright.PENANAaBhjuSc46p
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.509Please respect copyright.PENANAdNs1LZ0gxk
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.509Please respect copyright.PENANAtUI50IYPZr
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."509Please respect copyright.PENANAhVyJHilIqd
"You're right. But I 509Please respect copyright.PENANAzA0XHQOorU
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend509Please respect copyright.PENANAN4B1JRn681
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."509Please respect copyright.PENANAkAiedSyrcg
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"509Please respect copyright.PENANAxke5myvZsQ
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."509Please respect copyright.PENANAAlOagKpEpa
They both got out of bed509Please respect copyright.PENANAaYrKGpz7j6
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 509Please respect copyright.PENANARItWxnTfcW
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 509Please respect copyright.PENANAV49DWUk9qQ
way to Carly's.509Please respect copyright.PENANA88FJ5vGuGf
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."509Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ogci362jJ
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.509Please respect copyright.PENANAiUVJnGvYl3
Carly gave him a simple 509Please respect copyright.PENANAc5mzBsr5T0
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 509Please respect copyright.PENANAUXkEJIfmPw
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 509Please respect copyright.PENANA1ET3E4CE4i
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 509Please respect copyright.PENANAZZHMQFUTp9
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.509Please respect copyright.PENANABjxqi8yR5W
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.509Please respect copyright.PENANA7IoNPb0wwF
He made his way 509Please respect copyright.PENANAna27DMPtYj
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 509Please respect copyright.PENANAr1q2ETw4B0
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 509Please respect copyright.PENANAfFFk7ivpXl
kitchen.509Please respect copyright.PENANAAcgb5zKzqR
He wondered who could be509Please respect copyright.PENANAxczvErpQ9c
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 509Please respect copyright.PENANAt7vwzz7Bn5
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 509Please respect copyright.PENANA6vX4jSUmdC
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 509Please respect copyright.PENANA7VSdNdtmOX
little.509Please respect copyright.PENANARMBgNBw1AR
Angel was standing by 509Please respect copyright.PENANAyxjLaXWrtC
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 509Please respect copyright.PENANAdH9aSBF3qH
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 509Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7lNeBcSUY
thing that shook him the moment he got there.509Please respect copyright.PENANAw8jpPxTkp3
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.509Please respect copyright.PENANADAZMXIYYUZ
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.509Please respect copyright.PENANA1tw549IHo6
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.509Please respect copyright.PENANA9Yc5mYC6Li
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."509Please respect copyright.PENANAgTICth81A9
"I just had to."509Please respect copyright.PENANAvkVzRiDVHM
"Ummm," Leo still 509Please respect copyright.PENANAtJ7wVeMX13
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 509Please respect copyright.PENANAn6Z3MpwacH
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"509Please respect copyright.PENANAo1cBnYjm6B
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."509Please respect copyright.PENANAUmoGlKRJgz
The coffee maker soon 509Please respect copyright.PENANA3ndK7clJze
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 509Please respect copyright.PENANAo1ZaFwJvHC
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 509Please respect copyright.PENANATHFn1naMth
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.509Please respect copyright.PENANACF3jxHRdFq
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.509Please respect copyright.PENANAtp8jjdLjtK
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.509Please respect copyright.PENANA3blxxPjlJv
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."509Please respect copyright.PENANAwbBtoWyuFU
"Why? You wanted me 509Please respect copyright.PENANAvl3Io7oMti
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before509Please respect copyright.PENANAGEbSfhr86Q
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself509Please respect copyright.PENANAYcXm4A77xd
a cup.509Please respect copyright.PENANAhlQvmz4md1
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."509Please respect copyright.PENANAjXtkBmtyxg
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."509Please respect copyright.PENANAhuvynzMvXh
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.509Please respect copyright.PENANAWrLrSbWmvI
"You still don't seem 509Please respect copyright.PENANASkwRU3a4kc
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 509Please respect copyright.PENANAdIgRLHERRQ
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 509Please respect copyright.PENANAhVejdUByIU
things."509Please respect copyright.PENANAoZRKhtnOWc
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"509Please respect copyright.PENANAeyIXJjak2w
Angel took a sip of her 509Please respect copyright.PENANAEgqb2GBhiF
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know509Please respect copyright.PENANAUtD5V5b931
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 509Please respect copyright.PENANAP0eMssJf5S
spent her night with you."509Please respect copyright.PENANARpRnz6EZTO
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."509Please respect copyright.PENANAnlsnePl6Np
Angel smirked and Leo 509Please respect copyright.PENANADkPT2gqslN
