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.”

instead?” Samuel was slightly peeved by then. “Or is it that you don’t want to be family

I understand.” Kathleen always had difficulty

turned around and

plate, which had a sunny-side-up egg on it. The egg was round and reminded him of

picked up his fork and took a bite of it. Instantaneously, the corner of his thin lips arched

to the Johnson

she stepped into the house, she heard Charles

had a gloomy expression on his face. “Where did you go? I hadn’t heard from you the

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

meal

thinking that Kathleen was trying to

She then confessed, “I met with Samuel

fell down the stairs. “And here I thought it was him

at ease. “Charles, relax. I talked things through with Samuel. From today onward, the two of us are only family members. He is something like

brother. It’ll be asking me to

bothered to care about all that. In the end, if you do somehow enrage him to the point where he no longer wants to be

Charles was rendered speechless.

made

his family?” Charles found the

peered at him. “That’s right. You

do believe that it can be true. But if it’s Samuel, I

way for him to buy more time. I bet

with indifference. “Charles, not even I know what Samuel is planning. But, at least, with a deal like this, he won’t intervene if we decide to leave one

Charles pursed his lips.

Samuel, Charles feared that Kathleen would be the one to

“You should learn

taken aback by her

marched up the

she’s actually clever but she doesn’t show it.

brought over an invitation. “Ms. Johnson, this is an

surprised. The

she scanned through it, Kathleen began to grin from

Morris,” Maria answered. Kathleen immediately placed the invitation down. “It’s Christopher’s

inviting

do you understand what I meant? Nothing was happening between Christopher and me, but in the end, the Morris family misread the situation. They’re making a commotion out of nothing.” There was no readable expression on Kathleen’s clean face as

“So should we give Christopher a call

wants to speak with me alone. So

plan on

truth.” Kathleen had no desire to