Leo knew that his mother and I were as different as oil and water, so it surprised when he believed what I told him.
His blues eyes widened in disbelief, "Really? Mommy apologized to ?"
I blinked in surprise and then nodded assuredly, "Yes, she said she had no choice but to make you do what she did. She usually avoids discussing it with you, but since she doesn’t get along well with , she was pretty candid about it. So, you don’t have to hide anything from ."
The kid felt like he was starved of affection.
It didn’t make sense. Even if he was deprived of love, it would be from his father. Catherine, his mother, had been raising him alone. She couldn’t have been that bad, could she?
The mont he heard Catherine had apologized to him, he dropped his video ga. He looked at with hopeful eyes, "What else did Mommy say?"
I racked my brains to concoct so things Catherine allegedly said to Leo, all of which were positive. My intuition told that Catherine might not be so nice to her son in private.
I didn’t understand why. After all, Leo was her child with Damon, the only heir to the Coleman’s fortune and her golden ticket into the Coleman family. Why wouldn’t she cherish him?
"Were you scared when your mom told you to follow your dad on your own?" It was ti to get back to that question.
Leo let his guard down. He nodded, "I was scared!"
I continued, "And when she said that the ssage sent to Uncle Mitch was from you, were you upset? Your dad might not like you if he knew about it."
I was gently leading him on.
Leo was not only afraid that Catherine didn’t like him but also terrified that Damon wouldn’t. So, without a second thought, he replied, "I won’t bla Mommy. Besides, she said Dad loves so much, and he wouldn’t hate !"
My smile faltered. It seed that Catherine was the mastermind behind the previous incidents. Always using Leo as a shield, she managed to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.
Leo didn’t notice my change in mood. He just lowered his head and continued playing his ga. He wouldn’t know that the wicked woman sitting next to him had started recording.
About ten minutes later, Leo’s wristwatch rang. It was a call from Damon, "Dad, I’m coming ho now!"
"Didn’t I tell you not to wander around?" Damon’s voice ca through.
"I got it, Dad. I’ll behave next ti." Leo obediently replied. After hanging up, he handed his phone, "Ms. Brooks, I need to go. I’ll teach you how to play the ga next ti!"
I took his phone with a faint smile, "Is your dad also at the hospital?"
Leo nodded, "Yes. My grandma is sick. He took her to the hospital. We’ll head ho after she’s done."
My fabricated story seed to have bridged the gap between Leo and . He had ward up to .
Lisa was sick?
I didn’t know about that.
After Leo left, I turned off the recorder and returned to my room.
The next morning, I checked out of the hospital. During this period, Jones called several tis, but I didn’t pick up.
The first thing I did once I got ho was to hug Serena and Brandon. All my troubles seed to evaporate when I saw them.
"Ms. Brooks, Dr. Jones is back." Norah suddenly inford when I was playing with the kids.
I turned my head and there he was in the living room.
Seeing him annoyed . The mory of him forcing a kiss on in the hospital made feel repulsed.
I didn’t know if it was because had no romantic feelings for him or if it was just my natural reaction.
Jones had a bouquet of pink roses in his hand. The color of the flowers matched his light blue shirt, giving him a fresh and appealing look.
I averted my gaze, pretending not to notice him.
"I’m sorry about yesterday. I want to apologize to you properly." Jones walked in, handed the flowers, and looked sowhat nervous. "A colleague suggested this. I’m not sure if it will work on you."
I glanced at the bouquet. They were vibrant and gorgeous. Any woman would have loved them.
But I couldn’t bring myself to accept them.
Would accepting these flowers an forgiving him?
"Put them there. I don’t want to bring up yesterday’s incident. Jones, I think I need to make myself clear." I sat on the couch, speaking to Jones earnestly.
Jones put the flowers on the table and sat across from . He looked at for a few seconds, his eyes filled with hesitation, but he nodded eventually, "Go ahead. I’m listening."
"I will not marry you. I an it." I knew it would hurt Jones, but I didn’t know what else to do. The harsher the rejection, the better the chance of keeping him at bay.
As expected, Jones’s face changed instantly.
But he didn’t imdiately respond. He simply waited for to continue.
"You can propose to a hundred tis, it won’t change my mind. I’m not the naive girl in her twenties anymore. I’ve been married, I have children, and I’ve given all my love and youth to Damon. I can’t love soone else with the sa intensity. I’ve rejected you many tis. Why do you keep doing this? Sure, you might be okay with it, but have you ever thought that your affection is a burden and a nuisance to ?"
The color drained from Jones’s face, indicating his worsening mood.
After I finished speaking, I quietly waited for his response. Perhaps it was ti to sever all ties and avoid any future entanglent.
However, Jones’s response baffled . His focus was on Damon, "So, you’re still not over Damon. You’ve given him your best years and love, and you can’t open your heart to anyone else because of him. Right?"
I was rendered speechless. A peculiar silence fell over the room, broken only by the occasional babbling of Serena and Brandon.
I’ve moved on from Damon. I have. As long as I didn’t dwell on the past or the pain that it caused , I’m alright.
Still, everyone seed to think that I’m still hung up on him, and no amount of explaining would convince them otherwise.
Jones, in particular, would never believe that I’m over Damon.
After all, Serena and Brandon were my kids with Damon. He knew that all too well.
"Jones," I sighed, "Why are you so damn stubborn? You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Why waste it on ?"
"I’ve lost to you, Eliana. What can I do?" Jones clasped his hands together, a pained look in his eyes. "You really think I want this? I just can’t control my heart."
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