The Kiss that Sparked it All

“All I see is two people who are clearly into each other.” Imogen replied with a helpless sigh.

“Don’t lie to me. I know there’s nothing between them. If Regina can make a move, why can’t I?”

Imogen let out a heavy sigh, “You’re my daughter, and of course I think you deserve the best. But look at the situation you’re in. The way you spoke at the dinner table completely disregarded the occasion. You invited Nolan over more often even when your father didn’t say a thing! If word gets out, good luck finding anyone willing to marry you!”

“Why should I care about marrying anyone else? I only want to marry Nolan. Mom, you’ve become too comfortable with your peaceful life. You’ve forgotten how hard we’ve had it. Marrying Nolan is the only way to keep Regina beneath us and to give you the satisfaction of revenge.”

No matter how much Imogen tried to reason with her, Madeline was set on Nolan being her only goal.

And for Imogen, wanting the best for her daughter meant reaching out to Francis to invite Regina over for dinner more often. Even if Nolan didn’t accompany her, perhaps he’d pick her up, which would create chances for encounters.

Imogen sighed, realizing how one couldn’t control their children once they’re grown. She felt it deeply.

If Nolan ever became her son-in-law, that would be wonderful. But after tonight’s dinner, she realized that being his mother-in-law was not going to be an easy task.

…

Nolan helped Regina into the car, and as soon as they were seated, Regina apologized.

Nolan, expressionless, only asked, “Is ‘sorry’ the only word you know?”

“I, I’m sorry… If you hadn’t come for me, you wouldn’t have had to go through that embarrassment.”

Regina sighed.

“Does your family embarrass you that much?”

Hearing Nolan’s question, Regina looked at him in surprise, “Isn’t it obvious? Ever since we’ve been together, my dad has done nothing but embarrass me. Sometimes, I feel like I can’t even face you.”

“That’s why you didn’t tell me you were going home alone today.” Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

For Regina, Nolan’s calm statement somehow conveyed dissatisfaction.

“If it were just a normal family dinner, of course, I’d love to take you home. But you saw it yourself. Before you could even take a few bites, he was already hinting at wanting you to arrange this and that. Isn’t the money he’s gotten from you enough? Greed knows no bounds, and I’ve learned that well from my dad.”

As Regina spoke, her anger grew, especially seeing Nolan’s indifferent demeanor, unsure of where to direct her frustration.

“Hmph, I have money.”

“But throwing money around like that is foolish, isn’t it?” Regina couldn’t hide her bafflement.

Nolan glanced at her expression and couldn’t help but laugh genuinely.