Chapter 731 Lola, Is There Still a Chance for Us?
Johnny greedily gazed at Lola.
She was still slender, but her complexion had improved a lot. With light makeup and a mature, elegant outfit, it was hard to believe that not long ago she had given up on life.
He hesitated, thinking that maybe letting go was the right thing to do.
Despite knowing he shouldn't, he had promised not to see her again. But when he ran into her by chance, he couldn't help but stop her. Johnny couldn't resist asking her, "How have you been lately? Are you still having trouble sleeping at night? And the kids..."
He suddenly stopped, unable to continue.
Lola's gaze was not as cold as before, even more serene. In the dim light, he noticed the slight sagging of her eyelids, a sign of collagen loss in a woman, a reminder that Lola was no longer young.
Lola calmly looked at him for a few seconds.
He thought she wouldn't speak to him, but unexpectedly, she softly replied, "I'm doing okay! The kids are doing well too."
Johnny was somewhat taken aback.
He couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. He looked deeply into Lola's eyes and after much consideration, he said softly, "If I learn to respect you, not pressure you, Lola... is there still a chance between us?"
Lola averted her gaze,
She turned to the driver and said, "Open the car door!"
The driver opened the door again, Johnny's throat moved slightly, he wanted to say more, but Lola had already turned and got into the car, not giving him a chance.
The driver closed the car door.
The words Johnny had left unspoken lingered on his lips, carried away by the wind.
The driver naturally recognized him, gave an apologetic smile, went around to the front, got in the car, and quickly drove away.
Standing in the cold wind, when the wind blew, he couldn't help but cough for a while.
A respectable middle-aged man came out of the neighboring club and warmly put his arm around Johnny, "I heard from a friend that you were here. I couldn't find you for a while, so I came down to look for you. What... which beauty has Mr. Flores captivated?"
Johnny smiled faintly, "How could that be! Just ran into an acquaintance."
The man asked casually, "Who is it that has Mr. Flores so captivated?"
Johnny whispered, "My ex-wife."
The atmosphere became awkward, and it took the man a while to come back to his senses, chuckling, "So it's Ms. Hawkins, huh? Is she dining next door? The food at Manilove restaurant is really good... Hahaha."
Johnny's handsome lips curved into a subtle smile.
His marriage had failed, and although he discussed business at the club, no one dared to set him up with a young woman.
Everyone in Seattle knew that Johnny was heartbroken!
Johnny left after only about an hour. He had driven there himself, but he couldn't resist driving to The Hawkins Mansion after the encounter with Lola that night.
The Hawkins Mansion was brightly lit at night.
Johnny sat in his car outside the gate, smoking quietly with the car door open, occasionally coughing.
And so, they lived in the same city.
Though they had known each other since childhood, they were now strangers to each other.
Johnny hardly disturbed Lola, even when he saw the kids, he only picked them up from school, took them out for a meal, and then brought them back. He never set foot inside The Hawkins Mansion, keeping his own words in mind.
He had said he would give Lola her freedom back.
Occasionally, from a distance and sometimes outside, he could still see her. Perhaps by not disturbing her anymore, Lola saw him differently, not as cold as before, but without the intention of reconciling with him... Johnny sometimes thought maybe this was for the best.
She was doing well, the kids were doing well, and another child was on the way.
He had his regrets.
He started working normally, and quit smoking and drinking.
He thought there was no hope of reconciliation with Lola, but he had to watch the kids grow up properly.
On Christmas Eve, the Hawkins family gathered together, and even Gavin and Natalie came over.
Natalie had returned from abroad and was now working at a comic book company.
She had settled in Seattle.
As they chatted and raised their glasses, the younger ones chatted casually. Natalie asked Amara, "Amara, didn't you say Caitlyn was coming too? Where is she?"
She gave Amara a thumbs-up, "The former rival in love, Amara, you're so magnanimous!"
Kingsley kicked her with his foot, "Stop it! Or I'll throw you out."
Natalie hid behind Amara, not afraid of him.
Amara chuckled, grabbed Natalie's arm, and pulled her out, smiling, "She had something come up last minute. Katelyn called her to help make some cakes, said Mr. Carter wasn't around, and asked her to spend Christmas with them."
