Chapter 1014

Connor stood on the upstairs balcony, watching everything play out below.

He saw the way Chloe's face softened with relief when she checked her phone. That smile-so small, but so real-made something twist painfully in his chest.

She was worried about Lucas.

And being here alone with Connor seemed to put her on edge. She trusted Lucas, that much was obvious.

With a heavy sigh, Connor slipped back inside. Eventually, he picked up his phone and called Teddy. Lucas had said he'd be home tonight, but Chloe didn't seem sure when exactly that would be.

As evening settled in, Connor found himself wandering into the kitchen again. Honestly, letting a guest do the cooking was kind of ridiculous, but with Chloe's cooking skills being what they were, it was either this or takeout. The kids, at least, were thrilled.

Dinner was Chinese again, but way more impressive than lunch. The table was loaded: steaming dumplings, stir-fried veggies, braised pork, fragrant rice, and a big bowl of soup.

During dinner, Connor did his best to keep the conversation moving-anything to keep things from getting awkward. He chatted about travel, funny childhood stories, even asked for opinions on the best dessert. The tension between them faded, replaced by easy laughter and a light, comfortable vibe.

He was back to being Mr. Connor: polite, charming, and somehow always knowing just what to say.

realized he really was good at this. He seemed to know a little bit about everything, and he

smile, "what made you want to open a flower

different scents. Every flower smells unique, and lately,

with her memory loss, her old hobbies hadn't changed. She still loved fragrances and making

book at home—old recipes for incense and

was interested, and she'd just started experimenting with her own

be amazing, Mr.

knock echoed

right away. She guessed it had to

hurried over and pulled the

there-but he wasn't alone. There

happened to your face?" she blurted

question, just grabbed her hand and tugged her inside. "We

living room, he froze. Over by the

up, moving toward

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