I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 532

Kate walked through the door and made her way to her bedroom. From the second-floor window, she saw Sawyer still standing there, watching her.

He raised a hand in a small wave.

Kate pressed her lips together, her cheeks warming.

She watched him turn, get into his car, and drive away slowly. Only when his car had completely disappeared from view did she sit.

She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart pounding wildly like a startled deer racing through the forest.

Kate couldn't hide the smile on her face.

After taking a shower, she slipped into her pajamas and sat at her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a box filled with George's photos.

She looked at them and murmured, "George, I think I can finally let you go."

Even now, when she looked at George's photo, a trace of that old longing still stirred inside her.

She still found George's face captivating, but the ache and obsession it once stirred were gone.

Kate cut up all of Rhea's photos from the other box and threw them away. However, she couldn't bring herself to ruin George's photos.

She just locked the box, pushed it deep into the drawer, and hid it out of sight.

That night, Kate fell asleep smiling.

The following weekend, she woke up each morning with a sense of anticipation. She treated the household staff with renewed warmth, her manners and demeanor once again reminiscent of the refined young lady she had once been.

Most importantly, she began caring about her appearance again. She organized her wardrobe and thoughtfully put together her outfits.

And her phone was never far from her hand. She checked her messages frequently.

No matter how busy Sawyer was, he always sent her messages, asking her how she was doing. Gifts and deliveries—flowers, jewelry, desserts, and all kinds of treats—kept arriving without pause.

During those two days, Kate felt like she was on cloud nine.

When people were in a good mood, patience came easily. Kate, in particular, naturally had a knack for making people feel comfortable in social situations.

By mid-morning, the translation team all noticed something different about her, and most of it was praise.

Kate happened to look up and saw Lauren coming in, still tending to her injuries.

After staying two days at Jamison Manor, Lauren returned to work.

She had handed a small portion of the compensation that Kate and the company had given her to the despicable, fallen capitalist, Carter. The rest she kept for living expenses and to save for future stability.

So she forced herself to come to work.

Initially, she had come to Solaris Ventures to annoy Kate. Now, it had become her lifeline. She couldn't afford to lose this job.

But seeing Kate's radiant expression only made her scowl deepen.