Natalie wrinkled her nose, "She believed that? Landon and his daughter tricked her, and she even helped them count the money!"
Amara lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, not responding.
Landon was indeed on a business trip, but she didn't know if he would rush back tonight.
Natalie lost interest in the topic and whispered, "When I arrived earlier, I saw..."
Kingsley glanced at her, then threw an orange at her, silencing her.
Was there a need to say more?
Almost every other day, Johnny stood outside like a security guard.
No one was blind! How could they not see?
Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Natalie quickly closed her mouth and glanced at Lola... who was calmly flipping through a fashion magazine while Angelina sitting beside her, working on a craft. Her hearing had mostly recovered recently.
Natalie's eyes welled up, "Thank goodness!"
Kingsley threw another orange at her, then picked a big one, peeled it, and handed it to Amara, who didn't particularly like oranges, but Kingsley stared at her lips and said, "Your lips are a bit chapped, have some oranges to boost your vitamin C."
In front of everyone, Amara respected him, even though she found him childish.
Their little daughter, Dione, held onto the sofa, wobbling over to Kingsley, grinning cutely.
"Dione wanted some too!"
Kingsley called out, "Jesse, peel an orange for Dione."
Frederick shook his head, thinking, "Only Amara can deal with Kingsley's temperament."
The Kingsley didn't stay long, and left with Jesse and Dione. On Christmas Eve, light snow began to fall, luckily not heavy, gently spreading in the night sky.
Amara wanted to watch, but the kids were in the car, so she looked through the car window.
"Kingsley, it's snowing!"
Kingsley took off his coat as he got into the car, wearing a thin sweater. He focused on the road ahead, his voice barely audible as he chuckled.
Amara was in her thirties, but that remark sounded quite girlish.
That soft chuckle made Amara blush slightly. How could she not know him?
Dione sat in her child seat, holding an apple, "Daddy made Mommy laugh again."Unexpectedly, Kingsley softly replied, "Yes."
Amara leaned back in her chair, looking at Kingsley, and softly said, "You jerk."
He grabbed her hand.
Kingsley continued to look straight ahead at the road, and said seriously, "How am I a jerk? Is it because I didn't take care of Ms. Butler, didn't ensure Ms. Butler's well-being?"
Amara cared about her dignity and involuntarily softened, "Kingsley, the kids are still in the car!"
Kingsley held her hand for a moment and then let go.
The black Rolls-Royce quietly drove through the night, and Amara felt safe and comfortable.
She leaned back in her chair, looking out at the dark night through the window, and couldn't help but think of Caitlyn. Caitlyn should be celebrating Christmas Eve as well.
The Carter Manor was brightly lit.
In the panoramic kitchen, especially bright, a mother and daughter were busy because Katelyn wanted to make a Christmas cake with a castle and Landon.
After a busy time, Caitlyn finally finished baking the base.
When it came to decorating the cake, she felt troubled. The castle was fine, but how should she make Landon?
Katelyn rested her little head on her hand and encouraged her, "He's the image in your mind. I often see you staring at him. Is my dad handsome?"
Caitlyn wanted to shut her up.
She didn't know how the late Phoebe was, but Katelyn was raised by Landon. Regardless of blood ties, she had inherited his temperament entirely.
Seeing her embarrassment, Katelyn stretched lazily, "I'm going outside to see the snow. You take your time, and when you're done, we'll eat it together."
Caitlyn was speechless. After Katelyn ran off, she worked on the cake with care and couldn't help but glance out the window.
The snow was falling heavier!
She might not be able to go back tonight, but she wasn't too worried about it. Landon had been traveling frequently lately, leaving Katelyn in her care, and she had stayed over a few times.
Thinking about this, her cheeks flushed.
The sound of a car outside caught Caitlyn's attention. Thinking it was the driver returning from shopping, as Hazel had gone out with the driver to buy groceries due to the recent snow, she focused on making the cake, as Katelyn was not easy to handle.
Footsteps approached from behind, and she thought it was Katelyn returning, so she gently said, "Feeling cold outside?"
No one responded.
