Chapter 472

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Michael was dressed in a bright yellow raincoat , his little legs pumping as he dashed toward Jonathan , matching rain boots splashing through every puddle .
Jonathan stood up , but halfway there , the little guy suddenly veered off , ran to the car to grab an umbrella , then hurried back , clutching it tightly in his
arms .
“ Mr. Lime . ” Michael quickly handed the umbrella to Jonathan . “ Why aren’t you getting out of the rain ? ”
Jonathan took the umbrella and popped it open , only to realize it was a kid’s umbrella .
He bent down a bit , tilting the umbrella toward Michael . “ Mike , what are you doing here ? ”
Michael was about to say , “ I came to- ”
Before he could finish , Miriam walked over . “ Jonathan , oh my gosh , what are you doing out here ? It’s raining ! Why aren’t you in the car ? ”
Jonathan paused for a few seconds , then said , “ She hasn’t had dinner yet . Take her to get something to eat , my treat .”
“ No , that’s fine ,” Miriam said quickly , grabbing Michael’s hand and trying to sound casual . “ He’s my cousin’s kid . He insisted on coming with me , sol brought him along to pick up Teresa . ”
Jonathan didn’t press for more details . Before he could even say goodbye , Miriam was already hurrying off with Michael .
Michael kept glancing back at Jonathan , clearly reluctant to leave .
Teresa was still at the office when Miriam showed up with Michael . Miriam told her they’d just run into Jonathan downstairs .
Teresa froze for a second and grabbed Michael’s hand . Miriam said , “ Don’t worry , I didn’t really talk to him . ”
“ Fine , didn’t you go to the water park with Edward today ? ” asked Teresa .
Miriam sighed . “ The weather was bad , so we turned back halfway . When you still weren’t home so late and didn’t answer your phone , I got worried something happened , so Mike and I came to find you . ”
Teresa checked her phone and saw missed calls from Miriam . “ Sorry , my phone was silent .”
“ Now that you’re done , let’s go get something to eat. ”
Teresa agreed , and by the time they went downstairs , the rain had already stopped .
Teresa was about to head to her car when Michael suddenly let go of Miriam’s hand , shouted “ Mr. Lime ! ” and dashed over to Jonathan .
Teresa stopped in her tracks and looked up . Michael had already reached Jonathan , who scooped him up , but still hadn’t left .
Jonathan walked over , shot a look at Teresa , who clearly wasn’t happy to see him , and said to Miriam , “ It’s getting late . Let me give you guys a ride . ”
“ No need ,” Teresa replied . “ I’ll drive myself . ”
Jonathan narrowed his eyes a bit . “ I wasn’t talking to you , ” he said , turning to Miriam .
Miriam felt stuck in the middle . She thought , ‘ Why was I always the one caught between them when they argued ? ‘
“ I want to ride in Mr. Lime’s car ! ” Michael clung to Jonathan’s neck , refusing to let go .
Teresa glanced at the little traitor now snuggled in Jonathan’s arms but didn’t say a word .
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Trying to play peacemaker , Miriam said , “ Alright , let’s just take Jonathan’s car . The roads are slippery after the rain anyway . I’ll leave my car here and pick it up tomorrow . ”
After a few seconds of silence , Teresa said to Jonathan , “ If you’re playing driver , don’t forget to run the meter . I’ll pay you for the ride .”
Jonathan’s face darkened , but he pretended not to hear . He opened the back door . “ Get in . ”
Miriam stifled a laugh , pulled Teresa into the car , and joked , “ Alright , Mr. Lynn , don’t forget to start the meter ! ”
Jonathan handed Michael over to Miriam , then got in the car himself .
Miriam’s phone rang . She picked up and let out a helpless sigh . “ Alright , I’m on my way . ”
After hanging up , she explained , “ My brother just got back from school and he’s stuck at the airport . It’s too late to get a cab , so my parents want me to pick him up and head home . ”
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