Kenneth admitted that his life in Claybourne with Sabrina would not be easy. It would be pure hell and torture, but he believed he could make it, that was a given. As they descended from the air taxi, Kenneth glanced at the woman again and asked himself if he was really ready to enter a life he had once escaped.
Sabrina had noticed earlier that Kenneth had been quiet, and when she looked at him, she caught him staring at her. She thought that maybe he was planning not to follow their agreement.
"You still have time to back out," she told him.
"Looks like you're the one planning to back out, Sabrina," he said to Sabrina.
"Why would I back out, huh? Don't forget that I warned you," Sabrina replied.
Kenneth expected that Margaret Hart would not like his presence and would dismiss him. He greeted Sabrina’s mother but Margaret continued to ignore him and then, Margaret drag Sabrina away.
“What are you doing, Sabrina? Why did you bring that bastard here? We have to talk... in private!" Margaret scolded Sabrina and gestured for her to follow her to the gazebo near their koi pond.
Sabrina was slightly nervous about Margaret's tone. It was the first time she had seen her so angry with her. "Mom," she said when she reached the gazebo.
"Have you lost your mind?" Margaret immediately raised her voice at Sabrina because she didn't like the fact that the two of them were together. "Don't you have any pride left, Sabrina? What happened to your vow with Meghan never to involve yourselves with the same man again?"
"Let me explain first, Mom." Sabrina tried to interrupt her mother from speaking because if she let her, they might be stuck in an endless argument.
"And how do you explain that guy's presence? Why is he here?" Margaret bombarded her with questions because she was really confused. “Do you know what will happen to that guy once your Dad is home?”
Sabrina cleared her throat before speaking because she wanted Margaret to understand her intentions and not judge her decision. "Kenneth and I agreed that he would temporarily become Scarlet's nanny until I can forgive him. He will be an all-around helper in the house," she told Margaret about her agreement with Kenneth.
"And do you think you can fight your feelings for him? How are you going to handle it, Sabrina? And you, Meghan, didn’t you tell your cousin this is a bad move?”
"He seemed sincere in asking for my forgiveness, Aunt Margaret. Just don't worry about us, Sabrina and I can still control our hearts," Meghan reassured.
"Meghan is right, Mom." Sabrina agreed with Meghan's statement, but her mother still didn't seem convinced.
Margaret scoffed at her for being sure about controlling her heart. "Just don't come to me crying," she warned both Meghan and Sabrina.
Sabrina became anxious as they returned inside the house because she was worried that her mother would scold Kenneth again. She exchanged glances with Meghan while waiting for Margaret's next move.
“Kenneth McBride, follow me,” Margaret ordered as soon she faced Kenneth again.
As Kenneth and Margaret distanced from her to have a private talk, Sabrina and Meghan exchanged glances.
“Do you think he will be alright?” she asked Meghan.
"I don't know, Sabrina," Meghan answered, biting her lip out of nervousness. "I'll go to them," she decided.
"Are you sure?" Sabrina asked, even though she knew the woman had already made up her mind.
“I’m just kidding. You know your mother, Sab. She’s a lioness when she’s mad,” Meghan said.
“I know, right? Let’s just wait,” Sabrina stated.
So, they waited for an hour before Margaret released Kenneth. Finally, she was able to breathe upon seeing him again because it means her mother didn’t become a criminal because of Kenneth McBride!
“Are you okay?” she asked him immediately.
"Hey, don't worry," Kenneth replied with a smirk.
His concern for the man quickly turned into annoyance. He was always such a troublemaker!
"Oh, so you're really fine, huh? In that case, follow me to clean our room with Scarlet," she ordered him.
"Can we start our agreement tomorrow instead?" Kenneth asked for a favor from Sabrina, but she just shook her head and refused.
He had no choice but to go back upstairs to where they had come from earlier, where Margaret scolded him. His room wasn't that big, but it took Kenneth two hours to clean it since Sabrina was bothering him with her meticulousness. The man assumed that his task was done after cleaning his room, but unfortunately, he also had to wash the dirty bed sheets and curtains.
"Eat properly to regain your strength," Sabrina whispered as they had dinner.
Kenneth chose to remain silent because he was genuinely afraid of irritating the woman. Little did he know that Sabrina was hiding something. A trait he had never seen before. He wanted to ask her where the kind Sabrina was hiding. After dinner, Sabrina discreetly said goodbye and carried Scarlet.
"Don't forget to sterilize the baby's feeding bottles," Sabrina said even if there were other people in the room who heard them.
Kenneth couldn't help but feel insulted by Sabrina in front of everyone. Their agreement was fine with him, but making it clear to everyone that he was the woman's slave hurt his pride. Nevertheless, he still complied and followed her instructions.
"Yes, my queen," he jokingly replied, and Sabrina gave him an annoyed look before she left for the second floor.
As Sabrina climbed up the stairs with Scarlet in her arms, she couldn't shake off the guilt that had washed over her. She had intentionally embarrassed Kenneth in front of her family, and her father even groaned in disbelief.
Reaching the second floor, Sabrina entered Scarlet's room and gently placed her in the crib. She watched as the baby stirred and then settled back into a peaceful slumber. Taking a deep breath, Sabrina sat on the rocking chair beside the crib and reflected on her actions.
She knew Kenneth had made mistakes in the past, and she had every right to be cautious and hesitant. The wounds he had inflicted on her heart were still fresh, and forgiveness wasn't something that could be granted easily. But deep down, Sabrina couldn't deny the feelings that resurfaced whenever she saw him again. Was it really that first love never dies?
Sabrina remembered the conversation she had with Kenneth earlier when he had warned her that their life together wouldn't be easy. He had acknowledged the challenges they would face, and yet he was willing to take them on. It made her question her own hesitations and whether she was being fair to him.
Sabrina stood up from the rocking chair and walked back down the stairs, her heart pounding with a mix of nervousness and determination. She found Kenneth in the kitchen, still washing the baby bottles as she had instructed.
"Kenneth," she called out softly, trying to convey sincerity in her voice.
He turned to look at her, his expression guarded. "What is it, Sabrina?"
“You forgot this bottle in the room,” she said before turning away from him.