All Too Late

“Well then, when did your affair with Christopher begin?” Samuel asked coldly.

Kathleen leered at him sideways. “Do you truly want to know? Aren’t you afraid of getting triggered?”

“I am,” Samuel answered. His tone was bone-chilling.

“So don’t ask.” Kathleen paused, hesitating. She then continued, “I take a person’s privacy very seriously. Hence, I have no interest in sharing my private life with outsiders.”

Kathleen’s word echoed in Samuel’s mind. Outsiders?

A shadow gradually enshrouded his eyes. She called me family not long ago, but now I’m an outsider?

“It’s done. You can eat now.” Kathleen turned off the fire at the stove.

She then moved the plate of pasta out to the dining room.

Meanwhile, Samuel tried to stamp out the hostility in his eyes, attempting to regain his composure. “Thank you.”

“All right, enjoy your meal. I’m heading home now.” Kathleen removed her apron and got ready to leave.

Samuel paused for a moment, then asked, “Would you stay and talk for a bit?”

Kathleen gazed at him serenely. “I’m going to bed. The face of a female celebrity is of utmost importance. No botox injections can compare to the benefits of beauty sleep.”

Samuel stared at her in return.

Kathleen had spoken calmly without spite. She was merely stating a fact.

It appeared as if she was undeniably treating Samuel as an average family member.

“Okay, then. Goodnight,” Samuel uttered in disbelief.

Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do about it.

He had no other choice. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to grow closer to Kathleen in his entire lifetime.

When Kathleen approached the doorway, she swiveled around. “Samuel, please revoke my VIP status from the malls.”

Samuel looked at her coldly. “All you need to do is not spend your money there. I’ll stop the subscriptions then.”

“I’ll pay you back next time.” Kathleen desired a clean slate with him.

Samuel glared at her. “Will you be spending Charles’ money?”

“Of course.” Kathleen tipped her head up, then declared proudly, “He’s my brother after all.”

So why can’t you spend my money instead?” Samuel was slightly peeved by then. “Or is it that you don’t want to be family with me? I don’t mind

right, I understand.” Kathleen always had difficulty winning an argument

turned

on it.

corner of his thin

to the

moment she stepped into the house, she heard Charles

“Where did you go? I hadn’t heard from you

a meal with Gemma and Benjamin,” Kathleen explained. “I even bought you a

lips twitched. “You had only a meal with them? That’s still no excuse

that Kathleen was trying to mislead him with a

“I

here I thought it was him who was

relax. I talked things through with Samuel. From today onward, the two of us are only family members.

will never be his brother. It’ll be asking me to stoop to his

about all that. In the end, if you do somehow enrage him to the point where he no longer wants to be my family, he’ll come pestering

Charles was rendered speechless.

promptly made her

really promise to be his family?” Charles found the entire

at him. “That’s right. You don’t believe

then I do believe that it can be true. But if it’s Samuel, I don’t believe it at

him to buy more time. I bet it’s so that he could get closer to her. Why is she so foolish, though? She actually bought

a deal like this, he won’t

Charles pursed his lips.

not afraid of Samuel, Charles feared that Kathleen would be the one

fool. “You should

was taken aback by her

Kathleen marched

then let out a deep, long sigh. Perhaps she’s actually clever but she doesn’t show it. Some things are better left unknown. Elsewise,

next morning, Kathleen was having breakfast when Maria brought over an invitation.

surprised. The

took the invitation, then flipped it open. As she scanned through it, Kathleen began to grin from ear to ear. “This

from Felix Morris,” Maria answered. Kathleen immediately placed the invitation down.

is he inviting you

between Christopher and me, but in the end, the Morris

turned awkward in a heartbeat. “So

my own. It’s obvious that he wants to speak with me

on telling them?” Charles

no desire to