Chapter 0221


    “Gotta go see an important man,” | reply, giving a little shrug.


    “Which one?” he asks, genuinely curious.


    “Nooooooo idea,” | say. Then, | cock my head. “Want toe with?”


    Jerome hesitates, looking towards the kitchen, but | grab him by the arm. “Oh,e on,” | say, pushing him towards the garage.


    | know Jerome has ess to the car keys and | want to get out of here before Natalia cane call my bluff. “Kent will let me


    take you.”


    Jeromeughs at this, but he lets me push him. “What am |, some Ken doll you guys trade around for the day?”


    “Precisely,” | confirm as we pass into the garage and he snags the keys to the Lexus from the key cage. | grin at him over the top


    of the car as we open our doors. “Want to buy me breakfast, Ken? This...” | hold up my sad little semi-crushed croissant, “isn’t


    cutting it anymore.”


    “You got it, Barbie,” Jerome quips, winking at me and climbing into the car. | grin and do the same, closing my door behind me.


    Once Jerome and | finish our breakfast — he takes me to a ce downtown where they serve a full English breakfast, something


    we''ll never get in an Italian house — and we get back in the car totally stuffed, | know precisely where | want to go.


    I''m not looking forward to it, but | know what | have to do. Jerome nches a little bit when | direct him to our next stop, but he


    doesn’t ask questions. Instead, he just drives me up to the front of the house and gets out to lean against the car and watch my


    back as | climb up the steps and ring the bell.


    About half a minuteter, the door opens.


    “Hey, Tristin,” | say, giving my step-mother a little smile in response to her deep and hateful re. “Is my dad home?”


    “He is not,” she snaps, hoisting baby Estre higher on her hip. The baby, thankfully, greets me more graciously with a giggle


    and a little p of her hand in my direction. | can’t help but smile back at her.


    “Um,” | say, looking back at Tristin. “Can |e in and wait for him, then?”


    Tristin rolls her eyes at me and begins to close the door.


    “Tristin!” | call, putting out a hand to stop her. “Please, I’m sorry — | know whenever |e over it always causes trouble —*Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    “Causes chaos, you mean,” she replies, still trying to shut the door — but she’s only got one free hand, and I’ve got two.


    “Okay, | buy that,” | say, holding my


    weight against the door until she


    gives up, ring at me. Please (1)


    say, my eyes widerang | Rope,


    choir my earnest desire to make


    piece. “Just...let mee in for a


    little bit. I''ll help! I''ll watch the baby!


    I''Il...whatever you want! Just let me


    wait for my dad for a little bit.” Please


    read the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    Tristin clenches her teeth but then


    steps away from the door. “Fine re


    2 ora


    snaps. “You can watah Korba


    bi keep hii out of the electrician’s


    hair. But one hint of drama,” she says,


    pointing a finger up in my face, “and


    you''re out. All right?” Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.


    “You got it,” | reply, holding up my


    hands innocently. Tristin nods once


    and steps out of my pate:sotat


    can enter i@hdot Jerome a


    thumbs-up over my shoulder and


    head into the house, where | see


    Romulus peeking over the stairs.


    Please read the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    “Hil” he says, popping up and grinning widely at me when he sees me being weed into the house. Or at least, tolerated.


    “Hi,” | reply brightly, going over to him. “So,” | continue, peering up at him, “word has it that I’m seeing a very important man


    today,” | inform him. “I guess that’s you.”


    “Makes sense,” Romulus says honestly, giving me a little shrug. “I’m very important.”


    |ugh and hold out my hand to him, beckoning him toe y.