Post-dinner, they made their way back to the hotel.

En route, Bettie scrolled through the photos on her phone. She powered down her phone and took the half-empty bottle of fruit wine.

Walking along, she sighed. "I should have called Sabrina last night and got her to bring me a camera."

"She wanted to see you last night?"

"Yeah, Jennie's back. She's keen to swing by our place to meet you."

Lance chuckled but said nothing. Luckily, Bettie hadn't invited Sabrina over.

Mulling over Jennie's adorable face, Bettie sighed again. “Jennie's bright and sweet, but she's Tyrone's child with another woman. I... I feel bad for Sabrina. If it was any other woman, it'd be fine, but it's Keilani..."

Lance raised an eyebrow and then lowered his gaze, murmuring, “Sabrina will let you know if she's uncomfortable."

"Let me tell you, if you father a child with another woman, I will never forgive you." Bettie gazed at him earnestly. "You've been away for seven years. It's entirely plausible you have a daughter Jennie's age."

Lance laughed this off. "What are you on about? Even if I did, she'd still be our kid."

Bettie blushed, looking away. “That's debatable."

“If I didn't have a daughter out there, would you forgive me?"

“Then tell me, why did you Leave seven years ago?" Bettie halted in her tracks as she asked this and turned to lock eyes with Lance. She had been wanting to know the cause of his sudden leaving back then.

But she'd never asked before and he'd never explained. It seemed he preferred not to broach the subject.

Bettie sensed Lance's affection for her. It had been seven long years and holding on hadn't been easy for him. The more she pondered, the more she craved to understand why he'd left, given his strong feelings for her.

Meeting her gaze, Lance pressed his lips together.

“Forget it if you don't want to talk about it." Bettie downed the fruit wine and strode ahead, feigning indifference.

"You know, when my dad fell ill that year, he needed dialysis to survive, but his condition worsened. He didn't want to stress me and affect my performance in the college entrance exam, so he kept it from me. Then, a stranger approached me, promising top-notch medical care if I left with him. I agreed. The man kept his word, arranging a kidney transplant for my dad. But his kidney disease was genetic and his prognosis was grim. He passed away four years later."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that." Bettie nibbled her lower Lip, surprised that it was because of his father.

“It's okay. Let's put the past behind us," Lance said with a smile.