"Leena, don't be sad. I'm always here for you." Seeing that Leena was unhappy, Kevin jumped to try and console her. He didn't know that she was pretending to get sympathy.
When Kevin said this, Leena's heart warmed. She raised her head and looked at him, confused. Did he mean it, or was he just saying it to be nice? She didn't know which one it was. Now she was at a loss and didn't know what to say.
"Ah! You dummy! She was play acting." Belinda shot him a "you-are-so-not-getting-it" look. Kevin was supposed to be a sharp guy. 'How did he not know Leena was faking it?' Belinda wondered.
But Duke had different ideas. He didn't think that Kevin was dumb for not recognizing Leena's trick. Really, he had some second thoughts about Kevin. And he didn't hate him as much anymore. Even he had to admit that Kevin cared deeply for his sister, all because Kevin said "I'm always here for you," instead of "I love you." Duke was deeply impressed when he heard this. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Kevin, with more admiration than indifference.
Kevin just smiled, despite Belinda ribbing him. He wasn't angry at her, no, he was happy. It wasn't a bad thing to be a fool for the woman he loved. She needed him, and that gladdened his heart. That kind of happiness was what he wanted to feel for the rest of his life. There was no need to be embarrassed.
Claire felt left out. They were talking about old friends that she hadn't even met yet. And she got even more of a sense that they lived in very different worlds and there was no way she was on their level. She could also see that they were more like family than friends. And Claire wished she had that kind of support system.
She had finally admitted that Leena was intelligent and capable because of her upbringing from a fairly wealthy family. But from what she saw today, she found that Leena not only had rich parents, but much like her, Leena also enjoyed lavish affection from the people around her. Leena was the apple of their eye, and was far more popular than Claire. Because Leena was a good person, and pleasant to be around. Claire was arrogant and a spoiled brat, and these qualities came out far too often for comfort.
Lloyd watched them teasing each other, and he smiled. Nothing was more important to him than a happy family.
Dinner ended with easy banter, but the laughter didn't stop there. Because where there was love, there was warmth, and joy would be tagging along.
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