Kieran continued with his work, and the room was quiet and peaceful. He looked up at the two of them, and a sense of calm and tranquillity settled in the air.
Cole didn't return until much later. But when he finally did, he walked in with two large bags in his hands. "Ms. Hart," he called out. "Take these with you."
Lila arched her brow. "What's this?"
She reached out to take the bags, but they were so heavy they almost made her fall over. Luckily, Cole grabbed them back before she lost her balance. He glanced cautiously at Kieran and breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed he wasn't upset.
Cole carefully set the bags down, and Lila, holding her back after nearly twisting her waist, squatted down to see what was inside the two large bags, which were almost as full as half a sack.
When she spotted a 22-pound bag of flour inside, she massaged her temples. The bags contained some food and daily necessities meant for Ash's family. When she noticed the children's moisturizer, she froze and then looked up at the still pale-faced man.
Kieran seemed to sense her gaze and turned toward her. "I'll have Cole drive you back later," he said softly.
Lila swallowed the lump in her throat and responded calmly, "It's alright. I borrowed a car from the production team, so I have to return it."
Kieran didn't say anything else after that. After Cole packed up, the four of them headed out together.
When it was time to say goodbye, Ash walked over and tugged on Kieran's shirt. "Mister, don't forget to visit us when you're done with your work!"
He was so casual about it, and the best part was that Kieran had actually agreed. On the way back, Lila still couldn't believe it. But after thinking it over, she figured he probably just agreed to humor the child.
"I thought I might stick around and see how things are here, then discuss with the company about possibly getting some sponsorships or using charity channels to build a school here."
Matthew listened and felt a little moved. "Would the company handle these kinds of things?"
"I'm not sure." Lila shook her head. "But it's worth a shot. Who knows what will happen? Besides, the company holds a charity gala every year. If the show becomes popular, there'll be plenty of sponsors, and we could use that to help boost local development.
"Though whether it'll be a hit or not is really down to luck. Right now, applying through the company seems like the easiest way." Instead of overthinking, it felt better to do something meaningful.
Matthew observed her solemn expression and thought for a moment before asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian)