hapter 456
As soon as Niamh spoke, Carlisle realized he’d put his foot in his mouth. He smacked himself lightly on the lips.
“Sorry…”
“It’s fine.”
Niamh shook her head.
After all, she wasn’t the only one in the world who’d grown up without her parents. At least she’d had Carlisle to play on the playground with her; that was more than many could say.
They sat side by side on opposite ends of the old slide.
She broke the silence first. “Ramona’s with the Thomases now, right?”
“Yeah. She’s at Mr. Thomas’s place. The minister and his wife are there
too.”
Niamh thought to herself: Just as I expected.
Carlisle studied Niamh’s face, almost talking to himself. “If Mr. Quinn’s adopted daughter really does marry your ex-husband…”
Niamh had thought she’d feel nothing when she heard that.
But she’d overestimated her own composure.
It was like someone had tossed a tiny pebble into the still lake of her heart, sending out faint ripples.
She drew in a long, slow breath of cool evening air.
Jonathan’s remarriage shouldn’t have anything to do with her anymore.
But of all the potential families, it just had to be the Quinns.
On paper, she had no ties to them at all.
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Chapter 456
But by blood, Hayes and Carlotta were her birth parents.
The idea that her biological parents might one day become Jonathan’s in-laws left her at a loss for words.
“My fault. I shouldn’t have brought them up…”
Niamh lifted a hand, stopping him.
“Let’s talk about business.”
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a folder.
“My whole plan’s in here. You’re the only one who knows about it. Right now, you’re my biggest ally.”
Carlisle took the file from her.
He was a hacker by trade, so he never trusted anything that wasn’t on
paper.
Niamh’s plan was handwritten-clearly prepared just for him.
He’d always thought of her as a thoughtful child.
It was a shame the Quinns had never appreciated that.
Carlisle sighed silently, and then heard Niamh say,
“The fake identity I mention in here-we need to move quickly. We can’t give them any reason to get suspicious.”
“Don’t worry. You’ve never seen me fail at a job you gave me, have you?”
“No, I haven’t.”
Carlisle offered his fist, and Niamh grinned and bumped it with her own.
By the time the sun had set behind the hills and the sky glowed orange with dusk, Jonathan finally returned to Verdant Lake Estates.
One of the maids caught his eye and gave him a meaningful look as he
came in.
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Inside, Jonathan was greeted first by Sprague and Marigold, both wearing matching expressions of disapproval.
And then, the Quinn family trio came into view.
Jonathan’s eyelashes flicked upward, a hint of surprise in his gaze.
He’d half-expected the Quinns to have stormed out after he’d kept them waiting all day.
Instead, they were still here.
In his mind, he pictured the Quinns slamming the door and leaving in a
huff.
“Mr. Quinn, Mrs. Quinn, I’m so sorry I’m late. Something came up at work-I couldn’t get away.”
Jonathan made a point of apologizing.
If they were still here, he at least owed them that much courtesy..
Of course, he knew Sprague and Marigold wouldn’t buy his excuse, and he doubted the Quinns would either.
“No worries. Business comes first,” Hayes said.
“Jonathan, you’re so dedicated to your work. No wonder The Thomas Group keeps going from strength to strength,” Carlotta added, her tone gracious.
Their magnanimity made Jonathan suspect they were genuinely interested in him-enough to wait all evening just for a meeting.
Almost unconsciously, Jonathan glanced around for Ramona. At that moment, the sound of piano music drifted from the music room.
It was a Chopin nocturne-his favorite.
Ramona must be playing, he realized.
He could play a little himself, enough to pass a grade or two, but nowhere
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near a professional’s level.
Ramona played better than he ever could.
When the last note faded, Jonathan watched as Ramona emerged from the music room, confidence glowing in her smile.
She caught his eye. “So, tell me who plays better? Me, or your first love?’
