It was a harmless joke after all. The effects of the alcohol started to kick in and I felt a little dizzy. After footing the bill, I left with Colin.
He drove me home. “Let Summer stay with my mom tonight. I’ll take her to school tomorrow morning.”
I rubbed my temple and nodded. “Okay, I’ll head in.”
Colin continued to be caring toward me, albeit the presence of Anthony in my life. However, his concern gradually feels like how an elder brother would dutifully take care of his sister.
Adults are good at weighing pros and cons. Anthony is a steady and trustworthy man. His style of doing things is unconventional as compared to most people.
On the other hand, Colin respects me as an individual, but he also knows his place.
The way he treats me started off as a man caring for his beloved woman and it slowly changes its form to sibling love. This is probably the best ending for the both of us.
I was searching for the house key in my bag when John showed up. His car lights were exceptionally bright, contrasting the dim street lamp in the alley.
I could recognize his black Bentley and the number plate.
My guess was right.
He turned off the engine and got down from the car. His casual attire complemented his chiseled good looks.
I remained silent and gazed at him at the door.
The towering figure came forward. “I was so surprised to learn that you’d returned to R Province when Uncle Louis told me you’re here. I thought you’d choose to settle down in a county within Q City after leaving K City.”
“Come have a seat inside.”
I turned on the lights and served him a glass of water. Sitting down on the rattan chair, I tried to sober up.
He stared at me meaningfully and asked, “Have you returned to the family home?”
I hesitated. “Twenty years have gone by. It is probably demolished or completely renovated.”
I did paid the family home a visit when I first came to R Province with Summer. In fact, I like to bring her there and stroll around. Although it has been largely modified, many interior items still remain.
He continued looking at me. “I only replaced what was broken. I didn’t change the rest.”
I was taken aback when I realized he bought the family home.
Except for nodding, I refrained from saying anything. “It’s getting late. Let’s catch up another time, you should go home and get some rest.”
There’s no need for him to stay over since he’s got a house in R Province.
He quietly made his way to the door.
I followed him from behind until we got to the main entrance.
Out of the blue, he turned around and hugged me. I was stunned at first, but calmed down within the next minute.
“I miss you, Sienna,” he said hoarsely in a childlike manner.
I stood still and patted his back. In a light voice, I said to him, “Summer is already four. Come over and visit her whenever you are free.”
There’s no need to brood over it because time will heal it all.
The next day, John went looking for me at the hotel.
During Anthony’s absence, rumors about Colin and me spread like wildfire amongst the hotel staff.
Some accused him of bootlicking me in order to gain Louis’ favor. Some criticized us for being scandalous albeit having our own families.
I was so used to all these unfounded speculations that I had grown numb to all the talks.
John’s sudden appearance at the office was like the grist for the mill as far as the talk in the workplace was concerned. Immediately, there was a pin-drop silence.
I was busy arranging the files and did not notice that he was there.
I noticed something strange when the girls who were discussing lipsticks and cosmetics quieten down.
I turned around and found a handsome man standing upright before me.
His unannounced presence clearly surprised me.
“You… Why are you here?”
He withdrew his gaze from my computer screen and looked at me. “I’m taking you out to breakfast.”
It didn’t sound like an invitation.
Even though John was not as well-known as Anthony, being a businessman from the Stanhope family had earned him some fame.
Those who recognized him were excited to see him in person.
I checked on some pending work on the computer. “You might need to wait for a while, I have to finish some work.”
He nodded and then found a place to settle down. He seemed to be at ease.
With a good-looking man sitting in the office, the ladies were so distracted and started idling.
Someone curiously asked, “Who’s this man? What’s his relationship with Sienna?”
“I think he’s the president of an electronic technology company, John Stanhope, the son of Louis Stanhope.”
“So, they are siblings?”
“Seriously? I haven’t heard anything about this before.”
“What’s so strange about it? We didn’t know that Sienna was Louis’ daughter too.”
Shutting down my computer, I said to John, “Let’s go!” Though the ladies huddled together and talked in hushed voices, they were not entirely inaudible. Disliking what I heard, I left the place quickly.
John sought my opinion once we got out of the hotel. “What do you feel like having?”
“Anything.”
He picked a restaurant. It was not the most fancy one, but it was the best in the province.
We sat opposite each other. “What would you like to eat?”
“You go ahead and order.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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