Chapter 496
[ 498 words ]
Chapter 496:
Caroline didn’t call him on his bravado. She just smiled, a soft, understanding expression. In her eyes, he wasn’t a four-star general. He was just a stubborn old man who needed to be cared for. He found the thought strangely comforting.
A wave of melancholy washed over him. He looked around the grand, silent room. He had said more to this girl tonight, shared more of himself, than he had with anyone in the last decade. His gaze drifted to the large, formal family portrait above the fireplace. His late son, Leland. Cornelia, with her plastic smile. Harper, a stranger in his own bloodline. And Jarrod, a ghost who was never here. For years, this house had been nothing but a beautiful, empty shell, filled with silence and unspoken resentments.
He looked back at Caroline. Her face was glowing in the firelight. In her, he saw the chance for this house to be a home again. He saw laughter and the smell of cooking, not just catered affairs. He saw warmth. He saw a future for the Romero name that wasn’t just about power and legacy, but about family.
He had accepted her as Jarrod’s wife out of necessity. But now, in the quiet of this night, he accepted her as his own. The cornerstone of a new beginning.
Agnes moved quietly to the sideboard, collecting the empty teacups, her eyes flicking between the General and the new Mrs. Romero. She saw what was happening: two lonely souls, from different generations and different worlds, finding an unexpected anchor in each other. She had not seen the General look at anyone with that expression since Isabella. The thought struck her with unexpected force. In this girl, perhaps, the Romero house had found not just a new mistress, but a chance at redemption. She tucked the observation away, a quiet ember of hope that she did not yet dare to voice.
A huge yawn suddenly escaped Caroline, a wide, unladylike gesture that she tried and failed to stifle. The warmth of the fire and the food in her belly were conspiring against her. Her eyelids felt heavy as lead.
The General’s sentimental mood vanished, replaced by immediate, practical concern. “Is the guest room warm enough? I’ll have Agnes bring up another blanket. One of the cashmere ones.”
“No, no, it’s perfect,” she said, shaking her head. “Any warmer and I’ll wake up in a puddle.”
𝗪𝖾 𝗎𝗉d𝗮t𝖾 e𝘷𝖾r𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝘦𝗸 𝗼𝗇 𝗴𝖺𝗹𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝘭𝘀.c𝘰𝗺
He pressed a small button on the side table. A moment later, Agnes appeared at the door. “Escort Mrs. Romero to her room,” the General commanded. “And see to it that she is not disturbed. By anyone. For any reason.”
“Of course, General,” Agnes said with a nod.
Caroline stood up, her body aching with a deep, satisfying weariness. “Goodnight, Grandpa.”
She paused at the door. “I’m in Jarrod’s old room, right? The one at the end of the hall?”
“The master suite is being prepared for you and Jarrod’s return,” the General explained. “But for now, yes. His old quarters.”
.
.
.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.