Chapter 198
“Huh?” The elderly woman looked genuinely surprised. “Oh, this little rascal is always getting into mischief! I’m so sorry. My grandson’s parents just got divorced, and we only moved in yesterday. I’ve been so busy unpacking that.I must’ve let my guard down. I promise, I’ll keep a close eye on him from now on–absolutely!”
Her apology was sincere enough.
The property manager reminded her again and again to watch the boy closely–and if he wanted to play with something messy like soap bubbles, to please take it down to the
courtyard.
The old woman promised repeatedly that she’d keep a careful watch on her grandson, her attitude humble and apologetic.
Briony couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy; raising a child on your own at that age wasn’t easy. Besides, boys around five or six were notorious for being a handful–getting into trouble was practically a given.
So Briony decided to let it go.
Still, she couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease.
Once Briony and the property manager had left, the elderly woman finally closed the door behind them.
Inside, she set her china bowl on the table and pulled out her phone, quickly dialing a number.
“Hello? I did exactly what you told me, but it didn’t work out–some delivery guy messed things up… But don’t worry, she didn’t suspect a thing. I played the part of the doting granny perfectly… Trust me, little Oliver is so young, he’ll do whatever I tell him! But-”
She gripped the phone, her voice turning greedy. “You’ll have to send me some more money. What you gave me last time just isn’t enough. My son doesn’t make much, and everything around here is so expensive… Fifty thousand? Yes, yes! Absolutely. Don’t worry, I’ll get it done for you…”
All morning, Briony found herself distracted at work, her mind wandering back to the incident
with the bubble solution.
James noticed her unease as he glanced over. “What’s on your mind?”
Briony hesitated, unsure if she was just being paranoid, but finally told him about what had happened that morning.
“Some kids can be a real nightmare. They just love causing trouble for the sake of it,” James
said.
Chapter 198
“So,” Briony asked, “do you think I’m just being oversensitive?”
“Not necessarily.” James pressed his lips together, thinking for a moment. “If it’s really bothering you, why don’t you just move in with me?”
Ο
Briony was caught off guard. “Move in with you? Aren’t you staying at a hotel?”
“That was before!” James replied, looking rather proud of himself. “I’m going to be working with you in Northborough for another two months. I can’t stay at a hotel forever! So I thought, why not just buy a place here? Actually, I haven’t had the chance, but my dad already owns a house. in Northborough. It’s in a nice neighborhood–just a bit farther from your studio.”
Briony pressed her lips together, silent for a while before replying, “But that’s your dad’s house. It wouldn’t really be appropriate for me to stay there.”
“Why not? Gina can move in too, and there’s a housekeeper already there. They can both look after you.”
Briony felt like it was asking too much of James.
He saw right through her hesitation and gave a little scoff. “Weren’t you saying before that I’m like family, like a little brother? Now you’re acting all distant again! Briony, you’re so contradictory.”
Briony could only smile helplessly, unable to argue with him. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
James let out a huff and turned away, pretending to ignore her.
That evening, as they left work, James insisted on accompanying Briony home.
She knew he was still worried and couldn’t talk him out of it, so she let him come along.
As they were leaving the studio, Hannah called out, “Briony, you’ve got a package–just delivered.”
Briony walked over and took the parcel.
She opened it and found, to her surprise, a wedding invitation.
212
