Chapter 388:
Darkness fell as Brad’s hand shielded her eyes, leaving Rylie to tilt her head with slow curiosity. “What’s wrong with looking?”
A weary sigh escaped him. “I don’t want to take advantage,” he said, turning away but keeping a steady grip on her waist. “Let’s get you home.”
Her answer was quick and deliberate. “We’re going to your place. Splitting up isn’t safe right now.”
Given that Ronan’s men kept a close watch, and with the latest success of the emergency equipment, tonight posed a real danger.
Inside the private elevator reserved for VIPs, Brad eased her in with a worried frown. “Of course, I won’t let you go home in this state. Your family won’t forgive me easily.”
The Owen family already disapproved of his line of work. If news got out he’d let Rylie get drunk, winning their favor would become impossible. Rylie’s well-being and Brad’s own conflicted feelings pulled in different directions.
As the group left via the private elevator, Rylie felt queasy from the brief weightlessness. She pressed the button to open the door when they reached the ground floor and rushed out to vomit at the restaurant’s entrance.
Some of the mess landed on Brad’s uniform, but he barely hesitated, stepping in to support her with a steady hand and gentle pats on her back.
Concern brought Melany over at once, but something else snagged her attention. A few yards away, she spotted a woman by the trash can — the same one who claimed to be Zaylee’s mother — standing all alone.
Perla’s gaze directed Melany to the source: a crumpled bunny cake left behind in the trash, love and care discarded without a second thought by Zaylee.
Tears streaked silently down Perla’s face. Melany, moved by the sight, dug a tissue from her pocket and offered it. “Why do you hide the fact that you’re her mother?”
Hesitation flickered in Perla’s eyes as she took the tissue, glancing at Melany’s open, earnest face. “She’s already suffered enough with me. Now that Zaylee can finally enjoy the ease and opportunities of city living, I won’t drag her back to our old life.”
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Curiosity lit up Melany’s gaze. “But you’re her mother. Why do you think being with you makes her suffer?” She brightened as she spoke of her own family. “My mom works hard on a farm — there’s nothing embarrassing about honest work. I’ll always be proud to call her mine.”
Melany’s voice grew firmer as she continued, “And honestly, you’re letting Zaylee’s attitude get worse. She brags at school that Mr. Morgan is her boyfriend. What happens when he hears about it?”
Stepping aside, Melany gestured toward a couple not far off. “You’re a grown-up. You know as well as anyone whether Brad actually has feelings for your daughter, or if she’s just pretending.”
A tall, striking man could be seen helping a young woman who was still unsteady after being sick. Bathed in the warm glow of a streetlamp, her face was as fresh and luminous as a newly opened rose. No one watching would doubt how perfectly the pair suited each other.
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