Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 379

"Get out of here, Owen; Cecilia doesn't need you to walk her home."

With that, Becca turned on her heel, stepped briskly away, and firmly locked the garden gate.

Owen had planned to follow them shamelessly, but the lock on the gate made it impossible, even for someone with his thick skin. He could only watch helplessly as his mother-in-law retreated into the house. Owen had been squatting at her front gate all morning, and Cecilia had been blissfully unaware.

She had slept in, a luxury afforded by the fact that the store didn't open until nine.

She took her time washing and dressing before she sauntered downstairs for breakfast.

After greeting her family members one by one, Cecilia sat next to her older brother, Hudson.

Today's breakfast was simple: a bowl of soup and pastas for each family member.

"Mom, no toast today?" Cecilia asked casually as she picked up her spoon, ready to tuck into her bowl of soup.

"I just didn't feel like making it," Becca replied curtly.

Cecilia turned to her father. "Dad, who upset Mom this early in the morning?"

Her father, Kevin, offered his wife a piece of the sunny-side-up egg from his bowl and said without looking at Cecilia, "Don't look at me. I'm too old to get on your mother's wrong side."

In their youth, the couple had been hot-tempered and prone to arguments. But now, with age, they had mellowed, and their relationship had become more peaceful.

"Brother, it must be you."

Cecilia nudged Hudson.

Hudson glanced at her and said, "Actually, it's the guy squatting outside our gate who scared Mom. She was so upset that she didn't feel like making a proper breakfast and just made us these bowls of soup and pastas."

Becca shot Hudson a glare, and he quickly backtracked. "Mom, your pastas are the best.."

Becca huffed and let it go. Hudson breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't cook, and he knew better than to complain about his mother's cooking.

"Is Owen still out there?" Cecilia asked, her tone betraying her annoyance.

Seeing her family members remain silent, Cecilia picked up her bowl and walked out. "I'm not going to starve just because of him."

The Yates family watched her, bemused. This girl, who loved food more than anything else, might not be such a bad catch after all.

Soon, Owen saw Cecilia.

Instead of letting him in, however, she stood on the other side of the gate, eating her pastas and asking, "What are you doing squatting out here? Did you scare my mom because you drank too much last night?"

"Cecilia, can you open the door and let me in?"

He could see her through the slatted gate. She was close, yet she seemed so far away. Owen didn't like this feeling.

"I don't have the key." Cecilia replied, taking a bite of her egg. "Even if I did, I wouldn't dare let you in with my parents home."

"Cecilia, I talked to my mom last night. She was wrong, but she doesn't have the final say in who I marry."

Cecilia continued to eat her pastas.

"Cecilia, let me in to apologize to Hudson."

Owen just stared at her, at a loss for words. She was so engrossed in her food that she was ignoring him. And she had no qualms about eating in front of him.

He was suddenly very hungry. He hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and he had asked his bodyguards to bring him food and flowers. But they hadn't arrived yet.

"Have you eaten yet?" Cecilia asked, finally noticing him staring at her.

Owen was taken aback. "You're asking me now? I'm starving. Can you open the door and let me in? I want some pastas too."

"Let me finish eating first."

"Why?"

"If I let you in and my mom gets angry and starts swinging her broom, at least I can make a quick getaway. If I haven't eaten, and my mom kicks me out, I'll have to replace breakfast somewhere else. But she won' kick you out. As long as you sit at the table, she'll serve you food."

Owen watched her, speechless. But deep in his eyes, there was an undeniable fondness for her.

True to her word, once Cecilia finished eating, she reached into her pocket and produced a key. She unlocked the gate and let Owen in.

Just as he was about to comment on her earlier claim of not having a key, the Martinez family's bodyguards arrived. They handed Owen the flowers and three insulated boxes of food, which he gratefully took before following Cecilia into the house.

Upon entering, he found himself alone. He assumed Cecilia had gone into the kitchen.

"Good morning, everyone," Owen greeted the Yates family.

As Owen walked in, the family didn't seem surprised.

Hudson looked Owen up and down and said dismissively, "Nothing new, huh?"

Owen had to agree. He didn't have any new tricks up his sleeve.

After a moment's silence, he placed the three boxes of food on the table and said, "I brought breakfast for everyone. Please, have some."

Becca stood up and attempted to return the food to Owen. "Mr. Martinez, we've already eaten. Please take your food back."

Kevin chimed in timidly, "Actually, I think I could eat a bit more."

His wife shot him a warning glance, and Kevin immediately fell silent.

Owen quickly said, "These are gifts for everyone. It wouldn't be right for me to take them back. Please, try some." He hoped that his offerings would smooth over the tensions from last night.

He slid the money beside Devon, ensuring that Hudson wouldn't dare to take it away.

Then, he opened a thermos, laying out the scrumptious breakfast items one by one on the table.

Cecilia, having finished washing the dishes, emerged from the kitchen. Seeing Owen trying to charm the family, she hesitated before deciding to metaphorically "slip on a banana peel" and make a swift exit. "Mom, I'm off to work," she said, hastily making her way to the door.

"Cecilia," Owen quickly picked up the money and caught up with her, pushing the cash into her arms with a smile beaming like the summer sun, "This 'bouquet' is for you. May your days be as beautiful as this 'bouquet', filled with smiles and happiness."

If every day brought several 'bouquets' like these, anyone would be all smiles.

That was Hudson's inwardly grumbled thought.