Two Times the Charm (Clara and Emmett) novel Chapter 475

"Thanks for understanding, Dad. I'm going to look into this further."

Patrick raised an eyebrow, a playful skepticism in his gaze. "Do you think Clara isn't the person the media's making her out to be?"

Emmett hesitated, his jaw tightening just a fraction before he nodded. He didn't want to keep secrets from his father. "Just like you know Mom inside out, I know Clara. I mean, we've shared a bed long enough; I know what kind of person she is."

Patrick opened his mouth, as if to object or add something, but then he swallowed the words back down.

"It's good to do some digging. We don't want to wrong anyone, and you certainly don't want to live with regrets. No one could stand this sort of thing at first. Your judgement gets clouded. Now that you've cooled off, looking into it again makes sense. Whatever the outcome, at least you'll have peace of mind. I'll support whatever you decide to do. And if you need my help, just say the word. And your mother... don't worry about her. She's just a bit of a chatterbox, you know that. Look how she's been scared sick since you fell ill!"

"Yeah."

"I know things have been tense between you and your mother because of Clara, but at the end of the day, she's still your mother. Don't forget that."

Emmett nodded again. "I get it. It's just... there's been so much happening one after the other, I haven't had a chance to sort it all out. Once I'm out of here, I'll sit down with Mom."

"That's my boy!" Patrick's smile beamed with pride. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

They chatted a bit more about business and the Melendez Group, which Emmett was running single-handedly. It was a lot for one person to handle, both time-consuming and mentally draining.

"Get some rest, son. I'll head out now. Remember, don't overdo it with work, your health is what matters most, alright?"

Emmett gave a tired but sincere smile, nodding. "Sure, Dad. I'm keeping an eye on it, nothing to worry about."

Could Leah be the one who threatened Clara?

With that thought, Emmett suddenly said, "No, I've finished my work."

He put away his laptop and, uncharacteristically, gave Leah a small, inviting smile. "The kids love pastries. If they're really good, you should have let them have the first taste."

Leah quickly responded, "I already made some for them and dropped it off."

"The kids have been worried sick about you, begging to come visit," Sophia chimed in. "You have no idea, these past few days, we'd have been lost without Leah. She's been such a help with the kids, keeping them company, making sure they do their homework, attending parent-teacher meetings. I'd need to be a superwoman to manage without her!"