Chapter 190 - 190 Ch. 190 Andrew’s Upside Down Behavior
“Uncle Stanley, do you have time?”
Stanley wasn’t really surprised to see Andrew striking up a conversation with him. He knew that young man would approach him sooner or later. Only... he wished not now. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“Yes.”
“Will I or will I not like our discussion?” Stanley could guess what the young man wanted to talk about.
Andrew gave a thin smile of respect but did not flinch even though Stanley was emitting a dangerous and intimidating aura around him.
He was not a child who knew nothing, and now he had no fear or hesitation as he answered, “It’s about Harmonie.”
“…”
Moments later, Harmonie was looking out of the garden through an open window. It was already seven o’clock in the morning, and soon everyone would gather in the dining room to have breakfast. Only this time, their party would be incomplete as three women had left for a spa ritual and make-up a few minutes ago.
.....
Michele and Anxia had not come out of their room―so Harmonie was walking alone while looking for her father. She knew her father was already up and would be alone. Hence, Harmonie wanted to enjoy a father-daughter sweet time―she was a daddy’s little girl, after all.
Nonetheless, her mind was filled with Andrew―she remembered what she and Andrew did when she lived here as a child. Andrew took her on a boat ride on the lake and taught her to ride a horse.
If she had started to recognize what love was at that time, Harmonie would have enjoyed and appreciated her time together with the young man as best she could.
“Moni, what are you doing here?”
Harmonie gasped at the sound, and her heartbeat quickened as she saw the prince-like face smiling at her until it stole her breath.
“Momma went to the saloon with Aunt Madie and Quinn. I’m not sure about dad, but I’m pretty sure none of my brothers had woken up.”
“Your father is awake. I just met him.”
Harmonie only responded with an O-like opened-mouth as a sign that she understood. She lowered her head while playing with her left foot by hitting the floor toward the back of her right foot.
She was not a girl who ran out of words, and there was always something to say if she wanted to liven things up. Even now, there was so much Moni wanted to talk to Andrew about, but she refrained from doing so.
Andrew only thought of her as a younger sister, while her feelings would grow bigger, and it would be hard to impossible for her to keep them under control. She was satisfied to look at him occasionally from afar, and she wasn’t hurt when Andrew avoided her directly. It was like she was fangirling at some popular hot guy and dreaming about being that guy’s wife―but it was only a dream ... It would never happen in reality.
“I see. In that case, I’ll see if my brother wakes up first.” hence, Harmonie decided to stay away with the excuse of looking for her family members.
It was ridiculous, really. All this time, Andrew was the one who avoided her, and it was Moni who took the step forward. But now, when Andrew approached her, Moni ran away.
“Moni,”
Harmonie couldn’t help but turn around to respond to her cousin’s call, “Yes?”
“Would you like to accompany me riding?”
What? “Now? But…”
“It’s a yes, then!”
What!? Harmonie widened in surprise when Andrew didn’t give her a chance to refuse and immediately took her hand and walked towards the stables.
“Brother Andrew, I don’t wear equestrian clothing.” Harmonie tried to find reasons not to be with the man―especially when the man smiled at her, and his eyes seemed to shine when talking to her.
Andrew never smiled in the eyes when talking to her―his emerald green eyes had also never shone and glittered like this.
“Don’t worry. We’re just going to be casual riding.”
What does it mean?
Harmonie only understood what he meant when they arrived at the stables, and Andrew invited her to ride the man’s favorite stallion. Then Andrew followed and sat behind Harmonie, tensely turning the girl’s muscles.
So… they’re going to be riding the same horse?! Harmonie didn’t know whether to scream in joy or cry. Harmonie felt her heart was going to explode at this moment. Not to mention the two hands that went past her waist to hold onto the horse’s reins, and the manly musky scent of that man wafted up her nose.
At this rate... how could she stop her affection if the man kept giving her false hope?
“I… I don’t think… this is a good idea. I will ride another horse.”
As if Andrew couldn’t listen to her―or maybe he didn’t want to grant her wish, Andrew started to order the horse, and it galloped at moderate speed.
As if Andrew wasn’t satisfied with their closeness, he even casually rested his chin on top of Harmonie’s head without putting all the weight on it.
This left Harmonie extremely confused, and didn’t know what to do.
What happened? Why is Andrew acting like this? Did he drink the wrong medicine? Harmonie couldn’t help but let her mind ask a thousand questions.
When the lovebirds enjoyed their riding―Stanley went back to his room while his sons were still resting in their respective rooms―a mysterious man tucked a small piece of paper in a small tube tied to a bird’s leg. After confirming that no one would see him, this person let go of the bird and let it fly off somewhere.
This individual wanted to give information to his employer without being detected by Stanley’s intelligence program.