Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



"Alright," Roseanne said with a smile, nodding her head, "Then I'll be off now, Uncle and Aunt, see you later~"

Mamie quickly chimed in, "Hey, wait up! Take me with you! I'm headed that way too!"

Scales grabbed her arm, "Why are you always trying to tag along? I'll drive you later."

"But, is that okay?" Mamie was mostly worried because she had laughed too loudly earlier, and now feared Scales might take it out on her.

Scales was undeterred, "I think it's perfectly fine."

Mamie was at a loss for words.

Corley watched Owen Reynolds and Roseanne as they left, his eyes narrowing slightly.

When it was time to get in the car, Roseanne took off her scarf, and Owen naturally reached out to take it from her, to her surprise.noveldrama

Laird approached, patting him on the shoulder, "You sure you want to drive? You've had quite a bit to drink at dinner, and we can't be doing anything illegal..."

Corley frowned, "What about Owen? Did he drink?"

"Nope," Laird waved it off.

"You sure?"

"He was sitting right next to me. How could I not know?"

"And why was there a glass near him with clear liquid in it?"

"That? Oh, he was just having Sprite."

Corley was silenced.

That Owen Reynolds, always one step ahead!

Soon after, their driver pulled up, and Corley got into the car and left.

As the scenery whizzed by the window, Corley stroked his chin, contemplating whether to buy a house near Roseanne's place.

That way, next time it wouldn't just be Owen Reynolds who was 'on the way'!

But the thought was fleeting, quickly suppressed.

Getting too close might scare the little rabbit away.

Once scared, it would hide and never let him close again.

Murray was a lesson from the past.

So, the same mistake couldn't be made.

It just... gave Owen Reynolds an advantage!

As evening turned to night, and the city's hustle and bustle seemed to fade under the starlit sky.

Normally, the driver would take him back to the Sullivan residence, but Corley suddenly remembered that the Rodriguez family's housekeeper had called him unexpectedly that morning. He had been in a meeting at the time, and by the time he called back, a different housekeeper answered.

When he inquired about his grandparents, the housekeeper assured him everything was fine.

Busy with clients, Corley hadn't pressed further, but now he realized the housekeeper wouldn't have called for no reason.

It must have been some non-urgent matter unrelated to his grandparents' health.

Moreover, he hadn't visited his grandparents for a while, so Corley instructed the driver to head to the Rodriguez residence.

---

The Rodriguez family's mansion had

et

a European style, located neatly within the city's exclusive zones. One had to cross a small garden before reaching the entrance, where a vast array of wisteria covered the glass walls of a greenhouse

At first glance, the sunroom looked like a giant basket of purple flowers.

Aberdeen Rodriguez, having adored wisteria since childhood, insisted on having a garden in every place they lived, hence the sunroom.

The Rodriguez Mansion also boasted a vast wisteria forest, within which was a swing set - rumored to be Aberdeen's secret hideout as a child.

As Corley admired the meticulously cared for wisteria, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

He wondered if his grandparents' regrets could ever be fully resolved in their lifetime... "Grandpa! Grandma!"

The moment Corley stepped inside, he called out loudly.

Neely Rodriguez quickly stood up, greeting him with a smile, "Corley?! What brings you here?"

As Corley swapped his shoes for the

slippers the housekeeper offered

and hung his coat on the rack, bè teased, "What, am I not welcome here anymore?"