Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 125 Valeria glared at Sebastian, but what she didn't know was that there wasn't a shred of threat in her eyes. All it did was awaken the buried mischief in this seemingly cold and detached man. Thalia dropped her chopsticks and bent down to pick them up. She blinked curiously at the scene under the table, then looked up and said, "Mister, your foot touched Ms. Neal's leg." Her words were clear and crisp, like she was reading out loud ina school recital. Each syllable was pronounced perfectly. Her voice was bright, laced with curiosity.

Selena, hearing this, ducked her head to look under the table too, only to have Valeria gently pinch her ponytail. Valeria's face turned bright red. The thin flush spread from her cheeks to her neck. Even her earlobes were visibly flushed. She nearly buried her face in her bowl. Sebastian's expression didn't change at all. His voice was calm, completely devoid of remorse, even as he said, "Sorry." Valeria didn't respond. She only nodded slightly. She used her food asa shield. ---- Her cheeks were burning hot, the heat flaring up in waves.

Her whole face was dyed red from the awkward encounter. Rory glanced at Sebastian, then at Valeria. He could sense something odd in the air, but aside from that strange feeling, he couldn't put his finger on what exactly was off. So, he simply smiled and said to his daughter, "Thalia, eat up. At 7:40 pm, Rory left with his daughter. Before leaving , he pinched Selena's cheek. "We didn't get to watch a movie tonight. Thalia really wanted to go for one. How about I come pick you two up tomorrow and we'll go. together?" Selena thought about it.

She really wanted to go, but she had to ask Valeria first. Valeria didn't want to have any interaction with Rory beyond work. Her life was simple , focused mostly on her daughter . Tonight had been an unexpected mishap with the elevator , and she was grateful Rory had helped look after Selena. "Thave something to do tomorrow. You two go ahead without us." Rory didn't push it, but he also really wanted to pursue Valeria. After his divorce , he had been raising his daughter alone. His ex-wife had moved to Amaran. He was only 32 and still in his prime.

He genuinely hoped to find a suitable partner. ---- By chance, he had bumped into Valeria again. Just one look at her had him stunned. Valeria's voice was gentle, her features elegant and pleasing, her demeanor soft and graceful. It was nothing like the version of her he remembered from when she interned at his old company. Back then, Valeria had a bit more flesh. Now, she was slim and graceful . Her figure was remarkably well-proportioned, Even ina plain white sweater, her silhouette stood out. Valeria walked over to the register to scan and pay. Rory watched her from behind.

Her coat was draped over her arm, and the curve of her shoulder and neck was striking. Even from the back, without seeing her face, one could tell that this was a beautiful woman. He hurried to catch up, almost skipping steps. Then, he attempted to make conversation. "You've gotten much thinner than before. When I saw you the other day, I almost didn't recognize you. I remember you used to be..." Valeria had interned at his previous company five years ago. Back then, she was already starting to lose the baby weight from giving birth to Selena.

During her time at that company, she had slimmed down to around 125 pounds. She wasn't overweight. Her figure looked balanced and natural. ---- Still, compared to now, there was a noticeable difference. Valeria had just finished paying when her eyelid twitched. She hadn't expected Rory to suddenly bring up the past. She lifted her head and looked behind Rory. There, she saw Sebastian walking toward them.