Rolland woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He thought it was his alarm clock at first, but then he remembered he didn't have to work today. Annoyed, he turned off the phone without opening his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and he reluctantly got up to answer it. When he saw Rowan standing there, he was taken aback and held back his curse words. Confused, he asked, "Rowan? Why are you here so early?" Rowan forced a sad smile and replied, "Rolland, I had no choice but to come to you." Rolland noticed her luggage piled up behind her and wondered how she managed to carry all of it upstairs by herself. He felt wide awake now and realized something must be terribly wrong. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, knowing that things had taken a bad turn, probably because of David. Rolland didn't need to hear Rowan's explanation; he could already guess what had happened. If Rowan had wanted to leave the mansion on her own, she wouldn't have this dis
After Rowan's initial sentence, she hesitated to continue as she knew it wasn't the right time for serious discussions in the breakfast shop. But after a moment of thought, she carried on."Last night, when I decided to move out of the mansion, I wasn't worried because I knew you would welcome me without any hesitation. I didn't even need to ask for confirmation. I guess I'm just not used to relying on others so easily. You see, my family situation makes me always consider others and their needs, leaving no room to think about myself.""I'm sorry if I misunderstood you, Rolland. I truly consider you a good friend, and I never see you as an outsider."Upon hearing this, most of Rolland's anger subsided.Still not ready to let her off the hook, he mumbled a few words. "But you can't stay up all night, afraid of bothering me. Next time something happens, who knows what you might do to yourself!"Rowan smiled warmly, "Okay, I promise not to do that again. From now on, if anything happens,
Um?"Rowan didn't understand James at first, so he repeated, "Where is Rolland's home, I'll find you.""Uh... now? No need, it's late now, so I won't bother you to come here. Don't worry, I'm okay with her!"The phone went quiet.The silence felt like the night, spreading on both sides of the phone. James's long silence made Rowan feel a little guilty. She felt like she took advantage of him and then pushed him away.But her feelings towards James were too complicated at the moment, and she didn't want to see him in person today.She tried to explain, "Rolland will be back soon, and it's too early for us to clean up properly. Plus, you won't have time to stay when you come. Let's meet at the clinic on Monday."After a while, James finally accepted her explanation and returned to his usual gentle tone."Okay, then see you at the clinic on Monday. Take care of yourself.""Um!"Rowan waited for him to hang up first. But he suddenly spoke seriously, "Rowan, if you need my help with anythi
The waiter, with a friendly smile, helped them order food and pour drinks before leaving.Rowan and James sat facing each other, and neither of them spoke for a while.James looked down at the light blue tablecloth with delicate lace, as if lost in thought.Ever since Rowan had an idea in the restroom and realized she was avoiding talking to him, she wished she could just leave without saying anything.She sat quietly for a moment, trying to change the subject. She asked some questions about Bingo and talked about work.However, when James looked deeply into her eyes, Rowan knew she couldn't avoid the conversation.With pale lips, James gently asked, "Rowan, are you in such a hurry to move away because of David?"Rowan softly responded with a hint of stiffness in her tone, "It's something between me and him, and I'd rather not discuss it with others."Despite her reluctance to share, James persisted, asking honestly, "Tell me the truth, is it because of... me?"Rowan felt the urge to
Rolland climbed onto the bed from the other side and stretched out his hand, shaking it in front of Rowan."What are you thinking? You seem lost in thought."Rowan snapped back to reality and handed her phone to Rolland."Take a look at this."Rolland looked at the phone suspiciously and saw news articles that Rowan had just searched for.Casually swiping his fingers, Rolland's eyes widened as he went through the information. Finally, he raised his phone in disbelief, pointing to a somewhat unclear half-length photo on the phone."Rowan, is this James Williams? The one who came to see the house with us a few days ago, your new boss, James Williams? According to what's written here, his house... is almost as good as David's!"Rowan took a moment to process it all, and the initial shock wore off.She nodded and confirmed, "Look at his bio. He graduated from a medical university in London, and the timing of his study abroad matches what he told me. And even though the hat in the photo is
Rowan sat down on the sofa by the wall according to her words, and took the water poured by James, she took a sip.Then he said slowly, "James, are you from Mexico?"James was drinking the water in his cup, but he paused when he heard this question.He put down the water glass and said, "Yeah, what's wrong?"Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly smiled and said, "You finally know."Rowan was not in such a good mood as he was. She stared into his clear eyes and asked seriously."Are you really from that Williams family?"James replied frankly, "Yes."Rowan had expected this answer a long time ago, so she wasn't too surprised.What she wanted to ask more were the doubts that had lingered in her mind from the moment she knew his identity."Your family has so many businesses in Mexico, no, there are so many businesses across the country, why don't you stay in Mexico, instead come to London to open a clinic?"James had His smile on the corner of his mouth, and his attitude was sti
Flora wore a loose skirt, and even though she was two or three months pregnant, her belly wasn't obvious yet. She wore high heels that were 35 cm tall, making her look smaller and very delicate. Beside her, the man standing was not very strong, but compared to Flora, he seemed taller. The man had a very fair face, but there was a bit of a creepy expression on his handsome face. Both he and Flora looked unhappy. Rowan looked at the man for a brief moment and felt like she recognized him from somewhere. They were both standing at the corner of a wall, unaware that someone's head was peeking out from behind it. Rowan felt a bit overwhelmed by the coincidence of encountering someone in such a hidden spot. However, she didn't want to get involved in Flora's personal matters, and she had no interest in them. Regardless of what Flora and the man were discussing in their hidden conversation, Rowan's main thought was to move out of their way. She pulled her head back, considering whether
Rowan was lost in thought as she nibbled on the meat skewers, her mind far away from the delicious flavors. Across from her, Rolland grew impatient and grabbed a chicken wing, shoving it into his mouth."I brought you here to enjoy good food, not to space out!" he scolded.Rowan awkwardly smiled, taking the chicken wing out of her mouth and responding slowly, "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit distracted."Rolland looked curious, "You've been distant since we met. If you're not feeling well, we can head back.""I'm okay. Let's finish eating and then go back," Rowan reassured.Rolland had been wanting to share this barbecue spot with Rowan ever since she quit her job. Today, he finally got his wish. Rowan was determined to enjoy the meal before heading home.It's just that sometimes, letting your mind wander isn't easy to control.As she neared the end of her chicken wings, she suddenly glanced up at Rolland."I bumped into Flora earlier, near the little gate where we first met," she said.Rol