I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 518

Kate could be utterly selfish at times, but she wasn't delusional. Sawyer's words weren't some sort of confession of a secret crush. Perhaps he meant that he had known about her for years because of her parents.

She closed her eyes. For the first time, the idea of starting over was crystal clear in her mind. Even Evie's sudden death hadn't made her want to turn back.

It wasn't that she was ignoring Evie's last words. She just couldn't accept that her premature death was caused by someone else. She hated it. She hated the unfairness and everything that didn't go her way. That was why she had refused to let go.

But now, a new image flashed in Kate's mind. It was of her raising a kid with a blurry-faced man and living a quiet, stable life.

Her heart fluttered and pounded. Perhaps that kind of steady life wouldn't be so dull, after all.

But would George and Rhea really let her go? If they still wanted revenge, what if Sawyer got dragged into this mess?

For the first time, Kate hesitated. She now understood what it felt like to have a weakness.

And so, Lauren noticed that in the days that followed, Kate often spaced out. She watched the latter closely, and Seamus picked up on it, too.

…

Meanwhile, George was supposed to head back home after wrapping up his work, but he delayed his return by a couple of days to fly back with Rhea, as she needed to stay a bit longer.

By evening, Rhea sealed the deal on the project and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She took the initiative to head to George's hotel to meet him.

Knowing that she was coming, George told his bodyguards to return to their rooms for a break.

The doorbell rang. George opened the door himself, but didn't find anyone there.

Suddenly, a head popped out from the side of the doorframe. Rhea's long, loose hair was soft and shiny, and she was grinning.

George's eyes were filled with affection. "Oh, you…"

Even as a child, she'd often heard Nathan grumble after coming home, "George got another pile of love letters today. His desk was overflowing with them."

If she'd heard plenty of things like that as a child, it went without saying that George's charm was off the charts as an adult.

George carefully set the flowers down, even fetching a vase from the bathroom to arrange them and keep them fresh.

"It's just a bouquet. You don't need to fuss over them like that," Rhea said, laughingly.

He turned to glance at her. The look in his eyes was serious, almost disapproving. "This is the first bouquet you've gotten me, so it means a lot."

She blurted, "I've already given myself to you."

He washed his hands and walked over to her. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her lips. "That's why I'll cherish and protect you for the rest of my life."