Niamh was wracking her brain for a plan to not be seen when Kendrick suddenly leaned over to scoot his attractive features before her. He cupped her cheek and leaned down for a kiss.
“…”
Kendrick’s actions were too sudden and Niamh did not have the time to react, but she was quick to understand the reasoning behind his move.
He wanted the man to mistake them for a couple who was so deeply enthralled by each other that they could not help but act upon their desires.
The man was sharp, so he approached them anyway.
Niamh had no choice but to turn her face and reach out to hold Kendrick’s shoulders as she kissed him back.
Despite the cold December day, Niamh felt her body grow warm and her heart lose its previously calm tempo.
She could not tell if Kendrick was doing it on purpose or for the sake of keeping up their act, but she felt him deepen the kiss and reach a hand into her jacket to hold her waist…
Knock, knock, knock.
The man knocked on the window.
Kendrick’s kissing came to a halt.
“This is private property. If you’re going to get intimate, do it somewhere else,” the man said distastefully.
Kendrick gave the man a cold glare as Niamh let her head fall forward and out of view in a show of shame.
“Let’s go,” she told him quietly.
Kendrick obeyed and stepped on the accelerator.
Having gone a distance from Baby’s Breath Manor, Kendrick finally stopped the car.
It was exceptionally quiet inside, so much so that Niamh could hear her own heartbeat.
Kendrick opened his mouth to explain, “The situation was a bit rushed, so I—”
“I know,” Niamh replied nonchalantly. “But don’t use this method again. You could’ve just driven away.”
“Wouldn’t that have made us look more suspicious?”
“…”
Unable to refute, Niamh changed the subject. “We can confirm with certainty that Felicity and Felipe are in contact.”
“We can also confirm that Felipe had ordered Felicity to dress like you to kidnap Lillian so that he could cause a drift and a misunderstanding between us.
“Lillian’s too young. She must’ve thought that Felicity was you, or she would never have left willingly with her.”
At that, both Kendrick and Niamh fell deep into thought.
They were both thinking about the innocent child.
“Had I known he’d be so heartless today, I would rather he never have saved me at all.”
“I know you must think that I’m cold and selfish, but I’m glad he saved you Nia, or I’d never get to see you again.”
Niamh was shocked, for she understood what Kendrick meant.
Not wanting to raise further suspicion, Kendrick parked the car somewhere hidden and began to observe the manor with Niamh.
They had spent the entire day there until it grew dark but they did not see even the slightest bit of activity within the manor. Kendrick could not help but trail his gaze to fall on Niamh’s side profile.
He hesitated for a while before opening his mouth to ask, “Could you tell me about the three years you spent away, Nia? Was life here good?”
Niamh was silent before she broke into a chuckle. “Good? What do you think?”
She fired back, her tone heavily mocking.
“I was left cruelly to die by the man I devoted myself to for more than a decade. For Lillian’s sake, I pulled myself together, took care of myself, and absorbed whatever knowledge I could. Had it not been for the strength Lillian gave me and my desire to take revenge for those three years, I’d never be who I am today.”
Niamh looked at Kendrick. “Even in my dreams during those three years, I prayed that you’d suffer night and day… That you’d lose everything you had.”
Kendrick’s heart hurt from the overwhelming guilt as he took in the hatred Niamh used to have for himself.
Niamh stared at the frowning man confusedly. “It plagued me back then whether you were truly blind to Nevaeh’s pitiful act. Yet your actions have been telling me that you knew what she was doing and still you defended her because of how much you loved her.
“What I never expected was that the reason behind your blind acceptance was a result of the promise you made to me when we were young.
“It had not occurred to me that you would take a childhood joke so seriously to the point of ignoring what was right and wrong, all just to keep the vow.”
Niamh found Kendrick staring deeply at her. “It wasn’t a joke. I promised you something, Nia, and I’ll do everything I can to fulfill it, but that doesn’t change the fact that I was blinded.”
