John apologized upon entering the living room, “Sorry for being late. I had a client who came to me at the last
minute.”
With a wave of his hand, Logan dismissed his concern. “It’s all fine as long as you’re here. Let us begin, and we can
leave as soon as we end this.” Although he didn’t sound malicious, it did make the rest of them feel uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, John led the four of them upstairs and into the study. Logan got himself a chair before sitting with his
legs propped up, as if without a care in the world, whereas Lola sat down some distance away from him after
getting her own chair.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEven without Sophia’s reminder, John could see that Logan and Lola didn’t seem as close as before. Averting his
gaze, he wore a smile while thinking to himself, That’s right. Their relationship wouldn’t have progressed if they
maintained their previous dynamic. Only through conflicts and arguments that relationships are able to
develop. Looking at Logan, John said, “You should move closer. Sitting too far away from each other makes it hard
for us to proceed with the discussion.”
Lola gave it some thought before moving closer, whereas Logan followed suit reluctantly after a few seconds, not
unlike a child throwing a tantrum. Watching Logan’s behavior from the sidelines, Sophia stifled a laugh upon
realizing he did that precisely because he wanted to get Lola’s attention. He wanted her to know that he was upset,
and would like her to comfort him. Due to his straightforwardness, that was all the pettiness he could manage.
As soon as they were all settled, John began explaining the plans for that day.
Ernest’s birthday celebration would begin in the afternoon, and would seemingly carry on into the night, which
would be the ideal time to implement their plans. John and Sophia were planning to get to the venue a little later
than the designated starting time. After that, Sophia would only spend an hour at the venue before retreating. With
the skies having darkened by that point, it would be easier for Lola to take Sophia’s place without being noticed.
Nodding his head, Logan seemed to be quite invested in the plan although his relationship with Lola was somewhat
strained at that point in time. “I will be attending the event with you guys. Hanging around Sophia from the
beginning will make things look less odd when I am with Lola after she takes Sophia’s place.” John agreed to his
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmsuggestion with a nod before turning to ask Lola, “What do you make of this arrangement, Miss Hunt?” Lola had
nothing else to add, so she agreed to it. Later on, John briefed them on the people and events that they might
encounter during that day. Most probably, both Isabelle’s father and grandfather might probe them, which Sophia
might be able to help fend off when she was still at the venue. However, John wasn’t sure what other tricks the
Baileys might pull after that, so Logan and Lola had to improvise if that was the case. For instance, if someone were
to invite Sophia to an occasion, Lola would have to think of manners to turn down the invitation. With a nod, Lola
said reassuringly, “Don’t worry, as I have experience dealing with situations like that.” John had faith in her abilities.
In fact, when he first asked Logan if either Jasmine or Lola was able to assist him in the task, he preferred Lola’s
help over Jasmine’s. Compared to Jasmine, Lola had more of an advantage, so she would be of greater help than if
Jasmine was involved. It was fortunate that Lola agreed to help in the end. .