Chapter 33
Chapter 33:
Growth often arrived without announcement, and Kailey carried that kind of change within her now. She was less impulsive than before, no longer filling every silence with chatter. In its place was a steady calm, shaped by everything she had already lived through. In a strange way, that maturity suited her well.
Later that evening, once the day had wound down, Kailey went inside and offered to help with dinner. Shirley fussed over her at once, still thinking about how long she had been outside in the sun. “You’ve been out there all day. And you can’t even cook properly. Go sit down and rest. Check your phone or something p>
Warmth spread through Kailey’s chest, and after a moment of reluctant hesitation, she stepped away from the kitchen.
As she turned around, her eyes landed on two people standing at the entrance.
The smile on her face stiffened, and her feet stopped moving.
Aleena, who had been preparing to cut some fruit nearby, noticed and called out casually, “Didn’t I tell you to go relax on the couch? Why are you just standing there p>
Her words trailed off the moment she saw the two of them stepping inside. After a brief pause, she composed a courteous smile. “Ryan, you brought a friend? Please, sit down. Kailey, go get some water p>
𝗪𝗁𝘢t 𝗲𝗏𝘦𝘳yoո𝖾 𝗶𝗌 𝗋𝘦𝗮𝖽𝘪ո𝗀 𝗼n
The politeness was smooth but carried a quiet distance, as though Olivia had been gently marked as someone who did not quite belong there.
Olivia’s face tightened for the smallest moment before she recovered. She offered a bright, practiced smile. “Hello. It’s so nice to finally meet you p>
Aleena lifted an eyebrow, giving nothing away, then turned her attention toward the kitchen. “Shirley, Ryan is home p>
Ryan’s eyes swept across the room. When they accidentally met Kailey’s gaze, something sharp tugged at his chest.
Kailey looked away at once, her expression composed, and walked into the kitchen as if nothing had happened.
Shirley had just finished rinsing her hands. As she passed Kailey, she leaned in and asked under her breath, “Who did he bring back with him p>
“His girlfriend,” Kailey answered quietly.
Shirley let out a short, dismissive sound. “Any woman he likes is bound to be trouble p>
Kailey faltered for a second, unable to argue. People with experience often saw more than they said.
Her thoughts shifted quickly to the emerald amulet still in Olivia’s possession. A faint frown crossed her face. She needed it back soon—she couldn’t keep waiting on Ryan to handle it. Should she confront Olivia herself?
As Kailey set two glasses of water down on the coffee table, her mind remained tangled in its own quiet circling. She stepped back and let the stiff, polite conversation wash over her from a distance.
Olivia seemed to thrive in moments like this. With only a few carefully chosen words, she managed to charm everyone in the room, introducing herself as if she had always belonged there.
Kailey found it unbearable to sit through. Without drawing attention to herself, she slipped upstairs, dropped onto the couch, and reached for her phone to message Kyson.
He had already wrapped up his work in Ustuijan and was preparing to return to Aslesall.