Just then, Felicity walked out of the manor and was sent home in a private car.
Kendrick and Niamh recollected their feelings and followed behind. However, due to Kendrick’s unfamiliarity with F Country’s roads, they lost sight of the private car once they made it out to the bigger roads.
Thinking about their next course of action, Niamh was shocked to see Ava on the streets outside the windows.
Ava was in F Country.
It was only when Niamh alighted the car to greet her that she came to know that Ava had come to F Country for business.
Ava was shocked to see Niamh as well. Upon realizing that Niamh had come with Kendrick, displeasure surfaced on her expression.
Recognizing the distaste for him in Ava’s expression, Kendrick left mindfully.
Niamh and Ava were left to chat in a dessert shop by the streets.
Ava was in disbelief as Niamh retold the latest events.
“How could that be? Felipe has always held himself with the poise of a gentleman. How could he possibly have someone do that to Lillian just so he can cause a rift between you and Kendrick…”
The truth was too harsh for Ava to continue, so she changed the subject.
“So that’s why you and Kendrick are here? To find out the truth?”
“Yeah.” Niamh nodded. “I have to get justice for my daughter.”
Ava let out a sigh of relief. “That’s great, then. Here I thought that you’ve fallen for Kendrick’s lies in a moment of weakness and followed him off again. Now that you’ve gotten your memories back, Niamh, I’m sure you remember how he treated you back then. Whatever you do, don’t go back to him. Don’t give the b*stard another chance to hurt you!”
Niamh thought quietly to herself for a moment before she ultimately broke into a carefree smile. “I know you’re worried about me, Ava, but…”
“No buts, Niamh. You can’t possibly have fallen for that man again, can you? Or are you telling me that you’ve never let him go at all ever since the beginning?” Ava interrupted, her expression stern.
Niamh was startled. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer your question, but I know for sure that I don’t hate him anymore.
“I’ve told him time and time again these few years that I don’t want to owe him anything or that I don’t want to see him again, yet something just has to happen every time I make such a statement. We then end up even more intertwined than we were before. Take now for an example.
“I found myself terrified for God knows what reason that he would disappear from the world the past two times he almost got into an accident. I must be mad, Ava, because how could someone who has hurt me so much still matter such a great deal to me?”
Feeling lost, Niamh asked Ava. In front of her dearest friend, she found herself letting go of the sharp edge she had in front of other people and opened up.
Honestly, she felt it herself as well that she had never let go of her feelings for Kendrick. She was merely unable to forgive him back then.
Ava frowned. She was about to persuade Niamh to keep her distance from Kendrick when her leader called to have her deal with an imminent issue. Ava had no other option but to leave.
Niamh sat dazedly for a while before she stood and got ready to leave. Turning around, she was met with Kendrick standing right in front of her.
She was surprised as she had no idea when the man arrived.
The blissful smile in Kendrick’s eyes told Niamh of the possibility that Kendrick had sat in an adjacent seat and managed to hear her conversation with Ava.
Setting his eyes on Niamh’s blank look, Kendrick smiled and opened his arms to pull her into a hug as he spoke softly by her ear, “I love you too, Nia. You matter to me too, so much.”
‘Too.’
He had heard them.
Niamh let Kendrick have his fill with the hug before calmly pushing him away.
She could not deny nor did she want to admit anything, for it seemed like meeting Kendrick was no longer a conscious choice she could make. She needed a clear path, so she spoke seriously, “Didn’t you say you wanted to place a bet with me, Kendrick? How about we bet now?”
Slightly stunned, Kendrick stared deeply at Niamh. “What are we betting?”
Staring at the hopeful yet slightly anxious peach blossom eyes, Niamh replied calmly, “Let’s bet whether our destiny ends here, or if it’s meant to pick up where we left off.”
‘Pick up where we left off.’
The six words sparked joy unlike any other in Kendrick’s eyes.
She was giving him a chance!
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.