Chapter 409
Lila spoke up in surprise. “The family always encouraged us younger ones to date freely. Why would they suddenly arrange a marriage for Bryce?”
As she spoke, she lightly scratched Kieran’s palm with her fingertip and added, “I’m not cold. You don’t need to hold my hand so tightly.”
Kieran relaxed his grip slightly, as she suggested.
Lila tilted her head, her expression thoughtful as she pieced it together. “Is it because Aunt Jasmine thinks Bryce is old enough to settle down and wants him to start a family?”
When Kieran nodded, Lila didn’t say anything more, though the thought lingered in her mind.
Before she and Kieran had gotten married, none of the younger Morgans or even the older ones, including Kieran, the youngest of his generation, had seemed in any hurry to settle down.
It was no surprise the elders were starting to feel anxious.
Aunt Jasmine had been urging Bryce to date for years. Since he didn’t seem interested, she must have started considering an arranged marriage instead.
Arranged marriages weren’t uncommon in prominent families, but could they lead to happiness?
Lila frowned slightly, though she knew this wasn’t something she could interfere with.
Kieran glanced down and noticed her pensive expression. She was still deep in thought.
Casually, he asked, “What do you think about it?”
“Me?” Lila blinked at him, her tone puzzled but contemplative as she remarked, “It depends on what Bryce wants, doesn’t it?”
She lowered her gaze, a faint trace of worry crossing her features as she mulled over the uncertainty of it all.
To Kieran, however, her lowered eyes seemed tinged with melancholy.
His gaze shifted into the distance, darkening like a heavy fog. His emotions were unreadable, buried somewhere deep.
People often say first loves were unforgettable, but as Dorian was Lila’s first love, Kieran never once thought she wouldn’t be able to forget someone like him.
But Bryce?
Their relationship…
His train of thought broke abruptly when Lila let go of his hand and suddenly dashed forward toward two familiar figures approaching them.
Kieran glanced down at his now-empty hand, hesitating briefly before following her.
“Aunt Jasmine!”
Lila’s naturally sweet voice carried across the airport terminal, lilting lightly through
the air and landing clearly in Kieran’s ears.
Jasmine wore a clean-cut,
semi-casual outfit that struck the
perfect balance between
professional and relaxed. Her
shoulder-length hair was tucked
neatly behind one ear, adding to her
polished appearance.
Despite spending several hours on a
plane, her makeup remained
flawless, and her well-maintained complexion made her look like she wasn’t even 40 yet-even though her son was already 27.
Her mature, elegant demeanor drew people in effortlessly, making it hard to look away.
When she spotted Lila running toward her, Jasmine let go of her suitcase and opened her arms wide, pulling Lila into a warm, familiar hug.
“It’s been so long, Lila.”
Lila breathed in Jasmine’s soft, delicate gardenia fragrance-the same scent Paula wore.
“Aunt Jasmine, it’s been so long!”
Her cheerful voice matched her bright expression as she took a closer look at Jasmine.
The resemblance to Paula wasn’t just in her scent, their facial features and expressions were strikingly similar.
Jasmine’s eyes sparkled with warmth, her gaze as soft and doting as a mother’s toward her youngest child.
“Why do I feel like I’m invisible here?”
Lila turned toward the tall, graceful figure standing beside Jasmine—Bryce.
If Kieran was like the cold, distant moon in the night sky, Bryce was like a warm, gentle ray of morning sunlight.
Lila couldn’t recall a time when Bryce’s expression wasn’t kind and welcoming.
“Bryce, it’s been so long!” Lila said, her voice polite but cheerful.
Just like when they were younger, Bryce reached out and lightly patted her head. “You look like you’ve lost weight.”
By then, Kieran had caught up to them. Hearing the lighthearted tone in Lila’s voice, he glanced at her briefly before shifting his gaze elsewhere, his expression calm and unreadable.
He reached for Jasmine’s suitcase and said, “It’s cold outside. Let’s head home.”
“Oh, right,” Lila said, suddenly realizing what they were waiting for. “Everyone’s back at the Morgan residence waiting for you.”
Jasmine raised her arm, and Lila instinctively linked hers through it. The two fell into an easy rhythm, chatting as they walked.
“Bryce just said you look like you’ve lost weight. I think so, too,” Jasmine remarked.
Lila touched her face and replied with a grin, “Maybe it’s just because it’s cold and I’m all bundled up. All these layers probably make my head look tiny.”