Chapter 1752:


    When Keira appeared in the doorway, Sandra turned to her with a teasing smile. “Mom… is that your boyfriend?”


    Keira raised an eyebrow, a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “He is not my boyfriend. We dance together at the park. If anything, you could say he’s been pursuing me.” She tugged at the gold bracelet on her wrist. “See this? He gave it to me. But don’t go reading into it—marriage is not on the table. I simply enjoy dancing with him. His wife passed awayst year, and his children all have families of their own now, so he lives alone.”


    Sandra kept her expression gentle and let her mother talk, nodding here and there without interruption.


    When Keira finally wound down, Sandra said lightly, “Honestly? I wouldn’t mind if you got married again.”


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    Keira straightened as though she’d been poked. “What nonsense. I already told you—I am not getting married. If anything, I might consider having a boyfriend. But that’s it.”


    “All right, all right,” Sandra replied, raising her hands in surrender. “Still, he seems like a decent man. And I’d imagine his pension isn’t small.”


    A flicker of quiet pride crossed Keira’s face. “More than ten thousand a month. And all his children have solid jobs—none of them lean on him for money. His situation is really quite good, much better than your father’s ever was. And the best part? He doesn’t care that I’m missing a hand. He’s thoughtful and generous.”


    Sandra arched an eyebrow. “So you do like him.”


    Keira shot her a sharp look and changed the subject without missing a beat. “Promise me you’ll tell me before you go on that blind date. I want to see whether the man is decent. If Giselle dares to set you up with the wrong person, I won’t let it go.”


    Sandra sighed. “She only mentioned it in passing. She never said anything definite. What if he’s already taken? You always assume the worst. What if he’s actually a good man, but he refuses to date me because of how I was born? What do I do then?”


    Keira dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “Stop holding onto that. You are my daughter—talented, a fashion designer, and a Harper. And that man is a mid-level official. Do you honestly think Shepard isn’t using you to build a little goodwill with people in government? Businesspeople getting close to officials is perfectly normal.”


    Sandra considered that. “And so what if it’s true? As long as I’m useful to the Harper family, they’ll treat me well.”


    Giselle and her old ssmate Brandon Vargas had arranged to meet at Moonlight Restaurant over the weekend.


    Moonlight Restaurant was something close to a pce—glimmering chandeliers, polished marble floors, and an atmosphere that drew Shirie’s elite like a ma.


    Just as Giselle was preparing to leave, Brenna arrived home. Even though it was the weekend, Ethan had a social engagement to attend, and Elsa had gone along with him—something to do with Brindleton Girls’ School, helping students secure internships and work-study cements after university. With the house unusually quiet, Brenna had decided to spend the evening with the Harper family instead.


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