hapter 111 Warmth She Thought She’d Never Know
Finished
Felix lounged back in the chair, legs crossed with effortless elegance. One hand rested loosely on the amrest, while the other lazily flicked ash from his cigarette. He radiated an easy, laid–back confidence.
But before he could finish the cigarette, Anna’s voice called out from just beyond the door.
“Mr. Brooker, dinner’s ready.”
“Coming.” Felix answered.
He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray with deliberate grace–cool and controlled.
Instead of leaving right away, he moved to the window and cracked it open. A breeze swept through. clearing out the smoke from the room and his clothes.
He straightened his shirt, adjusted his collar, and only then headed downstairs.
He immediately spotted Kate, Anna, and Marilyn gathered around Lauren. The room felt warm, calm, almost like something out of a memory.
Kate held Lauren’s hand, the same way she used to hold his when he was little–gentle, affectionate, protective.
“Laurie, don’t be shy. This is your home now. If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me, and I’ll have Anna cook it for you.”
Anna came out of the kitchen with a plate of steaming Barbecue short ribs. “Ms. Bennett, I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made a few of my specialties. Come have a taste.”
The moment Marilyn saw what was on the plate, her smile widened. “Anna, Ms. Bennett loves barbecue short ribs.”
“She does? Well then, eat up. Kate picked up a piece with her fork and placed it on Lauren’s plate, her face lit up with anticipation. “Laurie, you’ve got to try Anna’s cooking.”
In all her twenty–three years, Lauren had never been cared for so thoughtfully.
Being treated like something precious, out of the blue, left her both touched and unsure of how to respond.
Her chest tightened and her nose stung-
Don’t cry now.
Trying to hold it together, she said, “Madam Kate, Mr. Brooker isn’t here yet. Maybe we should wait for him?”
Kate waved her off casually. “No need to wait for him. If you’re hungry, Laurie, start eating.”
Felix heard her and gave a light smile. “Sounds like I’m losing my top spot in Grandma’s heart.”
Kate shot him a look. “Well well. So you do remember there’s food downstairs. I figured you weren’t hungry anymore.”
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Chapter 111 Warmth She Thought She’d Never Kni
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The truth was, he’d just wanted the cigarette smell to be completely gone. Lauren was sensitive–smoke would bother her.
“You’re right. My bad.” Felix said simply. He was about to sit across froin her when Kate grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over, planting him firmly in the seat right next to Lauren.
Felix didn’t say a word.
Neither did Lauren.
“Alright now, let’s eat, Kate said warmly, worried Lauren might feel shy.
“Try this. You must be hungry.” Anna and Marilyn chimed in too, pushing all the dishes toward Lauren before she could take a single bite.
Felix noticed the look on Lauren’s face–she was too polite to say anything–and decided to step in. “Grandma, if you keep this up, she won’t need to eat for the rest of the night.”
He reached over and took half the dishes away. Lauren glanced at him, a little stunned.
Felix gave her a subtle smile. “You should eat more. You’re way too thin.”
That made Kate grin so hard that her eyes practically disappeared. “Oh my, my grandson’s finally catching on. He actually knows how to care about someone.
Anna and Marilyn giggled quietly across the table.
Lauren’s cheeks turned bright red like a ripe apple. She ducked her head and quietly kept eating.
Dinner that night had a special kind of warmth.
Kate sat at the head of the table with Lauren to her right and Felix on Lauren’s other side.
Anna and Marilyn were across from them, smiling kindly.
All the attention made Lauren feel a little shy, but deep down, she felt something she’d never really felt before.
That dinner was the most delicious, most comforting, most heartwarming meal of her life. For the first time ever, it truly felt like home.
Lauren:
After dinner, up to help clear the dishes, but Anna and Marilyn quickly stepped in to stop her.
Anna smiled kindly. “Ms. Bennett, you just got out of the hospital. You’re still healing. Let us handle this.”
Marilyn agreed right away. “Exactly, Ms. Bennett. Anna and I have it covered. You should go rest in the living room.
Kate nudged Lauren gently toward Felix and said with a playful tone, “You two are young. I’m sure you’ll have something to talk about. Go chat for a bit.”
Then she grabbed Anna and Marilyn and slipped off to the kitchen, leaving the living room empty except for Felix and Lauren.
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Chapter 111 Warmth She Thought She’d Never Know
They sat on the couch, the atmosphere between them
Felix was the first to speak, his voice deep and calm. “I know a store with great thread colors and really solid 1
Lauren’s eyes lit up, full of anticipation.
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