CHAPTER 291: CHAPTER 291: DON’T CHOOSE FELIX KENDALL

Tanya held Caden’s hand as they stood downstairs, watching Felix Kendall’s car drive away.

She was about to take Caden upstairs, when she noticed out of the corner of her eye, a pitch-black car parked at the corner. She couldn’t see the license plate or tell if anyone was inside, but there was an inexplicable feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching her.

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Caden asked.

"It’s nothing, let’s go home," Tanya withdrew her gaze and led Caden inside the building.

In the elevator, Caden couldn’t help but say, "Joy was too much today! She wasn’t like this before."

Joy indeed had been raised with a princess-like attitude, a bit spoiled, but she never proactively bullied anyone; she even used to protect Abby...

Caden frowned, he was determined to have a good talk with his sister!

Tanya didn’t say much; Joy had truly shattered her heart. To continue begging and trying to please her daughter, Tanya lacked the energy to do that anymore.

She did only what she could, and no longer forced anything.

Returning home, she opened the door to find Aunt Tawny had tidied up the house impeccably, and Caden’s pajamas were already prepared.

Aunt Tawny went to run Caden a bath.

Tanya had changed into her loungewear; she opened her computer, researched some materials, her eyes landed outside the window, night stretching endlessly. She suddenly thought of that car parked in the corner, feeling slightly unsettled.

Tanya abruptly stood up and left the room.

"Aunt Tawny, I see we’re running low on milk in the fridge. I’ll go to the convenience store outside to buy a bottle," she said.

Aunt Tawny replied, "We still have half a bottle, ma’am, I can go buy it tomorrow."

"It’s alright, I’ll go. I wanted to take a walk downstairs."

"Ma’am, would you like me to accompany you?"

"No need, Aunt Tawny, just stay with Caden."

Tanya held her phone as she went downstairs.

The black car was still parked there, on the rear seat was a hand resting out the window, fingers holding a cigarette, the knuckles long, revealing a segment of wrist.

Tanya walked a few steps in the direction of the black car, seeing the license plate clearly.

It’s not Declan Pierce’s car.

She inexplicably found herself amusing.

How could seeing a black sedan waiting for someone make her think of Declan Pierce?

’If I want to see you, can I come find you?’

During the day, the man’s words lingered in her mind.

Tanya gently shook her head.

Perhaps, it was just an offhand joke from Declan.

Why would he come over tonight? After all, he’s so severely injured...

Tanya was about to turn to the convenience store to buy milk when suddenly, the phone in her hand vibrated.

She looked down at the caller ID, her breath catching.

—Declan.

Before she could answer, two beams of headlights shone at her from behind.

Tanya hesitated slightly, answered the call while turning around.

"...Declan?" she said, somewhat incredulous.

"Yes."

Tanya unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone, "Are you...in the car?"

"Yes." The man’s lazy yet gentle voice slowly flowed into her ears, "I missed you so much that I came over to take a look."

He paused, then softly said, "I just wanted to look at you from afar. If you don’t want to see me, you needn’t come over. I should be leaving."

There wasn’t a hint of resentment in his tone, as if he had long grown accustomed to it.

The car fell silent in the night, and Declan was quieter than the night itself.

Tanya couldn’t help but think, during those years when she didn’t know, how many times this man waited quietly in a corner like this, watching her...

"Declan..." she softly called his name, her nose inexplicably tingled, "I want to see you too."

Inside the car, it was so quiet that even breathing seemed to pause.

Declan felt a moment of tinnitus, as if all the sound vanished.

Only that soft, gentle voice remained, saying ’I want to see you too’...

He swallowed dryly, wanting to say something, barely moving his thin lips, but no sound came out.

In his vision, Tanya’s figure was approaching him.

The cigarette in his fingers had burned down, its ash gray point crumbling and snuffed out.

His heart beat uncontrollably in his chest, a man nearly thirty, feeling as nervous as a young lad.

Before Tanya got closer, Declan opened the car door.

He smiled slightly, extending his hand to Tanya: "Would you mind lending me a hand?"

Tanya took his offered hand with one hand, supported his arm with the other, allowing Declan to leverage himself out of the car.

His hand was large, nearly engulfing hers, the palm slightly cold, his body temperature lower than average.

Tanya helped Declan slowly move to sit on the nearby bench.

The lights stretched their shadows, an intimate kind of companionship.

"How long have you been waiting here?"

"Five minutes before you returned." Declan answered calmly.

He didn’t tell her he had watched a sunset from inside the car.

Tanya felt his pulse, aware of how intensely Declan’s gaze was glued to her face, focused as if he were looking at some rare treasure.

Tanya composed her mind, quietly diagnosing.

Strangely, Declan’s body’s repair capabilities seemed stronger than the average person...

"Zeke Pierce didn’t give you anything unusual to take, did he?" Tanya asked cautiously.

To her knowledge, there was indeed a type of medicine capable of synthesizing immune cells in the body, enhancing self-repair functions. But the side effects were significant, with different effects on different experimental subjects.

Thus, such drugs were prohibited from development and use after a trial phase.

"No," Declan denied.

She was skeptical, "Don’t lie to me."

Declan leaned against the chair, noble yet lazy, his dark eyes fixed on the woman before him, smiling slightly.

"I’m not lying."

Tanya felt a bit reassured, "Continue taking the medicine I prescribed to you, regularly. I will find the remedy to heal you; in the meantime, take good care of yourself."

"Okay."

"I remember grandpa collected many rare ancient medical books, treasures he never even told me where they were." Tanya sighed, "Unfortunately, given grandpa’s current condition, I can’t ask him..."

Declan listened quietly to her murmuring.

The night breeze blew coolly, Tanya in short sleeves felt a bit cold.

In the next moment, Declan’s coat with his body warmth wrapped around her.

"No, you should definitely not catch a cold."

Tanya tried to return it to him but was stopped by Declan.

He chuckled a little, "I’m not that fragile, princess."

This somewhat youthful nickname seemed perfectly natural coming from Declan’s mouth.

Tanya lowered her eyes, softly spoke, "Declan, I’m not a princess."

At least, not since a long time ago.

Declan didn’t care about this.

"You’ll always be a princess to me. As for anyone else..." he casually and arrogantly justified, "Let them be damned."

Such blatant favoritism, Tanya hadn’t really felt much of in her earlier life.

She wanted to say more, when in her peripheral vision Janne Hayes appeared quickly walking over.

"Ms. Sinclair." He greeted Tanya, then turned to Declan, "President Pierce, we just received news that The Pierce Family’s private jet has landed in Aris."

Janne also didn’t want to interfere; after all, President Pierce and Ms. Sinclair had so little time together.

But there was no choice...

Tanya knew Declan had matters to attend to, she stood up, "Then I’ll go back upstairs first."

She was about to leave but was stopped by Declan holding her wrist.

"Tanya."

"Hmm?" Tanya turned back, meeting the man’s eyes, dark as night, her heart unknowingly skipped a beat.

"Don’t choose Felix Kendall." Declan clasped her hand, his voice hushed.

Moonlight filtered through the treetops, landing on the man’s unrealistically handsome face.

The large hand holding her arm tightened inch by inch as if fearing she’d vanish once released.

Declan pressed his pale lips, feeling a bit wronged as he softly said, "I found you first."

He knew about the marriage agreement between The Kendall Family and The Pierce Family.

He also knew Felix Kendall was considered a good match. At the very least, much better than Vincent Hawthorne.

But...

He found her first.