Phillip leaned against the doorframe. Kathrine was standing behind him.
“I heard that your father was ill. I wanted to take the opportunity to visit him and hopefully not trouble you.” Kathrine hadn’t seen him for some time. She was nervous and afraid that he would blame her.
“Thank you, but he is now in the ICU ward. We are not allowed to go in after visiting hours,” Warren explained.
With a sigh of relief, she said with a smile, “Well, then I’ll come next time. You all must be tired. How about having dinner together?”
Phillip hadn’t eaten anything during the day, so he was a bit confused. “Or I invite you to dinner. How can we make a lady pay for the bill?”
Warren gave him a cold look, and he felt like he might have done something wrong.
“Well, let’s go now.” Kathrine picked up her bag and smiled.
Warren rubbed his eyebrows. He finally found time to go back and have a video chat with Penelope. He hadn’t seen her for a few days.
“Bro, let’s go?” Phillip looked at Warren.
Warren glanced at him, and the latter felt somewhat innocent.
The sky was getting dark, and the streetlights were on. The street was as busy as usual.
As soon as they left the hospital, they felt less repressed.
Phillip and Kathrine chatted casually. Warren followed behind them, deep in thought.
“The woman across the street…” Phillip squinted and stopped.
Across the road, a woman in a black dress stood under the red light. She almost blended into the night. If Phillip didn’t have good eyesight, he might not have noticed her.
Penelope was confused as she looked at the two men. Which one was the one she missed?
In the darkness of the street, the two men appeared very similar to her. She stopped and tried to recognize them.
Warren followed Phillip’s gaze, and the tall, big-bellied woman across the street seemed to be the one he was missing.
Kathrine focused on Warren, verifying something.
The green light came on, and people began to cross the road.
Warren rushed toward her, a mix of anxiety, anger, happiness, and inspiration. It was as if a strong dose of adrenaline had been injected into his heart, and he completely forgot about his exhaustion.
“How did you come back? When did you arrive? Are you alone?” He hurriedly grasped her shoulder and asked eagerly.
“I just arrived…” Penelope was a bit dazed as she looked up at him. There was a surreal feeling.
He held her waist and guided her off the road.
Phillip, struck by a sudden realization, watched the two of them disappear into the night.
Isn’t she… Asher’s fiancée?
When did these two get together?
****
The butler blinked and looked at the smiling woman.
“The room is clean, right?” Warren took Penelope’s hand and asked him.
“It’s clean. We cleaned it every day,” the butler replied.
An agile white figure suddenly rushed out and clung to Penelope’s leg.
“Ross!” Penelope smiled and picked it up, rubbing its head. “You’re getting fat. Are you being overfed?”
The butler said, “After you left, he jumped up and down all day and wanted to run out occasionally.”
Penelope poked the dog’s nose and asked it, “Are you so disobedient?”
“Woof!” Ross licked her cheek excitedly.
Warren grabbed its paws and gently placed it on the ground.
“Woo…” Ross let out a protest from its nose but didn’t dare to bark.
“I’ll take you to rest,” he said as he held Penelope’s hand, paying little attention to the dog.
Penelope gently held onto his large hand, smiling sweetly.
“Woof!”
The butler picked up Ross. “Let’s go out to play.”
“Woof…” The dog let out a disappointed whimper.
As the two went upstairs, Penelope suddenly turned to look at the stairs.
“What’s wrong?” Warren asked.
“When was the carpet put on the stairs? This color is garish,” Penelope wrinkled her nose, not appreciating it.
Mrs. Brown walked past them and smiled, saying, “You didn’t know? Mr. Duncan had it specially changed for you. He said your coordination isn’t great, and you’re prone to falling.”
Penelope widened her eyes and looked back at him in surprise.
Warren’s face turned blue.
“Wow! This color is so unique. Who chose it? They must have great taste!” Penelope exclaimed with apparent admiration.
He reached for her waist and said, “Let’s go inside.”
A hint of suspicion crept onto Mrs. Brown’s face. Even though these two seemed to be getting along well, was this level of intimacy too much?
Outside the house, the butler was happily feeding the dog some meat.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”
“Hmm?”
“Was it Asher’s idea? Where is he now?”
“He said he would tell you, didn’t he?”
Warren poked her cheek. “Do you think my expression right now suggests that I knew?”
“Well…” Penelope lowered her head and reached out to rub her face.
‘So, it was not a pleasant surprise but a shock?’
“I was worried about you. You came back secretly with such a big baby bump. What would I do if something had happened to you?” Warren reached out and pulled her into his arms.
“Are you glad that I’m back?” Penelope clung to his clothes and rested her chin on his shoulder.
Warren wasn’t a man who could easily utter sweet words, nor was he one to tell lies.
After a moment of silence, she released her hold on him.
Her man might not know how to be overly romantic, but he was straightforward.
“Would I be a bother to you?” Penelope looked into his eyes with a hint of reluctance.
Warren gently touched her head and replied, “It’s not the most convenient time.”
This man, sometimes so straightforward, he called things as he saw them.
Penelope felt a slight frustration, but she concealed it well, not wanting to dampen his current mood.
“Don’t worry. I won’t add to your troubles. Just do what you need to do,” she assured him.
Penelope placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled, saying, “I’ve just missed you.”
He sighed softly, pulled her closer, and kissed her.
Sometimes, she was so thoughtful that it made others feel guilty.
Penelope was momentarily stunned, not expecting this sudden turn of events.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered as he kissed her gently and covered her eyes with his large hand.