t left Elsie stunned for

st bit of hope last night, well,

love? Yeah, she co

g it hard to even get a word out. He

fore smiling at her son. "Since you're free this af

liam replie

ressed her lips together and

still figure beside the sof

e, sneering, "Back in the day, if William was off to see Grace, you'

c and cheese the most, remembe

-this wasn't her being obedient. It's just

quite a few of the old staff, and

d, she'd been anxious all the time, barely dared to eat. Nancy was the one who

r face lighting up when she saw her. "Isn't it funny? Use the

ts a wife's

hat, but today, she just felt awkward. "Don't

Elsie was just being mo

extra cheerful: "The mac and cheese today is made just for you by

g out his chair, he paused

lowered her head quickly, flustered.

awkward mood, grinne

questions about her work. She knew he wasn't trul

-bottom of the barrel. Our Harding family didn't raise you up, teach you all those languages,

iquette since she was little. She'd never choose to act and throw ou

soft but sharp, "But mom, didn't you know? Grace just signed with Central Entertainment. She's ente

e Elsie had directly t

Margaret froze, her express

h lifted in amusement. "Didn't thin

r, but seeing the smile in his

st thinking-this was

under someone else's roof. And back then... she never

had let go

e but to learn how

ighten. Her appetite vanished, despite the

m done eating, so she pushed food a

nt of her-a neatly arranged portion of gr

d. William was watching

ge your food?" he said. "There's

small plate-this time with roasted carrots and a

pretty close

ttention from him would've sent

led, deep down her heart still fluttere

g some distance between them, t

sion hardening as her clear attempt to ke

ne

d the plate toward Margaret a

ecially made for him? He di

ticed ev

naive, falling head over

she final

decent guy-he treated ev

ttle kindness, she'd thought it meant something. She'd ev

ly, wha

er felt bland

l-it was pretty obvious she just didn'

ppeared int

ticking of the quartz clock and the rustlin

ain for an excuse to leave when her bestie-slash-manager Olivia M

e noticed William typin

en William stood up, slippi

d, voice colder than the ticking c

ught she'

ried-she'd called him nonstop for over two weeks and he wouldn

eet awkwardly moved toward the entryway, st

lightly and mumbled, "I have to pi

e fr

ought. A passenger-by-chan

unched by something heavy, the

wouldn't let herself keep getting

o. Olivia alre

t him and walked straight

und, he spotted Elsie getting i

at his tie in frustration and muttering under h

: "Mr. Harding, didn't you text saying you'd be taking Mrs

pposed to go with Miss Grace later

e. He stared at the car Elsie had just gotten into, watchi

d the car door and spat th

up you