“It’s okay, I can manage on my own—”
But before I could refuse, he cut me off, gently saying, “Goodnight,”
Listening to his even, steady breathing, I fell asleep. For the first time in five years, I felt truly at peace on a stormy night.
Sienna's POV
I woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast. Howard had already prepared everything.
Noticing the dark circles under his eyes, I was about to thank him when a notification from my boss caught my attention.
[Boss: Sienna, the proposal you submitted this time was excellent! The higher-ups are really impressed! And because of that, your performance review for the year has been approved!]
But hadn’t Howard called my draft a disaster just yesterday?
Curious, I opened the email attachment from my boss. That’s when I realized—the version they received wasn’t my final draft.
I checked the timestamp of the email I’d sent. It was during the middle of the night—while I was sound asleep.
So, his dark circles were from staying up late, rewriting my proposal, and even submitting it for me.
I couldn’t figure out why he’d go to such lengths. Was this really all just to help Lance “keep me in check”? The thought didn’t sit right with me, so I asked him directly.
But when our eyes met. I saw his gaze holding a depth I couldn’t quite decipher.
He also didn’t answer my question, so I didn’t press further.
As adults, there were moments when words weren’t necessary. I thought I understood, but I didn’t dare to believe.
While rushing through breakfast, I accidentally tripped on the edge of the table. Quickly, Howard caught me before I fell.
But the way I landed... my lips brushed against his collarbone, and my hand ended up somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t have. As such, the air between us shifted immediately.
And to add fuel to the fire, Lance walked in right at that moment. Seeing us in that situation, he froze, taking in the scene before cracking a joke. “Uncle, you’re having quite the morning!”
However, his warm joke was sparred with Howard's cold reply. “Get out.”
Being chased out by the head of their family, Lance immediately bolted without another word.
On the other hand, I quickly pulled away in embarrassment. With my face burning, I dashed upstairs. But I couldn’t help noticing that Howard’s face had turned just as red, all the way to his neck.
By the time I was ready to leave for work, he still hadn’t left.