Leo had a smile on his 506Please respect copyright.PENANAtJz542ocZ1
face when he brought himself to a comfortable position. He never had 506Please respect copyright.PENANAg5zE1lHXX6
this excited yet happy feeling within himself just by staring at the 506Please respect copyright.PENANAhaJROICihN
face right in front of him.506Please respect copyright.PENANAzxCr2sRBtd
It was morning and the 506Please respect copyright.PENANAAZ23cgvrnZ
sun rays managed to seep into his room giving it a wonderful golden 506Please respect copyright.PENANAaUDP7BOPUo
glow. But nothing in his room shined brighter than the woman sleeping 506Please respect copyright.PENANAnpNzrELE92
next to him who had the lovely skin colour of bronze that shined 506Please respect copyright.PENANAEXnLmOdTIH
brilliantly in the morning sun.506Please respect copyright.PENANApLDsvP2pgB
Carly had joined him 506Please respect copyright.PENANAw6dvKEsuac
last night after she had watched a movie with Angel, Eric and Oliver. By506Please respect copyright.PENANAFrYeGDP8l0
then, it was already late, Kim had left a good two hours ago and almost506Please respect copyright.PENANAfbNiJfkwPO
everyone in the house had gone to sleep, except from the two love 506Please respect copyright.PENANAV2RZJr369w
birds, of course.506Please respect copyright.PENANADfULLWsIJo
It was good she came, 506Please respect copyright.PENANAHfnkbgW4lE
Leo thought to himself as he continued to stare at her. She was still 506Please respect copyright.PENANAHhnMIu4fi4
sleeping and she looked beautiful, no doubt in his mind that she was. He506Please respect copyright.PENANArEzmm1mz3Q
wished time could slow down so that he could look at her for just a 506Please respect copyright.PENANA5gByLEpP9N
little while longer. Sooner than later, he would have to wake her up.506Please respect copyright.PENANAu3EflOmKvK
He stretched his hand 506Please respect copyright.PENANAWcIqp1C2yQ
and ran it through her lovely silky black hair. For an African American,506Please respect copyright.PENANAoJQqUf30Nn
her hair was gorgeous. He tucked away a strand of her hair that was on 506Please respect copyright.PENANAd9jN10xpNY
her cheek. When his hand brushed over her cheek, ever so gently upon 506Please respect copyright.PENANA4H2U2aJoRI
pulling it away, her eyes slowly flew open.506Please respect copyright.PENANAkkOyQlRpZo
"Morning, sleepy head," said Leo with a smile.506Please respect copyright.PENANALZOVfHVOkL
She didn't respond as 506Please respect copyright.PENANAQVbULPwZmG
she smiled through her sleepy eyes and closed them again. She still 506Please respect copyright.PENANATkDzKXNEiP
looked so beautiful with that goofy smile on her face, he thought to 506Please respect copyright.PENANALu15XQ5d8A
himself. Leo chuckled.506Please respect copyright.PENANALzsZeBpKQg
"It's already morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes again and looked at him.506Please respect copyright.PENANAqswu4mTDdl
"Sadly, yes," he replied. "You know what that means."506Please respect copyright.PENANAHxlwTZQ7Hv
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.506Please respect copyright.PENANApJfw9vUCIf
Leo continued to chuckle. "Come on, you know the drill." He sat up and uncovered the bed cover covering her head.506Please respect copyright.PENANAs9POtXXBcn
"Fine," she said as she gave up and sat up on the bed. "I really hoped that I could stay a little longer."506Please respect copyright.PENANAB7eaBzfped
"You're right. But I 506Please respect copyright.PENANAzjh7HqmcM0
better get you out of here before anyone wakes up. It might be a weekend506Please respect copyright.PENANA97d1r2du5L
but there are still a lot of early birds around here."506Please respect copyright.PENANAirk7BFU8rR
Carly smiled at him. "Like you?"506Please respect copyright.PENANAuQBdMKpkGI
"Like my dad. Come on, we better hurry."506Please respect copyright.PENANA5wh5mU3AFs
