I laughed and dodged, then faced him: “The studio fire was due to inadequate fire safety?”
Declan caught up, nibbling on my lower lip, whispering softly: “You needed a plausible reason to destroy his paintings without implicating yourself as his manager, and fire safety was the perfect excuse.”
The day Asher threatened me, I arranged for someone to set fire to his studio.
All those paintings he used to threaten me were gone in one sweep.
Afterward, Asher called to question me, but he had no solid evidence,
And I resigned from my position as manager.
After I left, the employees I had hired also resigned, leaving the mess for Asher and Adeline to clean up themselves.
Meanwhile,
I asked, “Want to come home with me to meet the parents?”
Declan held me, “You’ve been away for so long, your uncle and aunt really miss you. Don’t be angry with them.”
“It’s not just because of them,” I said, breaking free from Declan’s arms to pack my bags.
00:04 Fri, 11 Jul
My family is in New York. After a big fight with my parents post–high school graduation, I
ran away to San Francisco.
After years apart, I really miss them.
When Declan and I got home, it was the following afternoon.
The moment my parents saw me, their eyes turned red.
After sharing our longing with family, we told them about the marriage.
Declan and I grew up together, and our families know each other well,
After finding out, my parents held my hand: “Declan is a good kid; he’s waited for you all these years.”
Declan awkwardly coughed twice, turning away.
Spending these days together, I understood his feelings,
But there’s always been this doubt in my heart.
“Declan, didn’t you say you only saw me as a sister?”
This was something Declan said when he was nineteen, a year older than me.
In my senior year of high school, he was already a freshman in college.
When he came home for the winter break, someone asked if he liked me,
And he said that.
Because of those words, I refused to attend the university my parents chose for me,
Where Declan was, the one who killed my first love before it even began.
While a party was being held at home for us,
The place was noisy, so Declan didn’t hear my doubt.
00:04 Fri, 11 Jul
