After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 97

“You should eat, too, Mom,” Catherine said softly.

Adelina’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Alright, alright, let’s all dig in.”

Dinner felt warm and relaxed. Susan’s cooking was amazing, and Catherine ended up having two bowls of chicken soup. When Adelina heard about her invitation to train at the tech institute, she couldn’t hide how happy she was.

“Catherine, you’re really something. I just know you’re going to do great things,” Adelina said, her tone full of pride.

Catherine blushed. “I’m still figuring things out, but I’ll do my best.”

In her heart, she promised herself she’d work hard, save up, and one day buy a big house so the whole family could live comfortably.

After dinner, Catherine didn’t rush off. She wandered over to the photo wall in the living room and spotted a few pictures of Lawrence as a kid.

She blinked in surprise. The background for all of them was clearly a military base.

One photo drew her in. Lawrence was just a teenager, wearing camouflage on a training field. The impressive gates of the base stood behind him. Even back then, he was already tall and looked so determined.

Adelina came over and stood beside her, her smile gentle. “Lawrence went to military academy when he was ten. That was his father’s idea.”

“A military academy?” Catherine turned, wide-eyed. “But now he’s—”

“An engineer?” Adelina laughed softly. “That was his own decision. When he turned twenty, he suddenly said he wanted to leave the military. His father was furious.”

Catherine pictured Lawrence standing up to his dad. So he’d had moments like that, too.

“And did his dad eventually come around?”

“Lawrence has always had his own ideas. I supported him,” Adelina said, her eyes showing a mix of helplessness and pride.

Catherine remembered how Lawrence’s father hadn’t come to dinner last time. Maybe it was because of this, and they still hadn’t made up.

“The project budget has to be re-evaluated. Have it on my desk by ten tomorrow,” Lawrence said, his voice steady and commanding.

He flipped through some paperwork. “Also, this year’s audit report is even worse than I thought. Your team’s performance is really letting me down.”

“Set up a meeting with their people at three ten tomorrow afternoon.”

Catherine tapped her chin, watching him. She hadn’t realized how busy he was at night.

She’d been hoping for a little time together tonight, but now it didn’t seem likely.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice when a shadow suddenly fell over her. She jumped, startled. Somehow, he’d gotten up and come over without her noticing.

Seeing her wide-eyed, Lawrence’s brow creased with concern. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

“No, I just came by to say goodnight. I saw you were busy, so…”