They both got out of bed506Please respect copyright.PENANA5LgoVtKRRY
and got dressed into their nightwear covering themselves with their 506Please respect copyright.PENANAi66xGPHhnp
sleeping gowns. They sneaked out of Leo's room and they tiptoed all the 506Please respect copyright.PENANA907dzqn8YH
way to Carly's.506Please respect copyright.PENANAN3bicvDDgh
"Thanks," said Carly in a low voice when they got to the door. "I'll continue sleeping and we will meet later on."506Please respect copyright.PENANAChDol8ytAm
"Great, I'll see you soon," said Leo as he smiled.506Please respect copyright.PENANAsm7BMGYlLU
Carly gave him a simple 506Please respect copyright.PENANA45PRPZCcA1
peck on the cheek and quickly went in her room. For a moment, Leo 506Please respect copyright.PENANA943NrDQLdk
couldn't help but stand there for a moment, lost in thought, until he 506Please respect copyright.PENANAcBiK275O4x
realised that he had been standing there looking at the door. He smiled 506Please respect copyright.PENANAo82CHNvobt
at his stupidity as he made his way back to his room.506Please respect copyright.PENANAO71NnwXjDU
Just when he got there, he changed his mind and thought he really needed a cup of coffee.506Please respect copyright.PENANApssEx1FhZr
He made his way 506Please respect copyright.PENANA5TuX2MJCsM
downstairs and before he could make his way to the kitchen when he 506Please respect copyright.PENANAL7DfVKjEOh
reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the 506Please respect copyright.PENANAWHB14gAeCo
kitchen.506Please respect copyright.PENANA8DJ2uh4FiN
He wondered who could be506Please respect copyright.PENANAE5SArBG0iS
up at this early hour. He knew his dad was always an early bird, but 506Please respect copyright.PENANA5KDhH7ZBNd
when it came to the weekend, Leo knew he wouldn't be awake for another 506Please respect copyright.PENANA8Iih6EnQQX
hour. He made his way to the kitchen and what he saw, shook him a 506Please respect copyright.PENANArPcj1WRjuO
little.506Please respect copyright.PENANA4OykbhXmih
Angel was standing by 506Please respect copyright.PENANAtk9SZU9Kiz
the kitchen counter where she had put up the coffee maker to make some 506Please respect copyright.PENANArligEURfo6
coffee. Her presence somehow didn't matter to him, but there was some 506Please respect copyright.PENANA547yocZzxR
thing that shook him the moment he got there.506Please respect copyright.PENANAtvbUbJZqwq
Angel was standing, and not on a wheelchair.506Please respect copyright.PENANALumXJeHUwo
Sensing someone's presence, Angel turned to the door. When she saw Leo, she neither gave an angry look nor a smile.506Please respect copyright.PENANAmUJrdNyrRY
"Morning," she greeted as she turned back to the machine on the counter.506Please respect copyright.PENANA96grTtEnUN
"Morning," Leo somehow managed to say. "You're up early."506Please respect copyright.PENANAEZkaNUFMv1
"I just had to."506Please respect copyright.PENANAlaSecDUBNS
"Ummm," Leo still 506Please respect copyright.PENANAEHqMTPnGUF
couldn't believe that Angel was standing in front of him. He expected 506Please respect copyright.PENANAsZZ2DXtN5Y
her to be still on her wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"506Please respect copyright.PENANAAbRzMsEgd1
"Thought of taking a walk to strengthen my legs a little."506Please respect copyright.PENANAGhVWQEhJHf
The coffee maker soon 506Please respect copyright.PENANAvSOVmSxtRv
finished making her coffee and the room became slient. Angel went over 506Please respect copyright.PENANA0Wji2P0fFD
to the cupboard next to the sink to get a mug. There was a slight limp 506Please respect copyright.PENANA69xMneqXbr
in her walk, but all in all, she seemed okay and not in much pain.506Please respect copyright.PENANAiRJBqKp2O8
Just as Angel was heading back to the coffee maker, she noticed Leo's eyes on her. She turned to look at him.506Please respect copyright.PENANATLGqMpWOJa
