Chapter 90
The high–end villa district was serene and refined.
Under the soft, golden lights, a picture–perfect couple exchanged smiles.
The man was tall and slender, while the woman was graceful and radiant.
From afar, they looked like a scene straight out of a blissful painting.
That scene cut Brandon to the core.
He steadied himself, took Kendra’s hand, and walked over, acting nonchalant.
“Mr. Pratt, it’s been a while.” Brandon greeted him politely, reaching out his hand.
Brianna shot him a look of annoyance.
He’d changed into sneakers and a T–shirt.
He looked casual, as if he was just taking a walk.
But Brianna knew better.
Brandon had a personal trainer.
He always worked out at the gym.
He never went for walks.
“Mr. Levy,” Tristan said with a devilish smirk, bluntly. “I just saw some news about you online.”
Brianna shot him a reproachful look.
It was almost like she was reminding him to play nice.
The scene had all the warmth and gentle restraint you’d expect from a couple.
Brandon’s mood soured even more.
He couldn’t help but frown.
Brianna smiled and said, “Kendra, Mr. Pratt got you a birthday present. Go ahead, open it.”
Brianna handed over the gift box.
Kendra replied, “Thanks, Mr. Pratt.”
There was no real spark of joy on Kendra’s face as she accepted the gift.
I’ve gotten so many gifts in my life, nothing really surprises me anymore, Kendra thought to herself.
Unless it was from someone she really liked.
“Kendra, sorry I had something come up and couldn’t make it to your birthday party,” Tristan said.
He softened his tone, trying to please her.
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10:31 Tue, Jul 14 TO
Chapter 90
“It’s okay; it wasn’t really anything special,” Kendra replied.
She sounded unusually grown–up.
She hadn’t really enjoyed her birthday party.
The atmosphere felt strange and awkward.
Brianna just wanted to wrap things up quickly.
“Tristan, why don’t you head home and get some rest? I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said.
Tristan nodded, then gave Brandon a challenging look.
“Catch you later, Mr. Levy. Bye, Kendra,” he said.
“Bye, Tristan,” Kendra replied.
“See you!”
“Mom, why didn’t you invite Mr. Pratt inside for a while?” Kendra asked, her voice full of innocent curiosity.
With your dad looking like he’s ready to bite someone’s head off, you still want to invite him inside?‘ Brianna thought to herself.
“Mr. Pratt probably has something else to do,” Brianna answered offhandedly.
“Mom, I think Mr. Pratt likes you,” Kendra blurted out in her usual innocent way.
“Yeah, he’s a good friend of mine,” Brianna replied.
She just brushed it off.
“Is he like Patsy?” Kendra asked.
“Yeah, they’re both friends I grew up with,” Brianna answered.
They chatted casually as they headed home together..
Once inside, Brianna led Kendra upstairs.
After helping Kendra with her homework, giving her a bath, and tucking her in, Brianna gently closed the door to her daughter’s room.
She returned to the master bedroom, her mind heavy with thoughts.
Brandon was leaning against the headboard, wearing rimless glasses/and reading a book, looking every bit the scholar.
Brianna glanced at the title.
She forced a smile, pulled over a chair, and sat down–not too close, not too far from Brandon.
“The Old Babel Express? Thinking about traveling?” Brianna asked, just trying to keep things light.
Brandon made a face, closed the book, and set it on the nightstand.
“Who has time for that?” he replied.
He kept his eyes on Brianna, waiting for her to continue.
10:31 Tue, Jul 14
Chapter 90
He spoke with extra care, his tone and demeanor gentle.
He was worried he might see fear in her eyes again.
Brianna paused for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and then spoke slowly.
“Brandon, I need to talk to you,” Brianna said.
Brianna’s tone was grave, and she was silently weighing her words, trying to figure out how to say what was on her mind.
Brandon’s heart tightened.
The way she tiptoed around him stung Brandon, right in the eyes.
He hated seeing her so nervous around him.
She noticed he stayed silent.
Brianna felt even more uneasy.
“You didn’t really mean what you said to Darcy today, did you?” she asked.
Brandon wanted so badly to tell her, ‘I’d never do anything to hurt you‘
But the words caught in his throat, and he just couldn’t get them out.
He just furrowed his brows, annoyed with himself.
Brianna saw his brows knit even tighter.
She had to soften her tone once more. “Brandon, you mean so much to me. You’re my family. I really don’t want anything bad to happen to you.
“Promise me you won’t do anything you’ll regret–nothing truly unforgivable. Even if it’s for our daughter.”
Brianna let her worries spill out at last.
She was genuinely afraid–afraid that Brandon might become cold–hearted.
After all these years living together, he was once the man she loved, and the father of their daughter.
Even though the love between them had faded, she still didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.
Brandon’s eyes were deep.
His mind was churning with thoughts.
‘Wait, is she actually worried about me?‘ Brandon wondered. ‘Is that all I am to her now? Just family?‘
Brandon stayed silent.
When he still didn’t say anything, Brianna went ahead and sat down on the bed, her voice gentle, like she was coaxing a child, and continued.
“Let’s take our time with this whole thing about Darcy being pregnant, okay? Please, don’t do anything drastic,” she said softly.
Brandon’s heart was a storm of mixed feelings.
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10:31 Tue, Jul 14
Chapter 90
After a long pause, he spoke slowly, his voice subdued. “I had just turned twelve when I was sent abroad to study.
“I was the only Asian kid in my class, and the others constantly bullied me.”
He spoke in a calm, almost indifferent way.
He managed a smile, but it couldn’t mask the sorrow beneath.
Brandon continued, “I was all alone–no family around, no friends.
“Every time I got a call from home, my parents would tell me that as the one who’d inherit the Levy family, I had to be strong.”
There was a faint smile in Brandon’s eyes, but he gave a slight, almost mocking twist of his lips.
It felt like he was quietly scoffing at how predictable his parents‘ lectures were.
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