Chapter 91

Chapter 91
“Shall I take you back to the Ashford Residence, or would you prefer to be dropped off at the hotel?” Crimson inquired once we were inside the car.

"Just take me to Queen's Courtyard," I responded, my mind preoccupied with the piled paperwork awaiting me on my office desk.

Crimson sighed, drawing my thoughts back to him. What does that sigh mean? And why did he look so sad? I shook my head and told myself that it was just my imagination.

"What time are you planning on dropping off Cleo at my place?" I asked, changing the subject.

"What time works best for you?"

I thought for a moment, considering the time I needed to finish up my work. "Maybe around 6 or 7 pm? Is that okay with you?"

"That works for me. She'll have dinner with me before I take her to the hotel.”

"Thank you," I said with a grateful smile. "But are you absolutely certain it's okay for me to stay with Cleo for a few days? I mean, isn’t it asking too much?"

"Don't worry about it," he replied in assurance. "I'm more than happy to help out, especially since I know how much Cleo means to you. Plus, she loves spending time with you. When I'm with her, all she talks about is you."

"I wish you had been there with her when she was just a baby… You missed seeing her open her eyes for the first time, and you didn't hear her first word.”

“There has been a lot of time lost between us, but I am determined to make up for it.”

The car fell into silence as neither of us made an attempt to speak until it came to a sudden stop in front of the vast driveway of Queens Courtyard.

“Thank you for the ride,” I managed to say as I pushed the door open.

“No problem,” he replied before rolling down the car window and maneuvering out of the driveway.

I watched the car until it was out of my sight and made my way inside the hotel. Sapphire and I met in the lobby.

“Elizabeth!” she exclaimed in surprise as she sprinted toward my direction. "I'm so glad to see you….I’m also happy to know that Celestine is locked behind bars. I saw everything on television. It's all over the news.”

I smiled wearily. “I'm glad she's gone too.”

Sapphire hugged me tightly. “I couldn't be happier that I have a niece! Mom and Dad will be thrilled to hear about this too.”

I laughed. “I'm sure Cleo would love to meet Mom and Dad too.”

—

Following my discussion with Sapphire, I headed to my office, where I was told my brother was awaiting my arrival.

I didn't knock and just entered the room. I found Louis sitting on the couch, flipping through the neatly sorted documents in his hands.

I cleared my throat, prompting him to ignore the task at hand and lift his gaze to me.

“I’m sorry, brother.” Unable to meet his eyes, my gaze fell to the floor. “I'm sure that I've troubled and worried you so much because of my actions….”

"No, I'm not asking for an apology,” he replied, which made my gaze snap back to his. “I was thinking that if you had listened to us and never returned to Flintstone City you would have never discovered Cleo. She would have been lost to us forever.”

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

“Thank you for trying to understand…”

His eyes held a gentle warmth as he smiled at me, a softness I hadn't witnessed in a while. "I know it may seem like I've asked a hundred times, but when do I get to meet my niece?”

“Crimson said he'll drop Cleo around seven.”

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Louis said, rising from his seat. "I know you have work to do, so I won't take up much of your time. I'll be heading out so you can focus on finishing your tasks.”

When Louis left the office, I occupied my swivel chair and started with my paperworks. “So many things to do,” I mumbled under my breath, sweeping the table with a weary sigh.

Knowing I couldn't waste a precious second, I began by reviewing and signing important documents to ease the pile on my desk.

After two hours, I successfully completed half of my task. However I still have a long way to go.

My stomach growled. I realized I had eaten little at the Ashford Residence because I was nervous—no wonder I'm starving right now.

There was a brief knock on the door before it opened. Samantha walked in with a gentle smile. “I’m on my way to the restaurant to have lunch. I just dropped by to ask if you want to join me or if you want me to bring you something to eat in case you're busy.”

I smiled gratefully at my best friend. "Thank you for the offer, Sam. I would love to join you for lunch. I could definitely use a break from all these documents."

She nodded and waited for me to tidy up my things before we headed out of the office together.

“Sapphire told me that Cleo's staying with you for a couple of days,” Samantha said as we traversed the long hallway.

“That's right. I asked for Crimson's permission, and he agreed.”

“I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Cleo's your daughter. Everyone is so shocked. I mean, the two of you look alike—a splitting image of each other. However, no one expected that she truly was your daughter.”

“You know I can't believe it either,” I muttered. “I used to dream of having a daughter of my own someday, never really thinking it would actually happen. And now that it has, I still feel like I'm dreaming.”

“I'm really happy for you.” Samantha's lips stretched into a smile. “By the way, there's something I want to tell you… I'm getting married.”