After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 292

Nestor felt a gentle warmth settle in his chest. He hadn’t expected Catherine to be so thoughtful and attentive.

“Alright then, no drinks tonight. Let’s just have tea,” he said with a smile.

Right at that moment, a loud crash came from the kitchen. The room fell silent as everyone turned to look. Alice rushed in ahead of anyone else. She stopped short at the sight of white powder spilled across the floor with shards of glass scattered everywhere. Her face turned cold. “What happened here?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I broke the jar,” the maid stammered, her face pale as she hurried to clean up the mess.

Nestor stepped in, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s fine, it’s just a broken spice jar.”

But Alice was shaking with anger. She pointed at the maid. “You fool. Finish today’s work and don’t come back tomorrow.”

The maid started crying, wiping her tears as she cleaned. Alice took a deep breath. “I want this spotless.”

Catherine looked over, confused. Wasn’t that Alice’s favorite maid? She’d been working here for five years. Was it really worth getting so upset over a single broken jar?

Shirley seemed just as surprised by her mother’s reaction. She frowned, slipped an arm around Alice’s shoulder, and tried to lead her away. “Come on, Mom. Let’s eat.”

Alice only relaxed once every last bit of powder was gone. She’d put the powder Garnett had given her into a small spice jar and tucked it away in the corner for convenience. She never thought the maid would break it. The fear, frustration, and panic had gotten the better of her. Now that it was cleaned up, she could finally breathe.

Alice returned to the table with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I lost my temper. Let’s just eat.”

The rest of dinner was tasteless for Catherine. If it hadn’t been for her dad, she wouldn’t have brought Lawrence back at all.

When they finished eating, Catherine turned to her father. “Dad, Lawrence and I will head out now.”

Catherine heard the attempt to stir trouble and let out a cold laugh. “Nice try, but I’m not playing your game.”

Waldo’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected such a direct response from Catherine, but he forced his expression back to a smile, though something colder flickered in his eyes.

Lawrence slid an arm around Catherine’s shoulders. His voice was gentle. “Let’s go.”

As they walked out to the gate, Catherine felt a little annoyed. Waldo’s words were obviously meant to make Lawrence suspicious of her.

Lawrence leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Don’t worry. I know I’m the only one in your heart.”

A soft sweetness filled Catherine. She looked up at him, realizing that some things didn’t need to be explained. He trusted her completely, and that feeling was better than anything else.