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.”

slightly peeved by then. “Or is it that you don’t want to be family with me? I don’t mind either

understand.” Kathleen always had difficulty winning

turned around and

at his plate, which had a sunny-side-up egg on it.

the corner of his thin lips arched up ever so slightly. She can never escape

walked back to the Johnson

moment she stepped into the house, she

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

and Benjamin,” Kathleen explained. “I

“You had only a meal with them? That’s

secretly angry, thinking that Kathleen was trying

She then confessed, “I met

the stairs. “And here I

I talked things through with Samuel. From today onward, the two of us are only family members. He is something like a brother

sarcastically, “Haha! I will never be his brother. It’ll be asking

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

Charles was rendered speechless.

promptly made

his family?” Charles found

right. You

it can be true. But if it’s Samuel, I don’t believe it at all.” Charles

way for him to buy more time. I bet it’s so that he could get closer to her. Why is

spoke with indifference. “Charles, not even I know what Samuel is planning. But, at least, with a deal like this,

Charles pursed his lips.

not afraid of Samuel, Charles feared that Kathleen would be the one to pay for it if Samuel did

She was not a fool. “You should learn to trust in me

was taken aback by her

Kathleen marched up

actually clever but she doesn’t show it. Some things are better left unknown. Elsewise, it

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

was surprised. The Morris

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

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

is he inviting

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

a heartbeat. “So should we give Christopher a

go over on my own. It’s obvious that he wants to

plan on telling them?”

truth.” Kathleen had no