جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 220

Cassie eased a few steps away from the center of the moment while gently drawing Franklin and Tristan along with her, creating a little distance so the unfolding scene could belong to the two people who needed it most, although the uneasy sadness lingering in Tristan’s eyes did not escape her attention for even a second.The boy continued watching Nathan and Debbie with an expression that carried far more worry than someone his age should have been holding.“Mom,” Tristan said quietly while keeping his gaze locked on the pair standing across the room, his voice heavy with uncertainty and a faint trace of fear that he did not bother hiding. “I feel like Uncle Nathan might take her away.”Cassie felt a small knot form in her chest because she understood exactly what he meant, although there was no easy answer she could give him without making promises she had no control over.Instead of trying to explain something complicated t

Debbie had absolutely no idea where this sudden turn of events would eventually lead them, yet deep inside her chest there was a quiet certainty that refused to be ignored because she knew, without any doubt, that she had wanted something like this from the very first moment her eyes landed on Nathan.Back then she had only been curious about him, about the way he carried himself with that easy confidence and the faint warmth hiding behind his calm expression, yet curiosity had slowly grown into something far deeper without her even realizing it.Now everything felt incredibly fast, almost reckless, as if life had decided to shove them forward before either of them had the chance to slow down and analyze every single consequence that might follow.Even with that nervous awareness lingering at the back of her mind, Debbie could not deny the quiet excitement bubbling in her chest because the truth was simple and impossible to ignore.She wanted to take a chance with him.There was also t

“Is that Sisi?” Frederick’s voice came through the phone a moment before his face appeared on the screen, and the moment the video connected his eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity as he noticed the outline of a woman standing somewhere behind Franklin, although the camera angle failed to capture her face clearly enough for him to recognize who she was.Franklin reacted almost instantly the second he realized Cassie had drifted into the frame, stepping sideways until his broad shoulders blocked her completely from view while positioning himself directly in front of the camera in a way that looked natural enough not to draw suspicion.“Yeah, that’s her,” Franklin replied with an easy laugh that sounded relaxed on the surface even though his body remained tense from the sudden need to hide Cassie from Frederick’s sight, his hand lifting casually as if gesturing behind him. “But she’s shy, so she’s hiding behind me right now.”Frederick’s lips curved upward into a polite smile that did

“Cass, I’m leaving Chicago right now, and honestly I wish you could have been here to see their faces when they received the orders because they were incredibly excited about everything,” Franklin said through the phone, his voice warm with satisfaction after what had clearly been a successful visit.“They kept asking questions about the fragrances, and before I left I already transferred the payment to you, but I should warn you that more orders are definitely coming.”Cassie leaned back in the chair behind her desk, the faint smile spreading across her face reflecting the quiet pride building inside her chest as she listened to him speak.Her office still carried the soft, layered scent of the newest perfumes she had been refining earlier that morning, and the calm atmosphere felt like the perfect contrast to the excitement Franklin described.“Honestly, I’m starting to think you and Julius should just become my official sales and marketing managers at this point,” she replied playfu

Cassie stood there with her emotions tangled into a confusing storm that she could barely make sense of, her eyes fixed on the ring in front of her as if staring at it long enough might finally help her understand what was truly happening in this moment that already felt unreal.The design sparkled under the lights in a way that made her chest tighten because it was not just any ring, it was that ring, the one she had once sketched in quiet moments when she allowed herself to dream about a future she had not believed would ever become real.Her breath trembled as she tried to process everything, her fingers hovering uncertainly in the air as she whispered, her voice thick with emotion and disbelief, “The ring… it’s for Scarlet.”Franklin slowly shook his head while watching her, his expression soft in a way that carried both affection and a hint of nervousness that he rarely allowed anyone to see.“I’m sorry for invading your privacy,” he admitted gently, his voice steady even though