The Kiss that Sparked it All

“Don’t worry, once I’m back at school, I won’t hang out with those guys anymore. I’ll hit the books hard, I promise. I’ll go through all the study material Victoria got me. Please, don’t be angry anymore.”

That was the first time she had ever backed down in front of Elton.

In the past, she’d come home with her head held high no matter how wild or wrong she had been.

She never saw the point in apologizing, always feeling that if her dad pressed her to say sorry, it was because of Victoria’s presence. If Victoria messed up, she was sure he wouldn’t be so quick to discipline her. Just because it was Mara, he didn’t seem to care as much.

Elton had no idea what Mara had gone through. Just after a whole afternoon out, she came back a changed kid, and it made him suspicious.

Still, faced with her apology, he certainly had to be supportive and comforting.

“That’s my girl. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. It makes all the guidance your sister and I have given you worth it.

About this afternoon, I’ve thought it over, and I was too impulsive, too. No matter how wrong you were, I shouldn’t have raised my hand to you.

It’s my fault for not leaving you and your sister a mother. If she were here, maybe you wouldn’t be so extreme now.”

His words stung them both.

Victoria rushed over and hugged her father tightly, “Dad, don’t say that. You’ve done nothing wrong. All these years, you’ve taken care of us on your own, never bringing another woman into our lives. We appreciate it more than you know. You’ve worked so hard.

Mara hesitated, then joined in the hug, not quite knowing the right words to comfort her father.

Her gesture moved Elton deeply. If his little girl was really changing, he was more than willing to keep teaching her. He just didn’t want all his efforts over the years to go to waste.

What nobody knew was that, a seed of love had been planted in Mara’s heart.

Balfour’s words were etched into Victoria’s mind, and whenever she recalled him speaking those comforting words with such a cold expression, she couldn’t help but smile sweetly.

Maybe she was the one he had fallen for at first sight?

Otherwise, why would someone approach a complete stranger and offer such kind words?

Blushing at the thought, she covered her face with her hands, but the fantasy was too sweet to resist.

Victoria had no idea what had happened to her little sister, but the recent changes in Mara were clear for everyone to see.

Not only was she studying harder, but she also began approaching Victoria with questions.

This was a pleasant surprise for Victoria.

Mara had always looked down on her in the past. Whenever Victoria offered help with something she didn’t understand, Mara would act as if asking for help was the most disgusting thing in the world.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

But for their family, Mara’s change was a blessing, and Victoria was happy to see her sister doing better.

That was until Mara saw a video on Victoria’s phone of the school’s choir competition rehearsal.

“You guys actually take choir competitions seriously? Aren’t you worried about it eating into your study time?”

The hint of jealousy in Mara’s voice didn’t go unnoticed. Deep down, she knew that the better the school was, the more it encouraged a balance between study and leisure.