Chapter 700

At the very least, both Rafael and Hayley shared one thing in common—devotion to their families. Rafael had given up his education to stay and care for his mother. And Hayley, in her own way, was about to do the same for her grandfather. I didn't say much else about it. After we had dinner together, Rafael offered to drive us home. We didn't refuse, of course. It was still early in the night when we got back. Since I wasn't in a rush to rest, I stayed on the couch, going over matters related to the branch company. Joanna came out of the bathroom with a towel around her neck. When she saw me working on the couch, she came over and sat beside me. Maybe I had stayed over enough times that she no longer felt the need to act reserved around me. She dried her hair while glancing at my laptop screen, watching me search through some documents. Then suddenly, she asked, "Joshua, do you think Hayley's really going to drop out of school?" I paused for a moment, then nodded without hesi