No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I froze. "What the heck was that all about?"

How come he'd been on the phone with Ernest all this time?

Conrad, having just ended the call, looked at me and said, "Ernest called me just now. I thought he had hung up, but it seems he didn't because he was worried."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" I retorted sarcastically.

It was clear as day that Conrad had intentionally not ended the call, and deliberately asked me if I still wanted Ernest in my life.

Caught out, Conrad didn't try to deny it. Instead, he admitted, "Call it my selfishness, if you will. It just so happened to let Ernest know where you stand, to show him... that Felicia isn't someone who comes and goes at someone else's beck and call." Honestly, I wasn't afraid of Ernest knowing how I feel. In fact, it was better this way; it saved me the effort of explaining myself.

"Thanks for your thoughtfulness'," I said mockingly before getting out of the car.

Conrad followed, starting to fill me in on Dustin's living situation, "This place, Dustin bought it with his own money. He's lived here all four years he's been abroad. You see these flowers and plants? He's been taking care of them all by himself, never once hired a maid or a gardener."

This was all news to me. Dustin had never mentioned it, and even when I was living with the Wagner family, they barely talked about Dustin. On the rare occasions they did, it was just to say that he'd called and was doing fine over here.

a son

this was how Dustin had spent those

all on his own. Besides his nature of doing things himself,

his way of

garden was also Dustin's own design,"

jack of all trades, smart and picks things up fast-way better than me, as you know," Conrad added with a self-deprecating

Dustin was undeniable. Thinking about Dustin's ambitions, it seemed

almost said something but then

smart guy. Even if

business acumen was unmatched. Having thrived in the business world for years, he wasn't the type to misjudge

the sake of brotherhood, to keep peace by

gone quiet," Conrad asked, noticing my

you talk," I looked around the villa, "it seems

He has other investments," Conrad said calmly, without

own wealth and education, he had no reason to

to be fiercely competitive, unwilling to accept anyone being better