LOGINNot responding right away, Laurence quietly stared at Noelle. It was as if he was checking to see whether Noelle was lying. Noelle stood there, a face of composure. Jane and Lilian did talk about Laurence settling down, so technically, she was not lying. “What did you say?” Laurence knew that Noelle had lied through her teeth. Even though she was convincing, he saw through her, especially since she gripped her pants in secret. That was a telltale sign that she was not truthful. Not calling her out on the lie, Laurence let her spin the story. He trusted that Jane and Lilian were on his side to push the two of them together. The hard part was not telling Noelle how he felt. He had no problems doing that. His concern was Noelle’s attitude. She might not accept his feelings. Laurence could tell that Noelle felt something for him, but the real hurdle was her fixation on their social standing. If Noelle could not let go of that obsession, Noelle would only push him away,
“If they break in through the perimeter, my powder attacks will only catch them off guard once. By wave two, they’ll be wearing full gear and masks to protect themselves against the attack.” Lilian blinked. “That’s right. It’s only useful for sneak or surprise attacks. Now that they are ready for us, the powder won’t work anymore. “It’s okay. Out of all the chemicals you have, one is bound to work. “Besides, it’s going to be fun trapping them in here for a good beating once they infiltrate the place.“My only concern is that they can’t get in. Your security is too tight.” Laurence smiled and said, “I could accidentally let them in through the front door and shut them in. Then, we can get them real good behind closed doors. “Enjoy your food. I’ll get out of your hair.” Laurence’s mind was preoccupied with Noelle. He did not believe that Lilian simply had small talk with Noelle. Surely, something else was said. Laurence had no idea what Jane and Lilian said to Noelle tha
“Mom. Master.” Laurence’s voice came from the kitchen. “I made you pasta. The food is ready.” Jane and Lilian stopped grilling Noelle. Their intention was to put a little pressure on Noelle, so she could face her feelings and be with Laurence. Noelle and Laurence were made for each other. Plus, they knew each other inside out since they had been in each other’s lives since childhood. Laurence could not make the first move, afraid that something might happen to him, which would end up hurting Noelle. On the other hand, Noelle was held back by her own insecurities that came with her upbringing. The pair could use a little push, or it would be years before they could be honest about their feelings. Society was less cruel to men who were still single in their thirties, but Noelle’s biological clock was ticking. Noelle was like a daughter to Jane and Lilian. The ladies wanted to shield Noelle from all the hurt. They could not sit by and watch Laurence drag his feet. For th
The reason for Roxy’s jealousy was that Noelle got to stick close to Laurence every waking minute, and that Laurence was nice to her. It took a while before Noelle found her voice. “Mom, Lilian, I-I’ll follow Mr. Laurence only when he’s out and about after he gets married. I’ll make myself scarce once he reaches his destination. I can keep my distance that way.“Laurence’s future wife should know who I am and where I stand in the family when she dates him, so she won’t get the wrong idea.” “Noelle, what do you think about Laurence? I want you to look beyond your commitment to him and think as a woman. Do you think he’s worth settling down with?” Jane asked. Jane gestured for Lilian to stop talking for fear of pushing Noelle too far. “Mr. Laurence is a good man. Regardless of the perspective, he’s a wonderful man, worth spending the rest of anyone’s life with.” The way Noelle saw it, Laurence was the best. “Have you ever stopped to wonder if Laurence’s affection for you is
Lilian said, “Why are you being formal with us? To us, you and Laurence are both our children. Noelle, you need to stop placing yourself in the role of a servant. You’re not a maid. “You are a child to all of us, a sister and family to Laurence. Yes, you keep Laurence safe as his bodyguard, but we don’t see you as hired help.“We are family, and that’s how we should get along.” Noelle pursed her lips before uttering, “Doc rescued me from the street to take care of Mr. Laurence. My task since day one was to protect and care for him. “People don’t really use terms like maid and servants anymore, so I’m Mr. Laurence’s bodyguard and housekeeper. Even though we grew up together, and you love me like one of your children, I can’t forget my place.” Noelle was eternally grateful to have found shelter with the old legendary doctor. She was fed, given an education, and an opportunity to learn medicine and combat. Laurence treated her like family. Doc and the Johnsons took her in as
After all the hoo-ha, the group only managed to get home well past eleven at night. Upon entering the residence, Lilian told Laurence, “Make me something to eat. I’m hungry after burning all those calories.“Oh, pop open a bottle of a good wine too. It’s been a while since I had alcohol. Tonight, Jane and I are going to enjoy a couple of glasses.” Noelle jumped in. “I’ll make it. What do you and Mom fancy having?” “Anything’s fine with me. Just whatever that’s the quickest to make.“Laurence should do the cooking since he’s my apprentice. It’s a chance for him to show some appreciation to me.” Lilian made a beeline to the sofa and took a seat, refusing to let Noelle cover for Laurence. “Noelle, have a chat with Mom and Master while I whip something up.” Not letting Noelle into the kitchen either, he stepped behind the stove. When Doc was alive, Laurence and Noelle had to handle every chore, and cooking was part of the routine. He barely set foot in the kitchen. Lauren
Kevin stared at his future brother-in-law and remarked, “No wonder we get along so well. We’re the same kind of people—shameless and unapologetically so.”Hugh remained silent as Kevin walked away.The future of Queen Enterprise and who would manage it were matters for the Queen family. Even if he bec
Duncan listened to his mother.“I will, I will continue to do rehabilitation, and when you come back, I may be able to walk two or three yards away. By the way, how long will you be there?”After being silent for a moment, Liberty said, “I might have to stay until New Year’s, and I will go back for th
“I’ll help myself then.”Quinn put the money in her pocket. She then took out her phone and ordered stir-fried noodles from a Chinese takeout shop to treat everyone at Power Fitness.“We’ll have it later.”Julian smiled. “I usually don’t eat late-night supper.”“In that case, we can skip it. Sometimes I
“I’m being a distinguished gentleman.”Hayden accepted his offer and stepped out.However, she refused to walk into the hotel while holding hands with him. The spark in Kevin’s eyes dimmed. Hayden still avoided behaving as his lover in public. As she had mentioned, her love for him was not deep enough







