Love Began with the First Meeting novel Chapter 624

Pressing her lips together, Molly watched Brian's retreating figure disappear. Anxiously, she answered, "Dad, I'll explain it all to you later. Let's get you home first."

They all boarded the car and left the airport. The air inside the vehicle was even more tense than it was on the way there. Brian and Molly both sat in the back, while Steven rode shotgun. He attempted to open his mouth several times to clear his confusion, but would always stop when he turned to look at the passengers in the back.

Molly noticed they were heading into the downtown area, but the car did not take the route going to the villa. Instead, Tony drove towards Molly's old home. When the car stopped, Steven slowly opened the door and got off. Molly was about to grab the door handle to follow suit, but Brian quickly stopped her.

When she turned to look at him, he turned away and said impassively, "Did I allow you to get off the car?"

She gritted her teeth in anger. "Brian, I just want to spend more time with my father." "And then what?" he shot back.

Confused, Molly retorted, "What do you mean by that?"

Finally, facing her, Brian challenged, "Molly, it seems that you've forgotten what I said before."

She huffed in annoyance and inhaled to hold her temper.

"Brian, my father just came back. Can I at least keep him company?" Molly felt fury bubbling inside her but kept it in check.

Turning his head to look forward, he snapped, "No!"

"You…" Molly sputtered in anger but was cut off by Steven.

"Molly," her father said, "the house has long been vacated. It would not be convenient for you to spend the night here. You can come over tomorrow. I'm…" He paused to check Brian's reaction, before adding, "I'm not going anywhere." There was no comment from the brooding man inside.

In the end, Molly didn't get her way. Steven held onto his luggage as he watched their car drive away. The man stood there looking until the vehicle disappeared from view. Inhaling deeply, he turned around to walk into the dimly-lit alley that would lead to the house that had been home to him for close to twelve years.

With heavy steps, he walked hesitantly. Upon arriving at the airport, Steven could feel a heaviness in his heart. Now, conflicting emotions were taking over the grief that seemed to crush his spirit. The closer he was to home, the more complicated his emotions became. Memories flooded his mind that almost gave him a headache. He remembered everything, the happy, the sad, they all resurfaced now.

"Mr. Steven, long time no see," he heard a voice in the dark calmly greet him. It was dark and Steven tried to make out who had spoken.

He finally made out a bulky man standing at the corner. He stood and behaved like a soldier.

Steven beamed a smile in the dark and replied, "Indeed, it's been a long while." He blew out a breath. "It's been so long that I never thought I could come back."

"Well, here you are. Welcome back!" The man's greeting was as genuine as his smile.

*

Back at the villa, Molly was still furious. Her raging emotions were not quickly going to disappear. The minute the car stopped, she stormed out, slammed the door and headed into the villa.

Brian also disembarked. Impassively, he observed Molly fleeing inside as he asked Tony, "How's Daniel's rehab going?"

"He's not doing so well," Tony reported. "It looks as if he has no intention of quitting at all."

The response didn't please Brian, who lapsed into silence. Daniel was only fourteen years old when he started injecting Dream, a drug too strong even for an adult, let alone a teenager like him. An antidote known as "Cold Heart" was administered to him to help relieve the effects of Dream, but it presented other side effects. Now, Daniel was addicted to "Cold Heart". And this was what made it hard for Daniel to get better.

"Bring Steven over to see him tomorrow," Brian instructed Tony. The driver nodded to acknowledge the order and watched Brian walk into the villa.