Overcome with emotion, she leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. He immediately captured her, pulling her into a fierce, passionate embrace.
“Theodore, I’ve truly fallen in love with you.”
“You should know by now, I fell in love with you a long time ago.”
It was dark by the time they returned to Orenth. Theodore needed to go to the Stapleton estate, so he dropped Penelope off at the Johnson villa before leaving. She walked in humming a cheerful tune, only to find Ward and Mrs. Sullivan sitting in the living room.
“Penelope started at the Stone Group as an intern during her senior year of college. That was seven or eight years ago,” Ward was saying to Mr. David Anderson, who sat opposite him. “We’ve always treated her like family. And while there have been some recent unpleasantries, they’re insignificant compared to the long-standing bond we share, wouldn’t you agree?”
Mr. Anderson didn’t know the full story, only that their son had wronged his daughter. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at.”
Ward took a sip of tea and shot Mrs. Sullivan a meaningful look.
“We are genuinely happy for Penelope, marrying into the Stapleton family,” Mrs. Sullivan said with a smile. “But a family of their stature… well, we worry she might be treated unfairly.”
“Why would you think that?”
“You don’t know what it’s like to be a daughter-in-law in a family like that. She’ll have to uphold the family image, serve her in-laws, please her husband… it’s not an easy life.” Mrs. Sullivan paused. “However, if her own family had some standing, she would naturally face less hardship.”
Mr. Anderson began to understand. The thought that he couldn’t provide his daughter with a powerful backing filled him with a pang of guilt.
“That is why we would like to formally adopt Penelope as our goddaughter.”
He stared at them, stunned. “You… you want to adopt Penelope as your goddaughter?”


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