The Kiss that Sparked it All

Emma chuckled carelessly, not the least bit perturbed. “Since you’re hardly ever around, darling, staying here doesn’t hold much charm for me. If she’s looking for a reason to kick me out, let her. You know I can easily find a new place to call home.

Besides, I’ve been by your and your mother’s side for so long, and I just can’t get along with her. Everything about her makes me feel uncomfortable. I’ve been thinking of leaving for a while now, but if it weren’t for the odd times you swing by the Tanner estate to check in…”

Emma trailed off with a sigh, and Regina knew all too well that she came to work here when her mother married in, that she had always been like a sister to her mother, and that she loved Regina deeply.

If it weren’t for Regina’s presence at the Tanner estate, Emma, along with a few other servants who had watched Regina grow up, would have left the Tanner household long ago.

But Imogen probably couldn’t wait for them all to clear out, so that she’d fill the Tanner estate top to bottom with her own staff.

“Emma, would you be willing to put up with this place a bit longer, for my sake?” Regina reached out and placed her hand gently on Emma’s, who in turn grasped Regina’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve gotten thinner. While you’re home, I promise to fatten you up a bit. As long as you’re here, I’m here. What’s all this about?” Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

“I need to gather some evidence for a certain matter, and I think you might help me stumble upon it while you’re here.” Regina said, her gaze drifting off into the distance, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Emma found this rather intriguing. What sort of evidence could be found within the walls of the Tanner Mansion?

“But if you need me, of course, I’ll stay to lend a hand.”

Regina finally smiled broadly. “I knew I could count on you.”

“You’ve always had such a sweet tongue since you were little. No matter how much you loved my cooking, it never did seem to add an ounce to you.” Emma stroked Regina’s hair with a touch of sorrow. Since the passing of Regina’s mother, she just hadn’t been able to gain weight. Who would have thought she used to be such a chubby little girl? In the end, it was probably because she grew up without her biological mother, always seeming a bit more fragile than the rest.

But those were just Emma’s own thoughts. Regina felt stronger these days. Since she became a journalist and started to run around on assignments, she felt tougher than she used to be.

“Alright, I’ll let you get back to your meal. No more beating around the bush or your pastries will get cold.

Have a little something to tide you over until lunch. I’ll whip up some of your favorites.”

Regina nodded with a smile. She didn’t need to say a word because Emma knew her tastes inside out. Whatever Emma prepared would undoubtedly be her most cherished dishes.

It wasn’t until Emma and Imogen were both absent from the dining room that Regina cautiously made her way upstairs. She wanted to sneak into Francis’ study to have a look around.

Francis, for his part, had never anticipated his daughter going to such lengths for Nolan, so when he saw her tiptoeing through the surveillance feed on his phone, he couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle.

His own daughter, his pride and joy, was turning the house upside down. For her, he’d swallowed his pride and pressured the Harris family elders, and yet the traitor was under his own roof.

Regina was dead set against marrying Nolan, even though she clearly liked him. Francis just couldn’t wrap his head around what was going on in his daughter’s mind.