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 509Please respect copyright.PENANAaP4m32g3un
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.509Please respect copyright.PENANAx2Kr2lJE3p
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.509Please respect copyright.PENANAfSCMqOLiwv
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"509Please respect copyright.PENANASGsr8JWgOD
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."509Please respect copyright.PENANACWaLY3oyyt
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."509Please respect copyright.PENANAHyXZqMTUbh
"You're right, Leo. It's509Please respect copyright.PENANAxJT9d4vh46
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 509Please respect copyright.PENANAOmf7r6ilBv
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 509Please respect copyright.PENANAhsnkkNhArB
have any control over."509Please respect copyright.PENANAm5MkP9hJTX
Leo was a little shocked509Please respect copyright.PENANAkwfHRLZitD
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 509Please respect copyright.PENANAJVicmjCRV6
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 509Please respect copyright.PENANA4NBV1kPsYX
game?509Please respect copyright.PENANAqPssRB2YdT
She slowly made her way 509Please respect copyright.PENANArVsq9aN1mi
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to509Please respect copyright.PENANA3rXMfYw7ol
look at her and something came up in his mind.509Please respect copyright.PENANA7CHb4sQvsR
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.509Please respect copyright.PENANAqohqcN7hG2
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.509Please respect copyright.PENANABHPiNrE3wt
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.509Please respect copyright.PENANAjkZA9LVoab
"The time you came into 509Please respect copyright.PENANAYepjSjfCp3
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 509Please respect copyright.PENANAJDl3JIE3pP
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"509Please respect copyright.PENANA3O5sX2PCaa
Angel smiled at Leo. 509Please respect copyright.PENANAMkFEitouO1
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 509Please respect copyright.PENANAn5ugY2b3fV
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she509Please respect copyright.PENANAdHY7kLYh2e
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got509Please respect copyright.PENANAOIJ0iXklnh
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."509Please respect copyright.PENANAhlOQXpy1KM
"I don't believe you."509Please respect copyright.PENANAkTINnxLQFj
"You don't have to, Mr 509Please respect copyright.PENANAtCsal6lRL8
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 509Please respect copyright.PENANA5Algf0OXuv
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 509Please respect copyright.PENANAbzJp8sONSO
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."509Please respect copyright.PENANAc2RtDFTqO0
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.509Please respect copyright.PENANAUvwo12V6pm
"I'll be heading out for509Please respect copyright.PENANAjXCZl5dDhg
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 509Please respect copyright.PENANALCjwGZZ5CZ
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"509Please respect copyright.PENANAW5qNy1wqzI
Leo didn't have to 509Please respect copyright.PENANAUQIgHWEyMk
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 509Please respect copyright.PENANAHHSRHc0rwZ
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 509Please respect copyright.PENANAhprkiUrabD
her.509Please respect copyright.PENANA5sjs2vZ7b0
Leo stared at the closed509Please respect copyright.PENANAFGOVAew86Z
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 509Please respect copyright.PENANAlzYHKa6vRH
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 509Please respect copyright.PENANAbPiRUxZIIy
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 509Please respect copyright.PENANAAwtvZ3oU06
utterly disturbed.509Please respect copyright.PENANAL4VwzTAs4F
***509Please respect copyright.PENANAAk7P9Z7wbb
In509Please respect copyright.PENANAtBIk8yrp7C
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 509Please respect copyright.PENANAcU4I2OUFwM
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.509Please respect copyright.PENANAPPQXZxkN6L
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.509Please respect copyright.PENANAkW0B5WB5Gc
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.509Please respect copyright.PENANAdlxRdCZ5aR
"Morning," said Amanda.509Please respect copyright.PENANAKYTxpL62c7
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.509Please respect copyright.PENANAk3UQaUaAFH
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.509Please respect copyright.PENANASBizGU5m6h
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."509Please respect copyright.PENANAze2NTZpfNB
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.509Please respect copyright.PENANAd9lW7oJ3C5
"And509Please respect copyright.PENANA8LYlakEPwY
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 509Please respect copyright.PENANA6nBjxg8h4t
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.509Please respect copyright.PENANADHcq9snZJp
"Do I?" Leo asked.509Please respect copyright.PENANARY5Ra8tJQk
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."509Please respect copyright.PENANAvaVve6hLYg
Leo509Please respect copyright.PENANAMlmdAKOrZ7
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 509Please respect copyright.PENANAk9SoZ0CeZS
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 509Please respect copyright.PENANAw7UDoIYfq5
knew the reason too.509Please respect copyright.PENANAcjOttmsJGf
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.509Please respect copyright.PENANApEX0ZnVPYr
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."509Please respect copyright.PENANAZc16ZnvTgt
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."509Please respect copyright.PENANAFFJDSJxZoq
