All Too Late

Chapter 9 Emergency Contact

“That won’t be necessary. Old Mrs. Macari is in poor health, so it would be better if you don’t tell her, lest she worry for me,” Kathleen said.

“Have you been alone throughout the years?” Gemma hung her head low as she sat beside Kathleen.

“I suppose,” Kathleen replied.

“You suppose? What does that mean?” Gemma was confused.

Kathleen smiled ruefully.

Ever since marrying Samuel, she was mostly alone even though it seemed as if they lived together.

“Kathleen, you’re quite lucky. You at least have Old Mrs. Macari.” Gemma sounded depressed. “My brother and I are different. Neither of us was of legal age. Nobody wanted to adopt the both of us together, so we were forcefully separated when adopted by different families.”

“So that was what happened.” Kathleen pulled her lips into a thin line.

“Jeez, why am I even telling you this?” Gemma’s expression reverted to its former state. “I need to go to a night shift at the hospital later on. You take care.”

“It’s fine. I’ll leave after getting some rest.” Kathleen knew she shouldn’t have met up with Gemma, for both of them had varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Their parents’ passing had caused great hurt to their young and fragile hearts.

Because there were hurt that would never heal, these kinds of people had come to a tacit agreement to not meet up with each other.

Without meeting each other, they would never be forced to recall those painful memories.

“Kathleen!” Gemma sounded slightly exasperated, causing Kathleen to pause for a moment.

Realizing that she might have said that a little too loud, Gemma softened her tone. “It’s fine. This place is your home too. I have clean clothes in my room, so you can put them on after taking a shower. There’s still some oatmeal that I made last night in the kitchen. Have some after heating it.”

Gemma went to get changed as she spoke and was ready to leave after putting on her coat.

“Gemma, are you working in a hospital now?” asked Kathleen.

“I work as a nurse now.” Gemma didn’t look back. “Kathleen, I’ve already moved on, so it’s fine. It’s okay even if you have troubles that you can’t talk about to me. Just stay without worrying about anything else.”

She left after saying that.

a long

both Gemma and her were dealt the heaviest blows during the incident because both

to force them back when she lowered her head to check the blood on

room and took a change of

reaching a fair hand out to caress it softly. “Do not fear, my baby. I

the fact that

my state of being. He must be all lovey-dovey with

road, Samuel was leaning against his Maybach while

chain-smoking, so cigarette butts were littered all over

was almost the break of dawn, but

gripped her phone tightly as

die? Will she disappear from my life entirely? No!

“We’ve found the drunken man who abducted

over,” Samuel ordered in an aloof

man was already battered and bruised all over

Samuel lifted his gaze, a distant look in

was aware that Samuel wasn’t someone he could afford to cross, so he

off.”

the bodyguards immediately

that Samuel was being serious, the drunken man fell to his knees before Samuel while

“Speak.” Samuel looked intimidating.

Lust overtook me when I saw a beautiful woman standing beside the road, but I didn’t do anything to her. A man saved her and brought her away

you use to touch

drunken man dared not answer his

guts to reply.” Samuel’s exquisite jawline was tensed up as he maintained

It’s this hand!” The drunken man raised

dare you lie? You touched her with both hands.

drunken man nearly fainted

if you’ve already made

Just when the drunken man was spacing out, the bodyguard chopped one of his hands off with a clean swipe of his dagger, causing the man

bodyguard covered his mouth before

a deserted place,” ordered Samuel with

“Yes, Sir!”

with them, while