"Why are you looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?" she asked.506Please respect copyright.PENANAdgVFjFsXsN
"Uh..." Leo hesitated. "I'm just surprised that you're walking."506Please respect copyright.PENANAIKGILZiekB
"Why? You wanted me 506Please respect copyright.PENANAzYOx0Sm2d4
confined to a wheelchair forever?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him before506Please respect copyright.PENANABx4Rczt0fg
she turned towards the coffee maker and went over to it to pour herself506Please respect copyright.PENANAeLswlRAjbS
a cup.506Please respect copyright.PENANAUJDwo9oPOU
"Umm, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."506Please respect copyright.PENANAks5fODNIcj
"The doctor said I should start walking around to strengthen my legs."506Please respect copyright.PENANAlbJkQz1BYd
Leo just nodded his head but he was still in shock. He expected her to be confined to her wheelchair a little while longer.506Please respect copyright.PENANAdkqDA45a8v
"You still don't seem 506Please respect copyright.PENANAT9GbZFOmP3
happy that I'm walking again," said Angel, bringing Leo back from his 506Please respect copyright.PENANAwYpN0czMiM
thoughts. "I hope you don't think that this will get in your way of 506Please respect copyright.PENANA6bqZQ0XYpa
things."506Please respect copyright.PENANA8V8htU6adQ
Leo was the one to raise his eyebrows this time around. "What do you mean?"506Please respect copyright.PENANAeS2n6bJpu8
Angel took a sip of her 506Please respect copyright.PENANAEsfxYiYP90
coffee as she leaned on the counter and placed her hand on it. "You know506Please respect copyright.PENANAM3AEF53cix
what I mean. I know Carly didn't sleep in her room last night. She 506Please respect copyright.PENANA5hsgg4tL33
spent her night with you."506Please respect copyright.PENANAvbmPnOV6sl
Leo retaliated, "that's not true."506Please respect copyright.PENANA17Whah3FjJ
Angel smirked and Leo 506Please respect copyright.PENANAsurJMzrqIx
felt his cheeks heat up suddenly. He cursed himself from the inside 506Please respect copyright.PENANAAHeOZLfDOh
still not understanding why he was feeling like this.506Please respect copyright.PENANA7QpmRyhVfk
"Tell it to the person who is now able to walk up the stairs," she said.506Please respect copyright.PENANAQrUHNeiyDB
"Does that matter? Carly is a grown woman, you know?"506Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ul1UjSs5e
"Carly is a grown woman, yes, but that doesn't mean she knows that what she's doing might lead her into trouble."506Please respect copyright.PENANAbEVtvlnQ0T
Leo shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this with you."506Please respect copyright.PENANALQc3E866p8
"You're right, Leo. It's506Please respect copyright.PENANAodtkEsW68h
early in the morning and I would rather walk around the garden to 506Please respect copyright.PENANAp2hJtLxI9w
exercise my legs rather than talk about something that I know I don't 506Please respect copyright.PENANAPLSL2UagjK
have any control over."506Please respect copyright.PENANASxOkZLm4Y3
Leo was a little shocked506Please respect copyright.PENANA5RdE0aODFj
to hear Angel talk like this. Was she finally giving up, allowing Leo 506Please respect copyright.PENANAhmhI8lAMtu
and Carly the chance to be happy? Or was she playing some kind of mind 506Please respect copyright.PENANAZbzM1ijcOH
game?506Please respect copyright.PENANAcYPT96YP2v
She slowly made her way 506Please respect copyright.PENANA7oauUMzTcX
to the backdoor of the house still with her coffee mug. Leo continued to506Please respect copyright.PENANA5UgF5GB8yQ
look at her and something came up in his mind.506Please respect copyright.PENANA4Bj9OV4oxM
"How do you know, Carly's room?" Leo asked suddenly.506Please respect copyright.PENANA8KRBuRUdbB
