Chapter 31

Leon’s dark eyes softened as he said, “It’s not a coincidence. I came here for you.”

Kelly was nearly in tears. She didn’t even need to guess the reason.

Leon looked at her forced smile and asked calmly, “Do you get off at 10:00 pm?”

Kelly nodded quickly.

“I’ll wait for you outside.”

With that, Leon walked out of the shop. Kelly stared at his back, unsure and anxious.

That was it?

Kelly watched him, feeling uneasy. He seemed almost too calm. Was it genuine, or was it the calm before the storm?

She didn’t let her guard down. There was still half an hour left before her shift ended, and she spent the entire time on edge.

At exactly 10:00 pm, Kelly pushed open the shop door. Leon had been standing outside for the past half hour. His striking looks had drawn plenty of attention—she had even heard customers discussing him while ordering. With his refined profile and thoughtful expression, no one could tell what he was thinking.

Kelly walked up to him with her head down. “Professor Butler.”

She looked just like a kid who had done something wrong.

“Are you short on money?” Leon asked.

Kelly had expected him to be angry that she had hidden her part-time job. She hadn’t expected that to be his first question.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. Then, she nodded and said, “Yes.”

“The card I gave you should be enough to cover a college student’s living expenses for almost a year.”

Leon’s voice carried no blame. He sounded like he was simply having a discussion.

Maybe because he wasn’t scolding her, Kelly’s anxious heart began to settle—just a little.

She bit her lip. “That’s your money.”

It was the answer he had expected, and for a moment, Leon had nothing to say.

The air between them grew quiet. Kelly peeked at him. “Professor Butler, please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

Her tone was cautious, and her dark eyes flickered with unease.

Leon sighed. “I’m not angry. I’m just…”

He paused to find the right words, then said, “I just feel like maybe I’ve failed a bit as a husband.”

Kelly shook her head again and again. “No, you’re great. There’s no one more capable than you.”

She didn’t know why, but her eyes suddenly felt warm. He had taken her in, given her a place to stay, and cared for her in every way. Ever since she moved into his home, she hadn’t had to do any housework. Every meal was prepared for her.

In the past 20 years, she had never experienced such treatment. It was as if he was raising her all over again.

But she just couldn’t bring herself to enjoy it without guilt. Her head hung slightly as she spoke with a hint of sadness.

“I grew up in a family that favored boys over girls. My parents always gave more attention to my younger brother—so much more. They constantly ignored my feelings. It was like I didn’t even matter to them.”

Kelly wasn’t trying to gain sympathy. She was just explaining. She took a deep breath and looked at Leon.

“Professor Butler, all these years I’ve felt like I was living under someone else’s roof. Even asking for money took me forever to muster the courage. I hate the feeling of reaching out and asking for money. I had no one to rely on. The only person I could rely on was myself.”

Chapter 32