Leo said, "Cooper, I'll look into the matter with your sister. Don't sweat it, just focus on studying abroad. We'll be in touch if anything comes up."
After hanging up the call, Leo took a deep breath and looked at Mia, who was also catching her breath. "Mia, I always thought you were a hell of a special woman, but now, I see you're even more special than I thought." He gave her a thumbs-up, "You really are something."
She managed to keep her marriage from her own brother.
Mia frowned, "I even managed to keep it from you, didn't I?"
"Why didn't you tell Cooper?" Leo asked.
Mia replied, "If I had told him, he would've dropped everything and flown back home to deal with it. He was set on studying aboard for a while, but if I told him, he might've given up on going abroad and stayed here instead."
"But you... " Leo was so worked up he didn't know what to say. He glanced over at Andre, who had been watching them. "Mia, maybe you should think about breaking the news to Andre first. He's had his eye on you for a while." Leo said.
Mia asked, "What would happen if I told him that Cooper doesn't even know he exists?"
Leo replied, "I'd start picking out a nice tombstone for you."
Mia felt like crying but decided to bravely face her impending doom. She walked over to Andre and put her hand in his, "Andre."
Andre looked down at her and tightened his grip on her hand, leading his adorable wife upstairs. He didn't ask, so she didn't tell.
Mia's phone remained silent.
Leo returned to his own room and messaged Molly privately: [Sleeping yet, Mo?]
Meanwhile, Molly, who was having a late-night snack at the Byrne family's, sent a video of her eating roast chicken: [Not yet, what's up?]
Chad took Molly home. Along the way, they saw a woman selling roast chicken by the roadside, standing in the cold with a sleeping child on her back. Chad asked, "Hungry, Molly?"
"Feel like roast chicken." Molly said.
Chad chuckled, thinking to himself how well she knew him. As a public servant, he couldn't stand to see people suffer. Whenever he saw someone selling stuff late at night, he'd step in to help. He could only do so much, but he'd always do his best within his means. Besides, it wasn't like the seller was begging. He paid and enjoyed some delicious food in return.
Chad parked the car by the roadside and got out to buy some roast chicken. Before leaving, Chad advised the seller, "You should take your child home soon. It's freezing out here. Adults can bear the cold but children can't. The money you're making is not worth the potential medical bills."
Back in the car, he placed the food on Molly's lap.
On their way home, Molly started eating. She put on her gloves and handed a chicken leg to Chad, who was driving. Chad took a quick glance at the road ahead before turning slightly to take a bite of the chicken leg, "Not bad."
Molly said, "Save some for mom and dad."
When they got home, they found their parents already asleep.
Chad said, "You eat in the dining room, I'm going to take a shower."
Just as Molly sat down in the dining room, she received a message from Leo. He asked if she was asleep, which she clearly wasn't!
Leo then sent another message: [Did you hear about the big thing Mia did?]
Molly's face lit up with a long-lost smile: [What now? Who did she get into trouble this time?]
[She kept her marriage from her own brother, getting herself into a pickle. Andre just took her upstairs.]
Molly was so surprised she almost swore: [Mia's really something, even keeping it from Cooper.]
[Cooper called me earlier asking if Mia was in a relationship. I was shocked. She's already married, why is she starting to date now? After the call, Mia told me she didn't tell Cooper when she got married.]
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sweet Mischief's Rollercoaster Romance