Angel stopped upon reaching the door and slowly turned to look at him.506Please respect copyright.PENANAyclGNqlzgY
"I beg your pardon?" she asked politely. Leo wasn't buying it.506Please respect copyright.PENANAi8JsmRkQNE
"The time you came into 506Please respect copyright.PENANAUtxXTjzeYx
this house, you were still in your wheelchair and you never made it up 506Please respect copyright.PENANAb5WFdYgrkF
the stairs. So how do you know where Carly's room is?"506Please respect copyright.PENANA2ygmc96grQ
Angel smiled at Leo. 506Please respect copyright.PENANAOv0vXO0n6T
"Yesterday when Carly came home and after we argued in the study, she 506Please respect copyright.PENANAOyPLXFAnJe
invited me to come over to her room since she wanted to show me what she506Please respect copyright.PENANAQwuAUdGBND
bought from the mall. With the help of two of the house helps, they got506Please respect copyright.PENANAujyfmvCQbQ
me up the stairs and when they helped me back down afterwards."506Please respect copyright.PENANAqfdmdaZ77k
"I don't believe you."506Please respect copyright.PENANAue9Mvh7DZY
"You don't have to, Mr 506Please respect copyright.PENANAHa97ZXBOOZ
Detective," Angel gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to prove myself 506Please respect copyright.PENANAPxYo8B7x0b
that I'm telling the truth because you would never believe me and it 506Please respect copyright.PENANAcXjhgaknPT
will clearly be a waste of my precious time."506Please respect copyright.PENANAeTDZEb5t47
Angel turned back to face the door and unlocked it. When she swung the door open, she turned to look at Leo.506Please respect copyright.PENANAljGMxf0hDC
"I'll be heading out for506Please respect copyright.PENANAsrWK6ZJKt2
a stroll in the garden. I would have liked if you would accompany me, 506Please respect copyright.PENANAlxZDOnNvll
but, as usual, things wouldn't end so well, would it?"506Please respect copyright.PENANACEWymf0fec
Leo didn't have to 506Please respect copyright.PENANAFmBVTX6eWh
answer that question and Angel didn't expect him to. She slowly walked 506Please respect copyright.PENANAlwaNoopz3n
out of the kitchen as silently as she could and closed the door behind 506Please respect copyright.PENANAbtQpKm4Llj
her.506Please respect copyright.PENANAm6Lj6LMaG6
Leo stared at the closed506Please respect copyright.PENANAq6g0wSYBRb
door and he couldn't tell if he was angry at Angel like he always has 506Please respect copyright.PENANAUwIfw4r96G
or he was just surprised that she was able to walk around again. Either 506Please respect copyright.PENANASUIOmxwUUr
way, he forgot about making coffee and went back to his room, feeling 506Please respect copyright.PENANAcQ5DeTSKw9
utterly disturbed.506Please respect copyright.PENANAnwUdgruzHR
***506Please respect copyright.PENANAv5ZF1elTzj
In506Please respect copyright.PENANA45j3561aHS
an hour's time, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was awake. At 506Please respect copyright.PENANAC7RSjhwIEw
the breakfast table, Mr McDonell and Amanda were having their breakfast.506Please respect copyright.PENANA19g7X58BAN
Leo and Eric soon came to join them.506Please respect copyright.PENANAfZS4msYrbl
"Morning grandma, morning dad," said Leo as he sat beside his grandmother.506Please respect copyright.PENANAjuCmfBRaVf
"Morning," said Amanda.506Please respect copyright.PENANAUwykfJ6RCC
"Morning," said Mr McDonell who was looking at his daily newspaper.506Please respect copyright.PENANAPz8fKjEsDw
"Hope you all slept well," said Eric as he sat opposite Leo and Amanda.506Please respect copyright.PENANAxhaSAA7xDi
"We did," said Amanda with a smile. "And I can see you two boys slept well too."506Please respect copyright.PENANAYeGpTQQZWf
"I sure as hell did," said Eric.506Please respect copyright.PENANAGl06fW7fue
"And506Please respect copyright.PENANAvIGb8jO0UF
