She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 115

She spun around. Caden was staring at her with an inquiring gaze.

"Ah... um, it was my dad."

She stammered slightly. "He was just checking in to see if our trip was going smoothly."

Noticing her evasive eyes, Caden stepped half a pace forward, an oppressive aura radiating off him.

He lowered his voice. "Is that all?"

Backed tightly against the wall, Helga felt a guilty conscience creeping in. She barely dared to meet his dark eyes.

"Yes. He told me to make sure I take good care of you."

Seeing her expression, Caden didn't press further.

"Oh, right, Caden." She fluttered her eyelashes, testing the waters. "Do you have anything else to take care of tonight?"

"Why?"

Helga replied, "I was just wondering. If you're free, we could go up to the deck to get some fresh air and chat."

He observed her micro-expressions.

She was rubbing her hands together unconsciously, her gaze still shifting away.

Caden remained silent for a few seconds before answering. "No. I have to meet a client later. If you want fresh air, go find your friends."

"Meet a client."

As soon as he said that, something else clearly flashed across Helga's face.

Perhaps realizing her emotional shift was a bit too obvious, she pressed her lips together and let a look of disappointment wash over her features.

"I see. Well, go handle your business. I'll walk around on my own."

She glanced up casually, caught sight of something, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

"Wait, Caden."

"Hmm?"

Before he could react, Helga stood on her tiptoes and leaned in close. One hand grasped his forearm while the other reached up to touch his hair.

Caden looked at her in confusion.

Helga pointed to the top of his head, smiling in explanation. "It's nothing. You just had something in your hair."

She chuckled lightly. "Honestly, I didn't expect him to win this for me. He mentioned earlier that jade suited me, but I thought he was just saying that."

Shera smiled, her tone indifferent. "A bracelet bought by an absolute fool. It does look nice."

"Oh, my apologies, Ms. Sutton. I missed a few zeroes there. You don't mind, do you?"

The smile faded from Helga's lips. She took a sip of her champagne and also turned her gaze to the lighthouse.

"Did you know Caden and I have known each other since we were kids?"

Shera raised an eyebrow. She certainly hadn't expected Helga to come all the way out here to dredge up ancient history.

What was the point of this?

Marking her territory? Gloating round two? Trying to move her with a sob story about their childhood romance?

"And your point is?"

Helga's voice was soft, paced deliberately. "My mother and Yvette grew up together. Caden is three years older than me. When my mom was pregnant, he would point at her belly and say it was his little sister."

"Back then, Yvette used to say that if it was a girl, we'd be practically promised to each other."

"Our families were close. We were each other's closest companions. We went to school together, grew up together. Back then, everyone at school said I was going to marry him."