Issac Monroe found himself utterly bewildered. The plan had been simple: a brief visit to help Natalie Pierce compose herself, then he would depart. Yet, an overnight stay was now unexpectedly on the table.
Iris Monroe, her face radiating maternal warmth, smiled. "Of course you can stay, darling. I just worry our home isn't quite up to your usual standards."
Natalie Pierce, catching the benevolent gaze of Auntie Iris, responded with a bright, radiant smile that momentarily banished the stresses of her corporate life. "Oh, not at all!" she exclaimed, her voice light and sincere, truly touched by the unexpected kindness. For a young woman accustomed to the rigid formalities and often cold calculations of her own esteemed Pierce family, this simple, unburdened warmth was a refreshing and pr
