Chapter 1229 Thanksgiving (Seventeen)

• Kate Penrose froze. After a long moment, she stroked Madison Sawyer’s hair and said quietly, “He and I… maybe it’s not love.”
• “What?” Now it was Madison’s turn to be shocked. She sat up, eyes wide. “Why would you say that? Don’t you love him? But Ran is so good to you. He waited almost ten years. He gave up everything overseas and came back for you. He’s been helping you without holding back, no matter the cost…”
• “I know.” Kate lowered her gaze. “I’m moved—really. Lately I’ve felt more and more like he’s family, like a brother. When I’m with him, I feel safe. I care about him—after all, a decade isn’t a joke. If he ran into trouble or someone tried to mess with him, I’d grab a knife and hack those jerks to pieces. I’d protect him at all costs. But there’s still that tiny missing spark between us. That tiny lack means I can’t turn what we have into love.”