Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

My body tensed. I instinctively wanted to avoid his touch, but Conrad held on tightly and gave me no chance to escape.

This feeling of being controlled by someone else was unpleasant, and I didn't like it. I frowned, "Conrad..."

Before I could finish, Conrad interrupted me. "Maddie, Chris is my brother, so I can't speak ill of him, but he's an exception. You can't give up your principles because of him."

His grip was tight. I could feel his tension. He was trembling. His gaze was intense, and his tone was heavy. There was even a pleading edge to it. "Maddie, finding a boyfriend is not a game. You have to be careful. One wrong move can ruin your life."

Seeing his earnestness, I felt a bit guilty. I almost wanted to tell him that Brandon was just a temporary boyfriend.

But that thought quickly vanished. Bringing Brandon was meant to end any lingering hopes the Gildon family might have. If I told him the truth, what was the point of this charade?

"Conrad, I'm not a child. I know what I'm doing," I retorted.

"But you've only known Brandon for a few days!" Conrad's voice grew louder. He was clearly upset.

known him for a few

Conrad as an older brother

shock. His grip on my

say anything; he just stared at me with a

recognized the depth of his gaze, then moved slightly. "Conrad, some connections are

I spoke, I felt Conrad's body

my shoulders didn't loosen completely, I could tell it wasn't

were in this tense standoff, Xander appeared out of nowhere and smiled brightly.

I'll have someone make a pot of good

He released me as he politely declined, "No need, thank you." Conrad left without looking back at me, and the sense of

long time to recover and return to my office. On my way, I decided to ask

heard his voice. "It's done... Yeah, he's

as he stepped out, he saw me standing at the door. He seemed startled and