Scars Of A Broken Bond

Keilani fixed her hair, her eyes sparkling with a hint of joy. It seemed that she had really chosen the right way. Although she had only recently gotten close to Jennie, Tyrone's attitude toward her had significantly softened.

Twenty minutes later, Tyrone arrived and entered the chamber.

This was the first time Tyrone and Keilani had met since that day.

Taking a seat opposite Jennie, Tyrone nodded politely at Keilani. "Excuse me. Would you mind if I join you for lunch?

"Please, have a seat." Keilani's expression remained cold, appearing as though she still had lingering anger toward Tyrone for his previous ruthless rejection in front of Wanda and Kira.

Tyrone stated, "I've been caught up in my work as of late. Thank you for taking care of Jennie."

*Jennie is my daughter, so it's my responsibility to take care of her. I didn't know you were planning to join us. I just ordered a few dishes. Would you like to add anything else?" Keilani asked.

"No, thank you. I'm fine," Tyrone replied.

Then, the waiter came in with steaming dishes balanced in his hand as he neatly served them on the table.

Looking down at the savory mutton dishes filling the table, Tyrone fell silent for a moment, his gaze shifting to Jennie. Jennie's expression was downcast, her head lowered under the weight of a guilty conscience.

Keilani served some food on Jennie's plate and said, "Let's eat."

After a brief pause, Tyrone reluctantly agreed, "Okay."

Seizing the opportunity to address the underlying tension between them, Keilani spoke up candidly. "I didn't expect Kira to advise us to get together. But I was more surprised when you turned it down without giving it much thought. Have you ever considered how practical it could be?"

Her words carried a subtle implication that the decision was solely Kira's, absolving herself of any responsibility.

Tyrone replied curtly, "No. Marriage for the sake of the child is not good for the child."

Keilani continued, "While I may not agree with the suggestion after thinking about it, I understand where she's coming from. Kira simply hopes Jennie can grow up in the company of her father and mother. I've been absent from Jennie's life for so many years. From now on, Ill prioritize her above all else. And what if Jennie wants us to be together?

Keilani hadn't given up despite Tyrone's blunt refusal. She didn't want her true intentions to be obvious, fearing being laughed at by Tyrone. So she used Jennie as an excuse, her underlying motive veiled behind concern for Jennie's well- being. She thought it was a decent excuse and that no one would see through her, but from Tyrone's point of view, Keilani's thoughts may as well have been written on her face, and she appeared nothing more than utterly desperate and ridiculous.

Tyrone glanced at Jennie and said matter-of-factly, "My life won't be influenced by my child."

Keilani's expression froze at his remark, feeling the urge to throw down her fork in surrender and storm out of the room. She couldn't bear another moment of humiliation at Tyrone's hands, and the urge to give up and go back to Philade immediately surged within her. Wasn't Tyrone just a man? Couldn't she find someone better?

Yet, Keilani couldn't reconcile herself to the idea of admitting defeat. Why should she allow herself to be deemed inferior to Sabrina? How could Tyrone turn her down like this repeatedly?

Keilani couldn't bring herself to truly flee back to Philade like this. Now that Kira's schemes had been carried out, she couldn't retreat.

Pulling herself together, Keilani asked, "I heard you had taken Jennie to your place. What are your plans moving forward?"

Tyrone's reply was simple. "I will raise her."

"And what else?

"What do you want to ask?"

"Are you going to remarry Sabrina?"

'Not now."

Keilani was relieved. This had lined up with what Jennie had said. Softening her gaze, she probed, "Why not?"

But instead of offering a straightforward answer, Tyrone asked back, "What's wrong? Do you want me to remarry her?"

Keilani lifted her chin. "Of course not. It's for the best that you don't remarry her. Such a scheming gold digger would only lead Jennie astray."

With a flash of irony in his eyes, Tyrone decided not to respond to that and swiftly changed the topic. "Will you be staying in Mathias permanently?"

"Maybe. I want to make it up to Jennie as much as possible."

Tyrone didn't refute her when she spoke ill of Sabrina this time. Keilani couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction. When the results of the paternity test came out, Sabrina moved out to Starriver Bay on that very day. Clearly, she couldn't come to terms with accepting Jennie. Tyrone might harbor a negative impression of Sabrina's narrow-mindedness.

Yet, amidst the satisfaction, Keilani couldn't shake the nagging worry about her situation that lingered in the back of her mind. She admitted she was rather hasty for that promise to Kira. At that time, she was driven by her desire to forge a connection with Tyrone through Jennie.

