Mrs. Ainsworth and Mr. Ainsworth decided everyone should get together, so they had Sharon call Quentin Grant and invite him to a family reunion dinner. Quentin agreed, which ant Leon Lynch naturally couldn’t get out of it.
Nora Ainsworth knew he was in the living room, but she just didn’t want to go downstairs. Perhaps she was afraid of seeing him.
They hadn’t seen each other in days.
’I’ve clearly escaped the cage, so why am I not happy?’
Nora Ainsworth stood by the window, letting the cold wind seep under her collar, chilling her to the core—
His hot-and-cold attitude inevitably made her second-guess everything.
’Whatever the case, this was a secret she had to bury deep in her heart. None of the Ainsworths could ever find out.’
’Otherwise, she and her mother would be put in an incredibly difficult position.’
Lost in thought, she was startled by a knock at the door. It was the housekeeper. "Miss, Mrs. Ainsworth sent to tell you that dinner is about to be served."
Nora Ainsworth replied, "Okay."
With a bare face and wearing a cute set of cotton pajamas, she went downstairs.
She looked as if she had just woken up.
Her hair was down and uncombed.
Seeing her co down in such a state, Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth looked displeased.
"Nora, go upstairs and change your clothes."
Nora Ainsworth plopped down into a chair at the dining table. "I’m just going back to sleep after we eat, so I don’t want to change. Besides, it’s not like we have guests."
Leon Lynch liked her last sentence and chid in, "It’s all right, Mrs. Ainsworth. We’re not strangers here."
Nora Ainsworth shot Leon a sidelong glance, then turned her head and her eyes t Quentin Grant’s.
’It’s been a while.’ His face was even more handso now, the very picture of a devastatingly beautiful man who spelled trouble. His expression was bleak; the subtle smile he used to have was completely gone.
Nora Ainsworth saw that he wasn’t looking at her, so she didn’t look at him either.
As a result, the whole dinner felt a bit more relaxed, free from the usual agonizing tension.
Nora Ainsworth acted casually. When Leon Lynch placed so food on her plate, she returned the gesture. To any onlooker, they appeared to be the picture of affection.
As expected, she was the first to finish. She had just set foot on the stairs when sothing Leon Lynch said stopped her in her tracks.
"Nora, go change your clothes. I have a present for you."
Catching the aningful looks from Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth, she relented. "Okay."
About ten minutes later, she ca back downstairs and was stunned by the scene before her.
The dinner table had been cleared, and the family was sitting on the sofa. Leon Lynch stood amidst a sea of flowers, a broad smile on his face as he watched her.
He was surrounded by house staff, each holding bouquets of vibrant red roses.
Standing there among them, he stood out like a crane among chickens—utterly conspicuous.
Nora Ainsworth was dumbfounded. This was the first ti he had ever done anything like this.
"Leon, are you... confessing your feelings to ?" she asked, feeling like an idiot.
Mrs. Ainsworth, getting anxious, interjected from the side, "You silly girl, why do you always say such foolish things? Leon is proposing to you!"
Nora Ainsworth missed a step and nearly twisted her ankle, just like last ti. She barely managed to regain her balance, her voice stuttering, "What? A proposal?"
A smile spread across Leon Lynch’s face. "Darling, I knew this would be a wonderful surprise for you. Nora, look, your sister is about to get married, and we should be right behind her. I’ll treat you well and cherish you. Your wish will be my command. I’ll be the most faithful partner you could ever ask for. Say yes. Marry !"
He knelt on one knee and took out a heart-shaped box. Inside was a diamond ring of an indeterminable, but obviously significant, carat weight.
Nora Ainsworth looked at him. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t moved by his promise to "be the most faithful partner you could ever ask for."
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