Chapter 181: Annie & Bella. (2/2)
Annie chuckled. "You’re more responsible than me, you know that?"
Bella beamed, proud. "That’s because you’re family. Family takes care of each other."
Annie felt her eyes sting a little. She’d lost so much, so many faces fading from her memory—but here was this girl beside her, nursing her through sickness, watching over her like a hawk, and never once asking for anything in return. She pulled Bella into a side hug, careful not to press too much against her belly.
"You’re the best little sister I never asked for," Annie whispered.
"And you’re the big sister I always needed."
Roy pretended not to hear as he turned onto the highway, the Mercedes gliding like a silent beast through Philadelphia’s morning traffic.
In the rearview mirror, he saw Annie rest her head on Bella’s shoulder while Bella kept glancing at her with that same hawk-like protection.
For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself a tiny smile.
They were almost home.
Lukas straightened his blazer in front of the full-length mirror of the suite. The morning had started like any other: a sunrise jog in the high-rise gym, followed by a lavish breakfast delivered to his suite.
But now, the day was in motion.
Class at Princeton had been light, his professors going easier on him than usual—partly because of his rising fame, partly because he submitted his assignments early. As he stepped out of the lecture hall, his phone buzzed. It was Ashmika.