Chapter 6: Do you still consider me your father?

"Do you want some apples and strawberries? Let me get them for you."

Halfway through watching the movie, Kane quietly asked, and Lani nodded slowly. He left for a moment and returned with a plate of fruit, each piece neatly cut into small portions, which he offered to Lani.

Once again, they sat close to each other, engrossed in watching the movie. Lani took a bite of a strawberry and fixed her gaze on the screen without blinking. Whenever she was focused on something, she tended to become so absorbed that she paid no attention to her surroundings, and this time was no exception.

The fruit plate was eventually emptied by Kane alone, and he chuckled helplessly before using a fork to pick up a strawberry and holding it to Lani's lips.

"Have a bit more; the strawberries are really sweet today."

Lani didn't pay much attention, obediently accepting the fruit, her lips slightly puckering as she savored the sweet strawberry. Kane watched her and felt a touch of embarrassment. He absentmindedly scratched his head before rigidly feeding Lani a few more pieces.

When the movie ended, Lani lazily stretched her shoulders and leaned back, her head naturally finding a place on Kane's shoulder. She looked up at him in confusion, their eyes meeting in mid-air. Kane's gaze lingered on Lani's rosy lips, as clear and pure as the waters of autumn. Lani also blinked and held Kane's gaze for a few seconds before regaining her composure and sitting up straight, her voice slightly hoarse.

"There's some strawberry left; have a bit more."

Kane, out of habit, placed the plate of strawberries near Lani's lips, and she casually accepted them. It was only now that both of them realized the intimate nature of this gesture; their faces were momentarily flushed with a bright, intense red.

"Thank you," Lani stammered, not knowing what else to say. She then turned and headed back to her room, leaving Kane standing there in a daze. The close intimacy from earlier didn't make Kane feel uncomfortable; instead, his heart raced faster. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath to regain his composure, suppressing the strange emotions that had arisen.

After the somewhat awkward atmosphere of the evening, both of them quickly retreated to their respective rooms without further communication. Initially, Lani had only thought of marrying Kane to seek revenge for Amory's betrayal and prevent Hebe from getting her way. She hadn't anticipated any deeper emotional involvement with Kane.

However, she had started to think about it tonight. It seemed that having a handsome husband who could cook well and was polite, like Kane, was quite wonderful.

...

The next morning, Lani followed her normal filming schedule and woke up early. With nothing else to do, she wandered into the garden to water the flowers. She had a deep love for flowers, and her small garden was filled with various colorful blooms. There was also a small swing where she liked to sit when she needed some healing.

In the past few days, Kane has taken excellent care of her garden, as all the roses were blooming beautifully, vibrantly, and radiantly under the sunlight. Lani watered the flowers while humming a few tunes. Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere.

Seeing the name displayed on the screen, Lani's cheerful morning mood disappeared without a trace. She sighed tiredly and answered the call, quickly hearing an angry voice on the other end.

"Lani, you're really excellent. Did you get married without telling me? Do you still consider me your father?"

After seeing the wedding certificate that Hebe had shown him, Derek was furious and immediately called Lani to reprimand her. However, Lani calmly sat down on the swing, closed her eyes, and let the cool breeze rustle through her hair.

"Uncle Derek, you must be joking. Haven't we already cut off our father-daughter relationship long ago to become strangers? I'm an orphan now, my mother passed away a long time ago, and I don't have a father anymore. I can't even decide for myself when it comes to marriage, can I?"

Lani's cold and indifferent tone further fueled Derek's anger. He slammed his hand forcefully on the table in front of him and yelled.

"Lani, do you truly not care about anyone? Hurry up and bring your husband here; I want to see who you've married."

Lani chuckled mockingly, knowing that her father was not genuinely concerned about her life or her well-being but rather that Hebe had likely coerced him into making this call.

"I don't need to come back, and that's not my home anyway. Furthermore, you and Hebe, listen carefully; I married an ordinary office worker. So, Hebe doesn't need to be jealous or compare anything."

"And if Hebe ever tries to seduce my husband the way she did with Amory, I will never return. I can't let my husband know that I have such a shameless and despicable stepsister like her, right?"

Lani chuckled, her voice as light as a silver bell but carrying a warning. She could see Hebe's motives clearly—Hebe wanted to seduce Kane to make Lani feel abandoned once again, to become sad and lonely. But Lani wouldn't let Hebe have her way.

"Furthermore, I don't want any ties with your family, so I've refrained from bringing up the past. However, if Hebe continues to cause trouble or challenge my boundaries, don't blame me for exposing evidence of her affair with Amory in the past. At that time, I can't guarantee that her fans will still stand by her and protect her."

Lani abruptly hung up. It felt good to give Derek and Hebe a piece of her mind, even if it was through a phone call. She had endured Hebe's bullying for far too long and had been foolish to let it continue. 

Lost in thought as she returned to the house, Lani accidentally stepped on a stone in the garden and stumbled, causing her to fall. She cried out in pain, and Kane, who was standing outside, rushed over. 

"Lani, are you okay? What happened?"

Kane held a small watering can in his hand, probably intending to water the plants in the early morning. Lani furrowed her brows and rubbed her foot before responding.

"It hurts a bit. I was in the garden watering the flowers when I accidentally stepped on a pebble, causing me to fall."

Kane gently touched Lani's injured foot, which had now turned slightly red. She winced when he lightly pressed on it. Taking a deep breath, Kane helped her stand up and carried her, saying softly,

"You might have sprained it. Let me take you inside to tend to the injury."

At this moment, the distance between them was close enough for Lani to see Kane's long eyelashes and the perfect, straight line of his nose. Lani's hands rested on Kane's shoulders, lightly steadying herself, and the warmth emanating from his touch made her heart beat faster.

The injury on her hand was still not fully healed, and now she had added a new one to her leg, making Lani feel extremely miserable. She was currently unable to walk without experiencing pain, and even slight movements caused her leg to ache.

After Kane had bandaged her foot, he carefully held Lani and placed her on the sofa. He gently stroked her soft, fragrant hair, which still carried a faint scent of flowers.

"You shouldn't walk too much right now. Just sit here and watch TV. If you need anything, just call me, and I'll get it for you."