Chapter 1061



Their brief exchange, the way they quickly looked away, was more telling than either of them realized. It was obvious to anyone watching that both were visibly flustered.

The most observant eyes would notice that while Kallie and Jake wore different styles of pajamas, they were in matching colors.

Kallie’s cheeks reddened even further as she caught this detail. In truth, she didn’t even realize it until now. If she had, she would have changed it before leaving her room. How embarrassing!

Elma, seeing Kallie, beamed and rushed to her, wrapping herself around Kallie in a playful hug.

“Mom, you were with my dad last night, right? I wasn’t lying, was I?”

The room fell silent, all eyes now fixed on Kallie. Especially Lacey, whose face betrayed little, but the tension rolling off her was thick enough to cut.

Kallie felt the simmering anger emanating from Lacey but chose to ignore it, focusing on diffusing the awkwardness in the air. It wasn’t a big deal—after all, she and Jake were both adults. Besides, nothing had happened between them last night.

But still, Kallie was uncertain of Jake’s thoughts. She couldn’t help glancing at him every so often, trying to read his reaction to everything unfolding.

To Jake, however, Kallie’s silence implied something else. His words felt trapped, lodged in his throat, refusing to come out. If he spoke the truth now, and Kallie wasn’t ready to acknowledge what had happened the night before, it would not only make things worse but also make him appear presumptuous, something he wasn’t sure he could bear.

Jake’s jaw tightened as a wave of awkwardness and embarrassment washed over him, unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating, until it began to unsettle Elma. Frustrated, she tugged at the sleeves of both Jake and Kallie, trying to break the stillness. Why weren’t they talking? Were they embarrassed? Strange! What was there to be embarrassed about?

Elma couldn’t understand. She almost felt the urge to speak for them, to break the tension herself. Her old deskmate from school had parents who had divorced, but they had reconciled after being seen on a date together.

Elma had always believed that a small, seemingly innocent gesture—a hint of closeness between Jake and Kallie, seen by others—could bring them back together. That was why she had carefully set the stage for the events of last night. But now, as she watched the uncomfortable silence between Jake and Kallie, a realization hit her like a cold wave. They didn’t want to reconcile.

The thought twisted Elma’s heart, and the pressure of it caused a violent cough to rack her small frame. Her eyes, wide and desperate, sought their attention. She gasped out, her voice trembling with the cough, “Dad… Mom… Please, say something…”

The sight of Elma’s distress attracted Jake’s and Kallie’s attention instantly, their faces shifting with concern.

Jake’s expression darkened as he stepped forward, scooping Elma into his arms without a second thought.

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