?Chapter 747:


    “I’ll have Bart send a team to discreetly protect your parents. Regarding the drug, we’ll intensify our search for the one concealing it.”


    Harlee gave a gentle nod, her head bowed in contemtion.


    After a while, she raised her eyes to Rhys and said, “Ree, you know, while you were discussing with my dad, I had a meal that my mom prepared especially for me. It was surprising. My mom, who never cooked, learned just for me and even injured her hands in the process.”


    “Beforeing back to the Sanderson family, I had braced myself to keep them at arm’s length, expecting nothing more than obligatory kindness or apologies for the years lost.”


    Years with the emotionally distant Gill family had tempered Harlee’s expectations of kindness from the family she hadn’t known for nearly two decades. Thus, even as she recognized the Sanderson family’s kindness, she maintained a distance, viewing them merely as acquaintances linked by blood, not as loved ones.


    Yet, she hadn’t foreseen the Sanderson family’s wholehearted eptance and affection, nor her mother’s efforts to repair their bond by stepping into the kitchen—a ce once unfamiliar to her.


    Rhys sped her hands in his.


    Harlee paused and then looked up to meet his gaze once more.


    Rhys moved closer, his eyes earnest.


    “Lee, are you happy?”


    Without a moment’s hesitation, Harlee nodded.


    “Yes, happier than I’ve ever been. So…”


    She caught the confused look in Rhys’ eyes and cupped his face.


    gα?ησν????s??om has it all


    “So, I don’t want to waste this love. I want to cherish them properly, just like… I want to learn to cherish you. Ree, will you help me protect my family?”


    Rhys’ eyes fluttered when Harlee confessed her love, his voice quivering slightly.


    “I… I will.”


    Witnessing the joy on Rhys’ face, Harlee’s heart melted. She impulsively leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Rhys, caught off guard by the gentle kiss, soon responded by cing his hand behind Harlee’s head, kissing her deeply and savoring the sweetness of her lips.


    After Harlee and Rhys’ departure to Remson Manor for the evening, a noticeable tension hung in the air of the Sanderson residence’s study.


    At that moment, Lonnie, Brenton, Fleming, and Fletcher sat in silence.


    Fleming, positioned on the sofa to the right of Lonnie, showed signs of irritation.


    “Dad, why did you allow Harlee to stay at Remson Manor overnight?”


    Lonnie exhaled deeply.


    “I’m hesitant to admit it, but Rhys is a suitable match, and Harlee is fond of him… I worry that by not endorsing them, I might be the viin who tears apart soulmates.”


    As for my reasons for letting Harlee stay at Remson Manor tonight…” Lonnie trailed off, leaving his thoughts hanging without further exnation.


    Fletcher’s anxiety grew as he asked, “Dad, why did you stop talking all of a sudden?”


    Another long silence followed before Lonnie continued, “There’s something important I need to disclose… Kareem is in the military, and Clint is hospitalized, so they’re unavable.


    Brenton, Fleming, would you reach out to them?”


    Once Kareem and Clint were present via video call, Lonnie took his time before addressing the five of them.


    .


    .


    .