Leo has this smile on his face," said Mr McDonell. He might have been 506Please respect copyright.PENANAW03CWIzFuw
looking at the newspaper, but he was pretty observant.506Please respect copyright.PENANAdErACNhmKe
"Do I?" Leo asked.506Please respect copyright.PENANAMRu7GrwKFx
"Of course, dear," said Amanda. "That smile is even making you look more handsome."506Please respect copyright.PENANAhCmHcnLaAj
Leo506Please respect copyright.PENANApn16jtzWpW
continued to smile. And he knew the reason why. He noticed his cousin 506Please respect copyright.PENANAqNpVmikNjM
looking at him across the table. Leo couldn't help but feel that Eric 506Please respect copyright.PENANAYWhdA1M3Sx
knew the reason too.506Please respect copyright.PENANAd3bJTcCrD1
"Do you have any plans today, boys?" Amanda asked as she drank her tea.506Please respect copyright.PENANARjjQZULevt
"No, granny," Eric replied as he got two slices of toast. "It's a weekend after all."506Please respect copyright.PENANAMQl9lwoe8L
"I just wanted to know. It would be nice to spend some quality time with you two handsome grandsons of mine."506Please respect copyright.PENANAqVLwPOV2Pb
"You would," said Leo. "We aren't going anywhere."506Please respect copyright.PENANASj3RIRq9o0
"Lovely."506Please respect copyright.PENANAh2YSK6EbsL
A few seconds later, just as Leo was pouring tea from the teapot into his cup, Angel walked in.506Please respect copyright.PENANAQvaid4cfE2
"Morning, everyone," she greeted.506Please respect copyright.PENANAqhN5QYaUPd
Upon506Please respect copyright.PENANAL4gxP3k92b
hearing her voice and seeing her face, Leo spelt some tea on the table.506Please respect copyright.PENANA76WbiILpJq
Some almost poured on his trousers, but he was very lucky.506Please respect copyright.PENANAewAsD9RBPa
"Oh, my, careful, Leo," said Amanda. "You would have got burnt."506Please respect copyright.PENANAkaXxOULF7P
"I'm fine," said Leo as he cleaned up the spelt tea with a napkin.506Please respect copyright.PENANACB5ekv6Fyq
"Oh, morning, Angel," said Amanda, then she gasped. "I didn't realise that you're walking and not on your wheelchair."506Please respect copyright.PENANA96la1BXg5H
Eric506Please respect copyright.PENANAdRs1CjowAg
quickly turned to look at Angel and he also looked surprised. Mr 506Please respect copyright.PENANAFPaAzeVkV0
McDonell smiled at Angel. Leo groaned as he realised that all that he 506Please respect copyright.PENANABSOSbaFW7Y
had seen earlier wasn't a dream.506Please respect copyright.PENANA9JYHn8H3DE
"Yes, the doctor told me that I should start walking to strengthen my legs a little," said Angel.506Please respect copyright.PENANASy8l6XDhBk
"Well, that's good," said Mr McDonell.506Please respect copyright.PENANAykncBKNdH5
Eric stood up from his seat and drew out a chair next to him for Angel.506Please respect copyright.PENANASKmQK861WG
"You can take a seat here," said Eric.506Please respect copyright.PENANAbQhP6OunPy
"Thank you, Eric," said Angel as she slowly but gradually made her way to the table and sat down.506Please respect copyright.PENANAus4uZyywXO
"It's good to see you walking again, dear," said Amanda.506Please respect copyright.PENANAYnaj7C4Hme
"It does feel good, Amanda," Angel smiled.506Please respect copyright.PENANAHNUMwpJZhY
"So does that mean you will be going back to work anytime soon?" Mr McDonell asked.506Please respect copyright.PENANAzZJfsyLQ23
"I've been given more time from work to recuperate before I go back."506Please respect copyright.PENANABMXK90vkgl
"Okay, then. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you about something. And Carly too. After breakfast, that is."506Please respect copyright.PENANAWVHkRz4MeL
Angel nodded her head. "Of course."506Please respect copyright.PENANAVQCbGXTNgP
Leo506Please respect copyright.PENANA9OrDPYsHlA
couldn't help but feel that something was up. Could it be that his 506Please respect copyright.PENANAlHVldLYK3h
