Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed novel Chapter 745

"A family reunion is always a good thing," the old man mused with a nostalgic smile.

Norris nodded immediately, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Madge suddenly realized she hadn't introduced Norris to Kathleen yet.

"This is my husband," she said, gesturing towards him.

"Hello," Kathleen smiled warmly, "Well, you certainly married a gentleman, didn't you, Madge?"

The scrutiny and judgment that had been in Kathleen's eyes earlier had completely vanished.

Norris gave her a polite nod, "Hello."

His tone was courteous but carried a subtle hint of reserve, something only Madge, after years of marriage, would be able to detect. She shot him a questioning glance, but he simply shook his head slightly, gesturing with his eyes: We’ll talk later.

For some reason, this sister-in-law of his gave him an odd feeling... a feeling he couldn’t quite shake off.

"Hey, Dad, are you still making those pancakes or—" Roseanne trailed off as she stepped out of the kitchen and saw the crowd gathered in the living room, looking momentarily stunned.

Her gaze soon landed on Kathleen.

Madge beckoned her daughter over with a smile, "Come here, Anne."

Roseanne walked over.

"Sis, this is my daughter, Roseanne. Anne, this is your Aunt Kathleen."

Their eyes met, and after a brief assessment, Roseanne obediently greeted, "Aunt Kathleen."

Kathleen’s face remained calm, smiling and nodding, but inside, she was reeling with realization.

This was the girl she had seen outside the Mercedes dealership with Owen Reynolds! She had even snapped a photo and sent it to Silver, asking if Owen was seeing someone. Silver’s vague response now made more sense—it seemed the match hadn’t quite received the family’s blessing.

Kathleen’s eyes twinkled with intrigue, but she quickly masked it with an overflowing warmth, "Madge, your daughter is stunning! Even more beautiful than you were at her age! Look at that figure, that face..."

She poured on the praise unabashedly.

"...So, Anne, what are you doing these days?"

Madge answered for her, "She's still in grad school."

"At Lumina City?"

"Yes, she’s at Kingswell University."

"No need, I ate before I came," Kathleen waved off.

"Have a little more," Madge insisted.

Kathleen shook her head, "Really, I'm fine."

The old lady gave her a glance but didn’t say much, moving directly to the table. She peered into the bowl of pancakes, "Norris, what kind of fillings did you use?"

Norris responded, "We’ve got some with bacon and cheese, some with mushrooms and corn, some with spinach and egg, and a few with cilantro and beef."

"Very thoughtful," she said with a smile, taking a seat.

She preferred the vegetarian options, while Neely enjoyed the meat ones, and Norris had managed to cater to both preferences.

The old lady’s feelings towards Norris were complicated. When she first learned that her daughter was married with a child to someone she hadn’t met, she couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.

Not exactly dislike, but it was all too sudden and uncertain.

After all, before Madge had disappeared, she was just a young girl in her early twenties, innocent and carefree. And now, here she was, a married woman, someone’s wife.

And this ‘someone’—his looks, his character, his temperament—was all a mystery.