Chapter 19

“I hope you have a nice time with them.” Stella finally said, her voice soft as she turned to leave.

Liam glanced at the nearby entrance, then at the bouquet in his hands. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”  he asked. “ I won’t take long.”

Stella opened her mouth to decline. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with a Carson, but she ended up agreeing. “Okay.”

This was a rare opportunity for her to get closer to him. The more you know about a person and their inner world, the more they trust you.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a key. “You can go wait in the car.”

Stella nodded and made her way down the path to the gate. The car parked just outside, by a tree, was different from the one he usually rode. It was a black Ford Mustang that oddly suited him. She slipped into the car and pulled out her phone.

She opened her gallery and selected a few of the pictures she had taken of the cemetery, making sure to select the ones with the best view.

“I spoke to them today,” she typed, then sent the message to Aunty Wendy.

Not long after, the car door opened. Liam slid in next to her and fastened his seatbelt.

“How do you feel today?”

“Not bad,” she said with a smile, handing him the key. “You’ve finished speaking with them.”

“There wasn’t much for me to say,” Liam answered, starting the car. “ What would you like to eat?”

“Anything is fine.”

Liam thought for a moment. “I know a place. It’s an old restaurant in the area.”

The rest of the drive passed quietly. Stella felt a sense of peace that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe it was because of her visit to the cemetery, or it was the empty tree-lined road filled with fresh air. If every day felt like this…

Eventually, he pulled to a stop in front of a red-brick building that looked like it had been standing for decades.

Stella got out and looked around. It was beautiful, despite the wear of time, the structure still held its charm. The climbing vines on it were well-maintained and already blooming beautifully. The curved wooden sign read: The Red Brick Palace.

It didn’t look like the type of place Liam would eat at, though.

“Come on,” Liam said, walking ahead.

Liam led her through the grand wooden door. It creaked as they entered.

“We’re closed today,” an elderly woman’s voice called from deeper inside

Stella turned her head toward the sound. An old woman, dressed neatly in a faded flowery dress, was dusting one of the tables.

“Grandmother,” Liam said gently.

Stella turned sharply to him. Grandmother? The wife of the old chairman? No. No. That wasn’t possible. She had passed away. This had to be from his mother’s side.

“Liam?”  The old woman’s voice cracked as she dropped the cloth in her hands. “My boy… When did you get back? I thought— I thought I’ll never see you again.”

She rushed forward to embrace him, tightly.

“Old man. Old man. Our grandson is here.”

There was a sound of something falling, followed by the thud of heavy footsteps. Moments later, an elderly man, clearly in his seventies but still strong, burst into the room.

“Are— Are you really him?” he asked. His voice was light, like he was asking the unbelievable.

“Grandfather,” Liam called, his voice catching slightly.

It was a tearful reunion for the family of three. Stella stood off to the side watching. In that moment, Liam didn’t look like the usual high-in-the-sky heir to the Kings Corporation. He looked like your average grandson being embraced by his grandparents.

The old woman finally pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes. “Is this your wife?”

Stella nearly jumped out of her skin.

Both elders were staring at her smiling eyes.

“I— I—” she stammered, not knowing what to say.

On one hand, she was Liam’s secretary, but now they were meeting outside work. There was also no way to explain why she was at his grandparents’ establishment.

“She’s my friend,” Liam answered smoothly, helping her out of her dilemma. “We just left the cemetery and decided to come over for some food.”

The two elders exchanged a glance that held a lot of meaning.

“Food, of course. Of course. Old man, go and prepare a chicken, the fattest one. We have a lot of work to do,” the grandmother said quickly, ushering them toward a table before hurrying off to the kitchen.

Liam and Stella sat down facing each other in the cozy dining area. It was just the two of them in the large room.

“They are my mother’s parents,” Liam said after a pause. “They’ve run this place since before my mom was born.”

Stella was surprised. The information she had on the Carson family was too little. “I thought… your mother would also be one of the upper class.”

“She wasn’t,” Liam said. “That’s why my grandfather, on my dad’s side, never approved of their union. My parents met in college and fell in love. They even eloped to get married. And it wasn’t until they had me that my grandfather relented and invited them home.”

“Your parents were quite brave,” Stella said thoughtfully.

His father had given up a life of wealth for love, and his mother didn’t hesitate to follow.

“My father was different from what my grandfather wanted. He wasn’t the perfect heir,”  Liam replied. “He could be considered a disappointment.”

Before Stella could ask more, the grandmother returned, holding a plate.

“Here, have some cookies,” she said with a smile. “Chocolate chip, just like you used to like.”

Liam reached out and took one. His expression softened as he took a bite.

The old woman's eyes welled again, and a teardrop rolled down her cheek. “You’ve grown so much…”

Lunch came soon after. It was a lighthearted affair, and the food was delicious. The grandparents were welcoming and chatty, sharing stories from Liam’s childhood that had Stella’s head rolling back in laughter.

When he climbed the tree to pick up his kite and fell off, breaking his leg, he went fishing in the nearby pond, came home covered in mud, and still didn’t catch any fish. Stories that she couldn’t connect with the CEO she knew.

When the meal ended, Liam stood reluctantly.

“We have to go now.”

“Are you leaving again?” the grandfather asked softly.

“No. I’ll never leave again.” Liam said, shaking his head. “I’ll come visit next weekend.”

“Wait!” the grandmother called. “Take some fruit with you.”

She disappeared into the kitchen and returned two baskets, and handed them over to Liam and Stella, one for each.

When they got back inside the car and started on their journey, Liam turned to her.

“I apologize if my grandparents offended you. They were just too excited.”

“They are lovely people,” Stella replied. “And the food was amazing.”

He gave a faint smile. “Hmm. It’s been years, I had almost forgotten the taste.”

“All these years, you never came to visit?”

“No.” His voice quieted. “My grandfather didn’t let me come back to the country… It was to protect me and them.”

Stella nodded. But her mind raced. Protect them from what? Or who?