grandmother had told his father about Angel working at the company? Leo 506Please respect copyright.PENANAzPziAGwv0Y
hoped she hadn't. And if she did, he hoped his father had disagreed with506Please respect copyright.PENANAuHMgoNV2Hz
her and that he wanted to talk to Angel about something else.506Please respect copyright.PENANAWSggoY1eB6
Angel506Please respect copyright.PENANAhkyhiQj4wH
poured herself a glass of juice and looked up at Leo who had looked 506Please respect copyright.PENANAxgHNSG2yt5
away after he realised that he had been looking at her since she sat at 506Please respect copyright.PENANA2HfbPwAGri
the table. Angel ignored him as she got some toast.506Please respect copyright.PENANAoq1I1oHkB3
While the others continued to have breakfast, Oliver and his mother, Diana, joined them.506Please respect copyright.PENANAWCGxWGZfHC
"I'll506Please respect copyright.PENANAl69Ms0sl9u
be in my study if you need me," said Mr McDonell as he drank the last 506Please respect copyright.PENANA6xXTSeyDH4
of his coffee. "Angel, you can join me in the study when you're done."506Please respect copyright.PENANAqJaiCBZVIL
"Yes, I would," said Angel.506Please respect copyright.PENANAHR3xChMepG
Mr McDonell soon left the dining room.506Please respect copyright.PENANAAxpyvuMuRS
"I see that you're not sitting on your wheelchair, Angel," said Diana.506Please respect copyright.PENANAknOtAlN4Fs
"Yes, I'm not."506Please respect copyright.PENANAOf2Ln59KWw
"That's nice," said Oliver. "It would be so much easier now taking you around."506Please respect copyright.PENANAqJujE8YZar
"Why? You want to take me around the house? I never got that opportunity since I wasn't feeling too well."506Please respect copyright.PENANA0rIiHuWmJE
"Yes, I would."506Please respect copyright.PENANARnwombasDE
Angel smiled at Oliver, sitting next to her. "Charming."506Please respect copyright.PENANAUcAtrdvzLw
"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."506Please respect copyright.PENANA6ytgjSfSEk
"Well, it doesn't work on me," said Amanda.506Please respect copyright.PENANAsWYgIR3b7T
Almost everyone at the table laughed, except Leo.506Please respect copyright.PENANAySHOzkczcX
"You can take me around the house after I'm done talking with your uncle, okay?"506Please respect copyright.PENANAfKSy28kRKN
"Yes."506Please respect copyright.PENANAYMUhyF4s58
Leo506Please respect copyright.PENANAFBJIkmrxpc
soon found himself standing up, ready to leave the table. He had had 506Please respect copyright.PENANAfiNUKzqUDN
enough of his breakfast and he certainly had had enough of everyone 506Please respect copyright.PENANAfu2adJWy4K
talking about Angel.506Please respect copyright.PENANAkXr0Ad4Qc3
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.506Please respect copyright.PENANAVCjMuApxDS
"I'll be going to see Mr McDonell in his office now," said Angel as she drew away from the table.506Please respect copyright.PENANAlAjGazdNim
"You'll find us here," said Amanda.506Please respect copyright.PENANASNHQlxnPzn
Before Angel could find 506Please respect copyright.PENANACLkjMQ7HfK
her way out of the dining room, Carly soon came in. And she paused upon 506Please respect copyright.PENANAJlUnwLESLW
seeing her sister, standing on her own.506Please respect copyright.PENANAd1aQZSXVuG
"Wow, Angel," said Carly with a surprised look on his face. "You're walking again."506Please respect copyright.PENANAOc1ayXjy3P
Angel only smiled. "Yes," she said. "You should have your breakfast and come to the study."506Please respect copyright.PENANAJDZphxLeMQ
"To the study? Why?" The excited look Carly had on her face, soon disappeared.506Please respect copyright.PENANAnHurRU7wpw
"Mr McDonell wants to have a word. You'll find me there."506Please respect copyright.PENANAXtiFCAYaN1
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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