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.”

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

Kathleen always had

turned

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

the corner of his thin lips arched up ever so

to the Johnson

stepped into the house, she heard

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

Benjamin,” Kathleen explained. “I

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

thinking that Kathleen was trying to mislead him with a

confessed, “I met with Samuel as

stairs. “And here I thought it was him

relax. I talked things through with Samuel. From today onward, the two of us are only family members. He is something like a brother to me, and so are you. The two of you are

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

to care 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 me once again. When that happens,

Charles was rendered speechless.

made her

promise to be his family?” Charles found the

him. “That’s right. You

believe that it can be true. But

more time. I bet it’s so that he could get closer to her.

even I know what Samuel is planning. But, at least, with a deal like this, he won’t intervene if

Charles pursed his lips.

would be

not a fool. “You should learn to

was taken aback

Kathleen marched up the

long sigh. Perhaps she’s actually clever but she doesn’t show it.

having breakfast when Maria brought over an invitation. “Ms. Johnson, this is an invitation from the Morris

surprised. The

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

answered. Kathleen

is he inviting you

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

heartbeat. “So

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

plan on

Kathleen had no