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."509Please respect copyright.PENANACgIv51diQQ
"Lovely."509Please respect copyright.PENANAstCptvSDq2
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.509Please respect copyright.PENANAf26lfet2Th
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.509Please respect copyright.PENANAeeWfqhtOoq
Upon509Please respect copyright.PENANAuwyuA22O3f
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.509Please respect copyright.PENANA4Rapyyk2tq
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.509Please respect copyright.PENANAFsVgBwjJ65
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."509Please respect copyright.PENANAQoutwwrRGG
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.509Please respect copyright.PENANA0mQnkLyL5z
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."509Please respect copyright.PENANAIqbwjR3TIA
Eric509Please respect copyright.PENANAbatYNVR3so
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 509Please respect copyright.PENANAEpHGU0PjUs
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 509Please respect copyright.PENANAe83I0soMGO
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.509Please respect copyright.PENANAWaqHk62Iwe
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.509Please respect copyright.PENANAHfT2VRJQVt
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.509Please respect copyright.PENANAETxHMypaHo
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.509Please respect copyright.PENANAuQGooLSpQ4
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.509Please respect copyright.PENANAoPvk2w95RF
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.509Please respect copyright.PENANAREawuSxJp3
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.509Please respect copyright.PENANAP4LeOGmF1p
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.509Please respect copyright.PENANAOyD66olDi3
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.509Please respect copyright.PENANAi9f4pJzQWP
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."509Please respect copyright.PENANAmTzhBefsUF
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."509Please respect copyright.PENANAc8r0CcVlkq
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."509Please respect copyright.PENANAAwOEcXcmsA
Leo509Please respect copyright.PENANA8ooNM8nWm1
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 509Please respect copyright.PENANA7hEkOMda5w
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 509Please respect copyright.PENANAVzlAIFqOaE
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with509Please respect copyright.PENANAoOg5BUDEmC
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.509Please respect copyright.PENANAz8s6PjCj8f
Angel509Please respect copyright.PENANAWSsvU1ms1b
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 509Please respect copyright.PENANANEQ0V8N6RJ
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 509Please respect copyright.PENANAXo1Du64Gnc
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.509Please respect copyright.PENANAPZOyS7FqQn
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.509Please respect copyright.PENANAMc9EoSQ4vK
"I'll509Please respect copyright.PENANAVqrraqmiFB
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 509Please respect copyright.PENANAnxef3kovY7
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."509Please respect copyright.PENANA7opL7n3NiD
"Yes, I would," said Angel.509Please respect copyright.PENANA9xJLJs7EZQ
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.509Please respect copyright.PENANAG24dXYyXWJ
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.509Please respect copyright.PENANAZXrELuS8mD
"Yes, I'm not."509Please respect copyright.PENANAJxXsJGittC
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."509Please respect copyright.PENANAITobgZ3meu
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."509Please respect copyright.PENANAfheKTgFTWx
"Yes, I would."509Please respect copyright.PENANAwTMUArGf5s
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."509Please respect copyright.PENANAcbn6csIz8Z
"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."509Please respect copyright.PENANAavEYe7DS8L
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.509Please respect copyright.PENANAPBQzFpsoew
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.509Please respect copyright.PENANAgEZaowM2aU
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"509Please respect copyright.PENANAZ0lV7FwJ2o
"Yes."509Please respect copyright.PENANABFuFKteNKJ
Leo509Please respect copyright.PENANAYv5GVtgiad
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 509Please respect copyright.PENANAn4ug4R7KmH
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 509Please respect copyright.PENANAyKMYAQD1P5
talking about Angel.509Please respect copyright.PENANAEqorwC5P7g
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.509Please respect copyright.PENANAtofLbrJdbo
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.509Please respect copyright.PENANA2DUB9sGXnU
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.509Please respect copyright.PENANA7bTanFcjp4
Before Angel could find 509Please respect copyright.PENANAFJybayLYWN
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 509Please respect copyright.PENANAP1HQkuhrEe
seeing her sister, standing on her own.509Please respect copyright.PENANA74iUEMhBEn
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."509Please respect copyright.PENANAwCNv8bJz9L
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."509Please respect copyright.PENANA3MBGZLb2qj
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.509Please respect copyright.PENANAeEe55l4hlI
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."509Please respect copyright.PENANAmV6r0uIqM7
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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