Chapter 271
"Cassie paused, her view of her father evolving in an instant. ""Isn't that going a bit overboard?""
""It's no trouble at all,"" Leo responded with ease, gently threading his fingers through her hair. ""Even if you back out of the engagement later, you won't have any obligations.""
""Dad."" The word tumbled from Cassie's mouth, catching her by surprise.
A wide smile spread across Leo's face. ""I'd like to hear that again.""
With a flush of embarrassment, Cassie cast a downward gaze and fell silent.
Leo chuckled warmly. ""I've been smitten before, too. There was a time after your mother and I separated when all I felt was heartache and yearning. It's not the same with you two, though. He's clearly into you. And you, since boarding that plane, you've seemed so much more relaxed.""
Cassie didn't respond; her father’s attentive observation signified his deep care for her, a stark contrast to the indifference of her previous life with Robert.
Maybe this trip to Madison would bring her the fatherly warmth she’d missed for so long.
———
After landing,
Leo took her straight to their villa in Snowford Evergreen.
Snowford Evergreen was dotted with villas and estates, all inhabited by the true elites of New York, people of wealth and influence recognized by the world over.
Cassie saw many luxurious villas along the way, but one imposing estate situated midway up the hillside was particularly distinguished.
Noticing Cassie’s fascinated glances, Leo pointed out, ""That's the Hernandez estate over there.""
Her heart skipped a beat.
She thought that she and Joseph were forever out of each other's lives, yet here she was, about to live in proximity to the Hernandez family. Did Joseph live there too? What was his standing with the Hernandez family? Would their paths ever cross?
No, she thought, let it go. That was all in the past.
Upon arriving at the villa, as soon as the car stopped, an elegant and stately woman approached, ""Honey, you're back. And this must be Cassie! You’re even more lovelier than I imagined.""
""This is Vera,"" Leo said softly.
""Hello,"" Cassie greeted, surprised to receive a warm welcome instead of the cold shoulder she had braced herself for. Nonetheless, she couldn’t quite believe a woman would genuinely embrace her husband's child from another relationship. Vera was no ordinary woman.
""Oh, such manners,"" Vera said with a smile, then suddenly turned and called toward the villa, ""Luna, enough with the video games, come out here!""
A girl around Cassie's age emerged, with a delicate oval face, skin fair as snow, her features blooming like a radiant peony.
The moment Luna laid eyes on her, disappointment flared at the clarity of the resemblance. She saw traces of their father, Leo, etched distinctly in her own features, as well as in Luna's—a subtle similarity. Yet, Luna's lips and teeth lacked the delicate refinement she possessed.
For a girl accustomed to privilege, the arrival of a younger, prettier girl, who bore a resemblance to herself, was an insufferable injustice.
With a sarcastic edge, Luna remarked, “You're kidding yourself if you think she looks like Dad. I wouldn’t put it past them if they found her on the street.""
Leo's response was curt and commanding. ""Enough, Luna. If you can't speak sensibly, then don't speak at all.""
""Dad!"" Luna stamped her foot, her frustration boiling over.
""It's okay, Dad,"" Cassie interjected, giving Leo a reassuring glance. ""I understand how Luna feels. I might react the same way in her shoes.""
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