Chapter 284

Spending some time in the kids' room really helped me unwind.

No matter what happens with my love life, I have four adorable kids and a wonderful mom who loves me.

Honestly, I'm already pretty lucky. People need to learn to be content with what they have.

We had dinner at home, and I couldn't stop raving about Zola's cooking.

"No wonder Brett loves Zola's food. I love it too."

Holding my bowl, I couldn't help but say, "If I ate at home every day, I'd definitely gain weight."

"Ms. Sharp, you should come home for meals more often. I can make lighter dishes too," Zola said with a smile as she served me some soup.

Kelly teased, "Gaining weight would be good for you. You're too skinny right now."

"I think a little more weight would look nice on you."

I pouted, "Only kids and Nala look cute when they're chubby. If I gained weight, I'd look terrible."

"But Mr. Castillo said he likes you no matter what," Brett suddenly chimed in while eating.

I was startled, "Who told you that?"

Brett answered innocently, "Mr. Castillo told me himself! Brett remembers it clearly."

Thinking about Royce saying something like that to the kids made me blush.

Kelly couldn't help but join in, "Royce is really something. When he likes someone, he wants everyone to know."

Kelly knew that Royce and I had cleared up our misunderstandings.

Now she teases me about it almost every day.

I can't blame her. When I was stuck at home, Royce was the one who visited me often.

He's really reliable and considerate in that way.

No wonder Kelly thinks so highly of him.

Last time, when I was crying in Kelly's arms, she was actually trying to comfort me, saying she didn't think Royce was that kind of person.

But I was too upset to listen back then.

After a quick meal, I changed clothes and headed to the office.

I've been busy with Asher's project lately. Once it's done, I plan to take a vacation and go on a picnic with the kids.

I promised them we'd do that.

Looking at the calendar, I realized I'd also need to attend Isadora's baby's one-month celebration soon.

As I was about to finish work, Royce came to the office to see me.

Hearing the commotion outside, my ears felt warm.

"If you all have time to gossip, you can stay and work overtime," I said.

Everyone quickly fell silent, but their eyes still followed Royce and me as we moved.

Royce smiled and took my hand, leading me outside. "Caroline, your employees all know we're a couple."

I whispered back, "We're not yet."

"We will be soon," Royce said confidently.

He didn't seem to find pursuing me troublesome at all.

Royce was picking me up to take me to dinner at a new restaurant he had reserved, which was doing quite well.

On the way, as the driver drove, Royce and I chatted naturally.

I learned something that shocked me.

"You're saying that right after Kathy and I left, Maeve went to visit Brandon?"

Royce nodded, "Just found out. Two days later, there was news that Brandon was going to be released."

"Going to be? Maeve texted me saying Brandon is already out."

The thought of Brandon being released made me feel sick.

Royce held my hand and reassured me, "Caroline, don't worry. No matter what happens, I'm here."

I sighed, "It's partly my fault. I should have submitted more evidence earlier."

"How can you blame yourself? You've done more than enough."

We arrived at the restaurant, but my mind was still on Brandon. "Is there any way we can report him again and get him back in?"

"Re-reporting probably won't work. If they released him, it means someone bailed him out for those charges."

I sighed, "But if he's out I'm worried we'll have even more trouble to deal with."

"That's true," Royce said, handing me the menu. "Caroline, let's order and eat first."

The restaurant Royce brought me to was called Culinary Canvas.

The place was surrounded by glass, but it was covered with plants, and the glass was specially treated so you couldn't see inside from the outside.

At first glance, I thought it was beautiful.

The atmosphere during dinner was nice, and we tried to avoid unpleasant topics.

But thoughts about Brandon and Maeve kept lingering in my mind.

"Royce"

I couldn't help but bring up the topic with him.

Royce looked at me gently, "Why so serious?"

"Because we're not together yet."

Suddenly, my mind was racing.

Royce smiled faintly, "Seems like it."

He was different with me, more natural, almost like he was playfully complaining.

"Let's talk about something serious."

I couldn't completely clear my mind, even during dinner.

Royce didn't mind, asking what I wanted to know.

"Joanna's situation should be fine for now. At least the test results are good."

Royce nodded, "Even if the results are good, we can't be completely at ease. Ronnie is a man, and these diseases might not show symptoms in him, but he could still be a carrier."

He had a point.

I understood that, but knowing Joanna was okay for now was a relief.

"If Joanna realizes something's wrong in her marriage and wants to fix it, what then? Ronnie doesn't seem like he'll end up with Maeve. They both know this is just a transaction."

I remembered Maeve telling me they'd naturally drift apart and wouldn't affect Joanna's family

It made me feel uneasy.

"What should we do? Should we tell Joanna now? I don't know if she can handle it."

Royce's expression darkened, "This is something that needs to be addressed sooner or later. They're married, sharing so much."

Many risks are hidden there, happening unconsciously.

Royce's point was clear: if we wanted to "save" Joanna, it was best to tell her the truth as soon as possible.

"I understand," I said.

But thinking about Kathy and our friends, if it came to it, we'd have to tell Joanna.

I knew Joanna well enough.

She took relationships seriously but wouldn't tolerate betrayal. If she found out about Ronnie and Maeve, she'd likely choose divorce.

The complication was that Joanna's father, Oscar, probably wouldn't want such a scandal before his retirement.