As Leni stood in the kitchen, preparing lunch, she was struggling to find any motivation to do so. Last night’sck of sleep was weighing heavily on her as she couldn’t shake off the words Hannah had said in the park about being in love with Nelson.


    But that wasn’t the only thing bothering her. She had also told Nelson to forget about the payment, yet she was still obligated to stay on until the deal was finalized. Frustrated and angry, she forcefully mmed the rice spoon down on the counter. Just then, her phone started ringing, interrupting her thoughts.


    With a sigh, she picked up the phone to see it was Hannah calling. Without wasting any time, she answered the call, trying to keep her anger in check.


    “What’s up, Hannah?” she asked, taking a deep breath.


    “Lani!!” Hannah’s voice came in loud and excited, causing Leni to briefly pull the phone away from her ear. “Guess what? I have some incredible news for you!”


    A small crease formed in Leni’s brow as she sat down on a nearby stool, urging Hannah to tell her the news.


    “No, no, bestie. You have to guess first,” Hannah teased.


    Leni paused for a moment before excitedly gasping, “Did David propose to you?”


    Hannah rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not about David. It’s about your brother, Ethan.”


    Leni’s heart raced at the mention of her brother. “What happened? Is something wrong?”


    “No, no, something good is about to happen for your brother, Lani,” Hannah eximed. She then proceeded to enthusiastically exin everything, leaving no detail unmentioned, except for David’s rude behavior and abrupt departure.


    The news filled Leni with a mix of anxiety and excitement, and she couldn’t wait for it to finally be official.


    “Hello, Lani. Are you there?” Hannah inquired when Leni remained unresponsive to her words.


    “Are you telling me the truth, Hannah? Is this not just a figment of your imagination, but reality?” Leni demanded in a hushed tone, her breath catching as excitement threatened to overwhelm her.


    “I assure you, I am not joking. Allow me to pass the phone to Ethan so that you may hear for yourself,” Hannah replied, and Leni heard her brother’s voice on the other end.


    “This is no false news, sis. Our mother has finally sent aid our way. Aid that will enable me to walk again, and you need not worry about your handicapped brother any longer,” Ethan said in a choked voice, on the brink of tears.


    Meanwhile, Leni was unable to contain her emotions. Tears streamed down her cheeks like precious pearls slipping from a string.


    With a loud shriek, she sprinted out of the kitchen and into the yard, jumping and crying in sheer excitement, until she finally copsed onto thewn, a grin stered on her face.


    “Thank you, Lord,” she eximed, her chest heaving as she gazed up at the sky. “Thank you, Mother.”


    Meanwhile, from the first floor window, Nelson couldn’t help but smile, a smile that spread across his face as he watched the unbridled joy radiating from Leni.


    Seeing her happy brought him a sense of pride, knowing that his actions were able to dispel her previous state of despair.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Yes, Nelson was the mastermind behind it all. He had meticulously nned everything together with Herbert, but he preferred to remain anonymous until after the surgery.


    He didn’t want Leni to discover that he was the one footing the bill. He couldn’t exin why, but it brought him great joy to see her happy, knowing that his small gesture made all the difference.


    Leni remained sprawled on thewn, unsure of how long she had been lost in thought. With a contented smile, she finally rose and made her way back into the house, heading straight to the kitchen to finish preparing lunch.


    Her cheerful mood did not go unnoticed by anyone in the household. Even the servants, ustomed to seeing her as a simple girl, could sense her happiness radiating from within. It was a rare sight, one that they had never witnessed before.


    As Leni and the cook busied themselves with arranging the dining table, a maid was sent to fetch Nelson for lunch. It did not take long for him to join them, and the three of them began their meal together. However, Leni had no intention of lingering at the table once he had arrived.


    “You don’t want to dine with me?” Nelson asked nonchntly, not bothering to look in her direction as he picked up his cutlery.


    Leni’s lips twitched at the question, and she silently signaled to the other maids to leave them alone.


    “It is not proper for me to dine with you, sir,” she spoke softly, deliberately avoiding his gaze.


    In truth, she was simply trying to avoid being alone with him. Ever since Hannah’s usation the night before, Leni had been consciously keeping her distance from Nelson.


    A frown creased Nelson’s brow as he nced up at her, causing her to quickly avert her eyes.


    “You used to dine with me in Mother’s presence,” he pointed out, trying to mask any hint of disapproval in his tone.


    “That was only to uphold the pretense of our deal, remember?” Leni retorted, meeting his gaze head on.


    Not wanting to argue with her further, Nelson fell silent. However, he could not help but wish for herpany at the table.


    Just as Leni was about to make her escape once again, Nelson’s voice stopped her in her tracks.


    “Would you be so kind as to fetch me an orange juice?” he asked politely.


    Leni couldn’t help but stare at him, unsure of what to make of his sudden change in behavior. But she nodded nheless and swiftly made her way to the kitchen.


    In no time, she was back at the dining table, carefully setting a jar of juice in front of him.


    “Is there anything else you want?” she inquired.


    “Give this beef a taste,” Nelson demanded, sending a chill through Leni as she cautiously took a seat across from him.


    “What seems to be the issue, sir?” Her voicecked confidence as she inquired.


    Ignoring her question, Nelson ced a slice of beef on a te and slid it towards Leni with a stern expression. “Try it,” hemanded.


    “I may not be a skilled cook, sir, but I am certain I prepared this beef properly,” Leni attempted to assure him.


    “Just do as I say, Lani, and don’t argue with me for once,” Nelson scolded, his demeanor hardening.


    Choosing not to argue further, Leni took a fork and sampled the beef.


    She chewed thoughtfully, searching for any imperfections, but found none. The beef was seasoned and cooked to perfection.


    “I don’t taste anything wrong, sir. Can you tell me what the problem is?” Leni asked politely.


    Nelson licked his lips and quickly thought of an excuse. The truth was, there was nothing wrong with the beef. He had lied to get her to join him at the table.


    “Well, it tastes fine to you because you prepared it,” Nelson shrugged nonchntly as he continued eating.


    “And that is why I am asking you what is wrong with it,” Leni’s tone turned sharp, not appreciating his earlierment.


    Not wanting to continue the conversation, Nelson cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Did you happen to win the lottery? I saw you jumping around earlier,” he asked.


    A wide smile spread across Leni’s face as she remembered the good news. “Yes, Mr. Carter, I am so happy. It was more than just a lottery,” she gushed, her eyes shining with excitement. “You know, sometimes the most unexpected things happen. Especially good news.”


    Leni continued to talk, her heart pouring out as Nelson couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He was deeply attracted to her. She had never opened up to him like this before.


    “Mr. Carter, are you listening?” Leni called out with a slight wave when she noticed his distant demeanor.


    Nelson blinked twice and hastily diverted his gaze from her to his te.


    How could he have lost his senses like this?


    “You still haven’t shared the good news with me,” he remembered, slowly reaching for his water ss and taking a sip.


    Their eyes inadvertently met through the ss, and they quickly looked away.


    “Well, it’s a private matter, Sir. And our agreement doesn’t mention sharing personal details,” Leni replied calmly, a smile still present on her lips.


    Nelson clenched his jaw. What a girl!


    “Sir, I will be going out and returningte in theing days as I will be upied with maintaining my good mood,” she disclosed, fidgeting with her fingers.


    A silence fell between them.


    “Don’t I have the right to know what you will be doing, as your supposed husband?” Nelson demanded in a less than friendly tone.


    “You are not my husband, Sir,” Leni quickly corrected, smiling and getting to her feet. “Let’s respect each other’s privacy.”


    After her statement, she turned and walked away, leaving Nelson dumbfounded.