Chapter 383 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Remember how you kept trying to replay all you had said to pinpoint exactly what he could have heard?” Celsie asked, and Sonia raised a hand to her face, which was burning in embarrassment from the memory.

“We should probably go to bed now. It’s almost one in the morning, and we are out here laughing like maniacs,” Sonia said, and Celsie nodded.

“Yeah. We should. I have to be at the office tomorrow. Did I tell you that I’m accepting that offer from the foundation yet?” Celsie asked, and Sonia shook her head.

“No, you didn’t. Why did you change your mind?” She asked with a concerned frown and listened as Celsie explained Benne’s idea.

“Although, he said it was Harry who suggested it,” Celsie said, and Sonia nodded.

“It makes sense. Speaking about Harry, I sent you the voice recording I made of my conversation with Jade earlier this morning and this night as well. That would fill you in on all we discussed in your absence,” Sonia said with a wink.

“Is she aware that you recorded your private conversation with her?” Celsie asked with a disapproving frown, and Sonia rolled her eyes.

“Yes, she is, and she gave me permission to share with you too. Geez! You never change, do you?” Sonia asked with a shake of her head, and Celsie flashed her a smile.

“I do change. As a matter of fact, I’ve changed a great deal. The only thing that hasn’t changed is my good manners,” Celsie said as she headed for Benne’s bedroom, “Goodnight, Sony. Got to sleep now. Some of us are not privileged to be our own bosses,” she called with a wave.

“Yeah, please, by all means, sleep. Some of us are not privileged to fuck our boss because we are our own boss. Or maybe I can, with a vibrator. I just might get one. Need to know what it feels like to fuck my boss,” Sonia called back as she also headed for Bryan’s bedroom, and Celsie turned to look at her, appalled that Sonia had actually said that out loud where anyone else could have heard it.

Sonia blew her a kiss and giggled when she saw how furiously Celsie was blushing. She laughed harder when Celsie gave her the middle finger, “Some of us actually have the guts to say the words out loud, honey. Fuck you too, baby,” Sonia said as she walked into the bedroom and quickly shut the door before Celsie could respond.

Inside the bedroom not far from theirs, Desmond and Evelyn laughed, “Sonia is a really wild one, isn’t she?” Evelyn, who was snuggled against her husband’s body, complained.

“I think she is perfect,” Desmond said with a chuckle as he patted her back, thinking that it was great that they were going to have all the personalities in the Delgado family, both the good and the bad and the terrible.

“Why did you want me to be the one to speak with Celsie?” Desmond asked curiously after a moment. He had been surprised that Celsie had stayed back on her own when he had actually been planning on asking her to take a walk with him.

“Because I thought she might be more comfortable with you. You know you have a way with words, and I seem to make her nervous,” Evelyn explained.

“She’s a sweet child,” Desmond said, and Evelyn smiled.

“I know. I just keep wondering how those two ended up becoming best of friends with their contrasting personalities,” Evelyn said with a shake of her head. Although she loved Sonia, she still felt like Sonia was a mischievous handful.

“The same way we’ve been married for over thirty-one years with our contrasting personalities,” Desmond said as he kissed the center of her head, making her sigh contentedly.

“You’ve talked to Jade, I suppose? Or are you planning on doing that in the morning?” He asked, and she nodded.

“I talked with her. She’s interested in Harry,” Evelyn said, and Desmond sighed.

“I thought as much. That was a long time coming. Do you remember how she looked at him when he broke her fall that first time?” Desmond asked, and Evelyn smiled.

“Yeah. Yet you asked me not to interfere even when it was obvious that Harry liked her too,” she reminded him.

“Yeah. I believe if they were meant to be, they would find their way to each other on their own. Besides, what kind of parents will we be to matchmake our daughter whose boyfriend is under our roof with her elder brother’s best friend?” Desmond asked, and Evelyn shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter now. She looks happy now, and that’s all that matters. She said she’s thinking about joining Benne’s company,” Evelyn said, and Desmond chuckled.

“Of course, she has to be closer to Harry,” he said knowingly, and Evelyn laughed.

“I can’t believe that I didn’t even think of that.”

“Let’s hope Harry is wise enough to get her this time and not run off like he did the last time. In the meantime, we can relax. Our kids are all doing well, and they are in safe hands. You did such a great job raising them,” Desmond said, and Evelyn looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with love and respect for her husband.

“I could never have done this without you. You promised I was never going to regret being your wife or the mother of your kids, and not once have I ever had a reason to regret it. Thank you,” Evelyn said, and Desmond smiled at her as he kissed her softly, making her melt against him.

Alone in her bed and unable to sleep, Jade tried to process all the information she had gathered during the day from Benne, Bryan, and Sonia.

They all seemed to believe that Harry was interested in her, and taking a third person’s view on the issue, she would agree with them.

Thinking back to their discussion during their first meeting, all the signs had been there. It was very possible that he had been interested in her. Had there, being the keyword, because somewhere in the most logical part of her brain, she was also wondering how possible it was for him to have consistently liked her for over four years without doing anything about it. It just didn’t make sense.

Maybe he had liked her back then but had given up after realizing just how much her relationship meant to her and that she wasn’t going to jeopardize it for him even though she thought he was pretty.

That made more sense. He HAD been interested in her—past tense.

If she were to go by what they were saying, and think of his feelings for her in the present tense, then the central question on her mind now would be, why was he holding back?

Not once had he made any attempt to reach her in the last four years or see her, even when she was sure he heard of Todd’s death. She also knew that if Benne hadn’t asked him for his help on her case, he still wouldn’t have reached out to her by now, so how could they all think that he liked her? If he did, why wasn’t he doing anything about it? What if she had gotten married or met someone else? Was it that he did not care? Or was he just one of those silly people who believed that what will be will be?

With a sigh, she turned over on her large bed, which was feeling particularly empty tonight. Funny that everyone else had someone in bed with them. Her parents were together, Benne and Celsie were in bed together, and so were Bryan and Sonia, but here she was alone. When was the last she was cuddled? She mused with a sigh as she wrapped both arms and legs around a pillow.

Her eyes fell on the bedside clock when it struck the hour. It was one in the morning, and she couldn’t sleep. She was worried, but she couldn’t seem to place a finger on what was bothering her even though she knew it concerned Harry.

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