His Warmth

I stopped and looked at Opal with confusion. "Don't you dislike me?" Since he didn't like me, he wanted to stay away from me for sure. Therefore, why did he care about where I was going? "I don't hate you." Never mind. I didn't want to argue with Opal now.  "Opal, I'm sleepy. My wedding with Mr. Caroll will be held tomorrow. Save your lecture next time, okay?" I turned around to leave, but Opal clutched my shoulder. "What did you say? What wedding?" "Mr. Carroll. I get married to him, and there will be a wedding." I grimaced for the pain on my shoulder and tried to break free from Opal. Opal instantly looked sullen. "Kelly, don't you care about your reputation? That is a posthumous marriage. That wedding will ruin the reputation of you and the Smith family." The clutch on my shoulder became a grip.  Suddenly, I felt aggrieved, and my tears fell down. "Oh... I'm already married to Carroll. Will a wedding make any difference? Hurt! Let go of me. I won't come back to this place again. I can't eat my fill here. You guys want me to give up my inheritance and make me live in a small room. Moreover, you beat me." "What inheritance?" Taken aback, Opal loosened his grip on me. He pulled over a chair next to me and sat opposite me. He sounded anxious. "I heard it just now. Madonna and Odette discussed how to make me sign an agreement and give up my inheritance. All of you are bad guys!" "Impossible. You must make a mistake." Opal stared at me and waited for a negative answer. I tried my best to stop crying. Then, I stared at him. Was I deaf? How could I make a mistake on such an important matter? Then, I opened my mouth, "Yes, I made a mistake." "What?" Opal was shocked again. "I made a mistake." I raised my arm, wiped the tears away from the corners of my eyes, and sniffed. "Can I go back to my room now?" I could repeat what I had heard to Opal, but I didn't think that Opal would believe me. Therefore, why did I waste my time with him? "Wait." Opal walked into the kitchen. With a long face, he brought out some desserts and fruits. "There are always night snacks. If you're not full, go get them yourself." "Oh." I took the desserts. They were delicious. Girls liked sweet things. Were the night snacks prepared for Odette? Like Carroll, men didn't like sweet and greasy food, I thought.  I enjoyed myself, but Opal frowned again. There was sarcasm in his tone. "You love money and food, don't you?" "Well, if you starve every day, you will do the same as I," I said casually.  I took a strawberry and put it in my mouth. It was sweet and delicious to soothe my anxiety. "Do you starve?" I stopped eating. "It's common in the countryside that one can't have enough food. I will forgive your violence just now because you gave me something delicious. You don't have to apologize." Opal was at a loss about how to deal with me. Rubbing his temples, he said impatiently, "Do you always forgive those who hurt you and then give you good food?" "Am I that stupid in your eyes?" I ate up the dessert, wiped my mouth, and took the empty plate back to the kitchen. "Opal, we're even." "Do you think you are smart?" Opal didn't let me go back to my room. He stared at my face for a while and then asked, "What's wrong with your face?" Eight hours had passed since Opal picked me up from Bamboo Pavilion. However, he didn't notice my red and swollen face till now. Should I thank him for his concern? "Nothing, I got a slap." I shrugged, thinking about how to get rid of Opal. I came from the countryside, and Opal was a famous doctor. We are from different worlds, so our communication became difficult.  "Who is it?" Opal asked. There was a moment when I saw sympathy in his eyes. "Nathan," I answered truthfully. Then, the light in Opal's eyes became dim. "Come home if you are unhappy there." "Home? This place? I didn't have a bowl of soup! Opal, stop joking." I laughed and then rubbed my red and swollen face. "My life in the Brown family is great." "Kelly." My smartphone rang. There came a message. Carroll: "Come downstairs. I am here to pick you up." I: "Okay!" I was right downstairs. That saved a lot of trouble! "Bye. I'm going back to the Brown family." Before Opal came to his senses, I ran out of the villa and got in the limo parked at the gate of the Smith family. "Hurry up. Leave here as soon as possible," I pleaded and patted Jason's backrest. "Were they bad to you?" Carroll rubbed my hair. I looked back and saw Carroll sitting there casually, but there was a sense of oppression that belonged to people in the high rank around him.  The car left the Smith family behind.  When Opal, who ran after me, disappeared from my vision, I let out a sigh of relief. "Mr. Carroll." Without any reason, I wanted a hug, so I embraced Carroll. Carroll wore a silk shirt. His breathing was steady, and his heart was beating strongly.  I felt his warmth penetrating the shirt and reaching my cheek.  "Oh, Mr. Carroll, your chest is so warm." I calmed down and enjoyed this sense of security with my eyes closed. My moves took Carroll by surprise. His arms hung in the air for more than ten seconds before he placed them on my back. "Something bad must have happened." "Yes." I rubbed my head against Carroll's chest for more warmth.  The Smith family had five members, but three of them, related to me by blood, considered me a jinx.  The other two coveted my inheritance.  To me, that place was a blood-sucking cave. It was more horrible than the countryside. Not that bad. Opal, at least, had brought me some desserts. He still had a conscience.  Carroll hugged me tightly. "The sad children want gifts. What do you want?" What a good husband! I broke free from Carroll's arms and asked with doubts, "May I?" After one sleep in the attic, I had rubbed in Carroll's arms, so my hair became ruffled. Coincidentally, there was a red light, and a dusty stray dog ran past the car.  After one glance at the dog, Carroll chuckled. "It's quite similar to you." Then, he held my chin, took out a wooden comb from the storage cabinet in the back seat, and combed my hair bit by bit. There were pleasurable tingles wherever the comb passed. Therefore, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the service.  Soon, my long hair became smooth and tidy again. Carroll put the long hair around my forehead behind my ears and scrutinized my face. "You have a beautiful face. Why did you hide it?" I grinned from ear to ear. "Am I good-looking, Mr. Carroll?"