However, as the reality of the situation began to sink in, Keilani realized the gravity of her actions.

If her parents and uncle's family discovered she had a "daughter", they would definitely interfere. Their involvement could jeopardize her plans and perhaps even lead to making her take Jennie back.

Tyrone said solemnly, "Keilani, I understand as Jennie's biological mother, you're keen to reconnect with her, but you mustn't rush things, especially when it comes to visiting her at the kindergarten too often. It could disrupt her daily life."

"I understand. I won't visit her at the kindergarten anymore. You're not eating much. Is everything okay? Do you not like the food?"

Tyrone paused and replied, "I already ate before I came here."

After lunch, Jennie pleaded to leave with Tyrone. Jennie cried and cried. Keilani couldn't force Jennie and reluctantly acquiesced, watching Jennie and Tyrone depart together.

Left alone, Keilani had no choice but to return to Royce's house.

"Keilani, you're back." As Keilani walked into the living room, she saw Alice sitting comfortably on the sofa.

Keilani made her way toward Alice and sat beside her. "How is it going? Did you pretend to bump into Lance and grab a meal with him in Centenia?"

Alice's mouth twitched downwards a little, and she answered, "No."

"Why? Why don't you seize such a golden opportunity?"

"He's really tied up with work. I'm worried about getting on his nerves and making him dislike me even more." "You! Why can't you be more assertive? If you were as cunning as Sabrina, you wouldn't have been in this situation." Alice forced a smile, brushing off Keilani's comment. "Let's not focus on me right now. How about you? How are things with you?"

A triumphant smile tugged at Keilani's lips. "I had lunch with Tyrone and Jennie moments earlier. Tyrone mentioned he's not planning to remarry Sabrina anytime soon. And you know what? I bad-mouthed Sabrina, and he didn't argue back."

Despite Jennie's tearful insistence on leaving with Tyrone, the overall experience of how the meal went had left Keilani feeling content.

Alice replied, "It looks like things are looking up then. I offer you congratulations in advance for getting Tyrone as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your blessing."

As they were chatting away, the living room door swung open, and Lance entered with a suitcase in tow.

"Lance, you're back. Have you been busy lately?" Keilani rose and greeted Lance.

Hearing Keilani, Lance stared at her intently but responded with silence.

"Hey! Why are you looking at me like that?" As Lance's eyes bore into her, Keilani couldn't help feeling a sense of unease. He was looking at her like she was a guilty criminal.

Lance withdrew his sharp gaze and redirected his attention to Alice, his tone clipped as he addressed her, "Alice, could you give us some privacy? I have something to talk to Keilani."

Keilani's heart skipped a beat. Did he find out about her being Jennie's so-called biological mother? Although she knew this conversation was inevitable and this day would come, she hadn't seen it coming this soon and hadn't formulated a plausible explanation for the situation yet.

Alice offered a comforting look to Keilani before heading upstairs.

"Lance, what do you want to say to me? Keilani asked tentatively, her voice betraying her nerves. She swallowed hard.

"What's this I'm hearing about Jennie? Lance pushed the suitcase against the wall and strode to the sofa, seating himself with his trousers clutched in his hands.

"You... Well... Don't you already know everything? She's my daughter, Keilani whispered, her eyes darting around anxiously.

"What happened? Tell me everything!"

Left with no choice, Keilani started to repeat the narrative Kira had taught her to say, her words tumbling out in a rush.

The more Lance listened, the deeper the frown etched onto his face. When Keilani finally finished, he regarded her with a penetrating gaze and asked, "Have you finished?"

"Yes."

"So the reason why you returned and decided to take Jennie back is because of Tyrone? Lance drew the conclusion.

Keilani's cheeks flushed crimson as she responded bashfully, "I like him."

Keilani knew Lance wouldn't believe her words about maternal love so she simply told the truth. Alice hadn't had the chance to reveal the true one Lance desired, leaving Keilani still under the assumption that Lance adored Sabrina.

Keilani silently prayed for Lance's support in her making advances toward Tyrone. After all, if she pursued a relationship with Tyrone, it could pave the way for him to have a chance with Sabrina.

Much to Keilani's surprise, Lance declared icily, "I've bought you a ticket. You'll go back to Philade tomorrow."

"What? No! You are joking, right?" Keilani's eyes widened in disbelief.