Chapter 19
Chapter 19:
“It has everything to do with me,” Nora replied, her smile sharp at the edges. “Kailey is my friend. If you decide to make her life difficult, then you are making an enemy of me as well.” She glanced at Kailey and added in a teasing lilt, “If she gets hurt on my watch, someone will come after me for it p>
Olivia was too furious to catch the meaning behind that comment. She snapped coldly, “I am only speaking the truth. Kailey and Ryan are not related by blood. Staying that close will invite rumors, won’t it p>
“Whether it invites rumors or not is his concern, not yours. Who gave you the right to interfere?” Nora shot back.
Olivia’s mouth opened, then closed again as she realized she couldn’t win against Nora. With a stiff expression, she turned away. “I’m not wasting my time on this p>
Nora rolled her eyes, then turned back to Kailey. “Next time someone says something that shameless, don’t just stand there. Say something back. If she truly cared about you, she never would have spoken to you like that p>
Kailey had held her tongue because Olivia was Ryan’s girlfriend. If they married, encounters would be unavoidable, and open hostility might make things uncomfortable for her parents and grandmother.
But Nora was right. If Olivia had no restraint, why should she keep swallowing her own feelings?
Noticing her thoughtful silence, Nora smiled with quiet satisfaction and linked her arm through Kailey’s, steering her forward. “Come on. Let’s go inside. Kyson told me to check you thoroughly. If anything is even slightly off, he will never let me hear the end of it p>
Kailey felt a little embarrassed, yet warmth spread quietly through her chest. For the first time, she understood that even from a distance, someone could still care in such a careful, genuine way.
Though Kailey and Kyson had known each other since childhood, their relationship had never begun with warmth. If anything, they had started as adversaries—always clashing, yet strangely drawn to one another’s presence.
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Kailey was only eight years old when she was adopted by the Owen family. Ryan was already seventeen and buried in his studies, so Kailey stayed with his family. After everything that had happened, she barely spoke. She remained quiet day after day, no matter how hard everyone tried to lift her spirits.
Aleena was close to calling a psychologist when she noticed something unexpected. Kailey had begun lingering near the neighbor’s yard each morning, watching a large golden retriever play with a ball in the grass. She would stand there, the faintest trace of a smile finally appearing on her face.
Aleena decided not to disturb her and simply watched from afar.
Eventually, Kailey crouched near the fence, and without meaning to, her eyes met the dog’s. Her heart gave a small jump, but curiosity held her in place. She tilted her head, holding the strange little stare, until a slim hand suddenly guided the retriever away.
Then, where the dog had been, a face appeared instead. A boy stood there—strikingly handsome, almost unreal in how perfectly his features came together. His eyes held a teasing spark. “What is this? Are you planning to steal my dog p>
Kailey shook her head quickly, flustered. “No… I’m not p>