Chapter 81

There was also a young woman in the room, probably in her early 20s. She looked quiet and well-behaved—the obedient type. Ryan pulled out a chair for Cassandra and said gently, "Have a seat." Only after she sat down did he pull out the chair beside her and sit down himself. The three dogs sat between them, making them look amusingly like a family. The middle-aged woman, Madison Clarke, glanced at Cassandra, then at her daughter, Avery Brooks. Her smile was already starting to stiffen. "Ryan, since when did you have a girlfriend? Why haven't we heard anything from your parents or your brother?" "I've liked her a long time, but she's not easy to win over. We only just got together recently." Cassandra shot a look at Ryan, but he just smiled and casually held her hand, gently rubbing her palm like a man madly in love. He made it look so natural that it didn't seem staged at all. Still, Madison was graceful enough to maintain her poise. She smiled and said, "You've got good taste. S