The footsteps drew closer, and then a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, accompanied by a male scent with a hint of winter chill.
Landon?
Caitlyn was surprised and unsure. How had he returned?
In a fluster, she tried to get him to let go.
But his hand covered hers, and then he held her hand back, gently exploring her slender fingers in his broad palm. Resting his head on her thin shoulder, he softly exhaled, "Making a cake?"
Caitlyn couldn't push him away, her voice trembling, "Let go of me!"
Landon held her a bit tighter and gently nibbled at the back of her neck.
Then he released her.
Leaning against the nearby counter, feeling a bit weary from the long drive, he wanted a cigarette but hesitated because of her. So, he took out his cigarette case and lighter from his pocket and left them there.
He watched her attentively as she made the cake, squeezing out a little figure, supposed to be him.
His voice softened even more as he explained, "I was supposed to come back the day after tomorrow, but seeing it snow, I wanted to come back early to be with you all."
Caitlyn whispered, "Just being with Katelyn is enough, don't say you're here for me."
Landon fell silent, just watching her under the light, unable to take his eyes off her.
During this time, to avoid making her uncomfortable, he had been very restrained. Apart from that one time he had taken care of her, he really hadn't touched her. Landon had behaved like a true gentleman, and gradually, she had let her guard down.
Occasionally, when he was busy, she would take Katelyn back with her for a couple of days.
It was strange that Caitlyn, with a bad temper, was actually quite liked by Katelyn.
Landon turned and slowly washed his hands.
He had been driving for four hours and hadn't had dinner, so he quickly made a simple sandwich from the ingredients he found in the fridge and ate it without much fuss.
Caitlyn couldn't help but say, "I made eight dishes for dinner, and they're still in the restaurant!"
Landon walked up behind her, leaned down, and kissed her cheek, "I want to be here with you!... But I need to go upstairs to take a shower and change clothes now, or I might catch a cold tomorrow."
He wouldn't usually act like this.
But tonight, he was particularly shameless, taking advantage of her a bit before leaving.
Feeling overwhelmed by him, Caitlyn covered her face, thinking, "Have I really fallen so low, looking forward to the pleasure an experienced older man can give me? Caitlyn, you mustn't lose your dignity!"
Just as her face was burning, Katelyn ran back.
Feeling cold all over, she hugged Caitlyn from behind and carelessly said, "You're so warm!"
Caitlyn was tossed around by the father-daughter duo, sighed helplessly, then turned to the bathroom to get a clean towel for Katelyn to wipe her hands and face. She poured her a glass of warm milk to drink before finishing the cake.
When they were eating the cake, Landon came downstairs.
He was dressed casually, in dark casual pants, a deep navy shirt, and a matching thin sweater. He wore indoor slippers and leaned back comfortably on the sofa, reading the financial news.
Caitlyn cut a small piece of cake.
Katelyn took a small piece for herself and carried it upstairs to her little castle, not allowing the adults to follow, claiming it was her secret base.
Her thoughts were peculiar, but Landon never interfered.
Watching Katelyn go upstairs, Landon turned to Caitlyn and softly said, "Bring a piece over, I want to taste it too."
"You don't like sweets."
"I've been craving them lately! Sometimes you need a change of taste."
Caitlyn had to cut him a small piece, put it on a small plate, and bring it over.
But as she approached, her slender arm was caught by him. Then he pressed her down on the sofa, and she could feel his desire pressing against her body.
His body was hot and firm, full of male strength.
The small cake had fallen onto the carpet long ago.
Caitlyn turned her face away, "I'm here to teach Katelyn, not to clean the carpet."
He held her close, lightly stroking her elegant nose with one hand and couldn't help but nuzzle her gently... After being busy for half a month, he hadn't seen her for a while and missed her.
He held her lips, kissing her gently, his voice muffled, "I'll clean up later."
Caitlyn realized what he wanted to do, and her heart rate instantly rose.
She placed her hand on his shoulder, breathing lightly, "Katelyn could come down at any moment, Hazel went grocery shopping with the driver, and she might..."
She couldn't finish her sentence because Landon covered her lips and kissed her passionately.
His warm palm slipped under her sweater, grasping her trembling body.
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