Chapter 80: Taking her home

"Babe, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ronald asked Dorah, noticing her nervously fiddling with her fingers. "Do I have the chance to rethink this?" she asked, shifting her gaze to Ronald's mansion. "No can do, babe. We're already here," he said, stepping out of the car. He walked around to her side and opened the door. "Babe," he called, squatting beside her while holding and gently caressing her hands. "But what if she doesn't like me?" she asked, looking at him with worry. "You're an incredibly lovable person. Why wouldn't she like you? Everyone who meets you loves you," Ronald assured her with a soft smile. "Are you sure?" "Yes, 100% sure. You have nothing to worry about," he reassured her. "Okay... but can I have a few minutes to calm myself down?" she asked, taking a deep breath. "Nope, you're coming with me right now. No objections." "Fine, but you're introducing me as your friend," she said, giving him a neutral look. "Why?" he raised a brow. "Because we're not dating yet. So, I'm still just your friend." "Well, from what I know, I can call you whatever I want." "Seriously?" "Let's go. You talk too much," he said, standing up and offering her his hand. "Thank you," she said in a playful accent as she accepted his hand and stepped out of the car. "I love your accent," he chuckled. "Oh, please. Cut it out," she said, playfully hitting him. He laughed, let go of her hand, and shut the car door. "Ready?" "Yeah?" she replied in a questioning tone. "Gosh, you're so cute," he chuckled, leading her to the mansion. He opened the door for her. "Hey, Dad," Ronald greeted as they entered the living room. "What's up, kiddo?" his father asked, glancing over his shoulder as Ronald and Dorah approached. "Nothing much," Ronald said, bumping knuckles with him. "Well, look who we have here," Mr. Carter smirked. "Good afternoon, sir," Dorah greeted with a slight bow. "Hey, cut the formality, Dorah. How was the date?" he asked, winking at her. She chuckled. "It was fun since I had this knucklehead with me." "Seriously, babe? I'm too good for that nickname," Ronald pouted. "Oh, shut up," she chuckled. "Language, young lady," Mr. Carter warned with a teasing tone. "So, you two are together?" he asked. "Well..." "No, we're just friends," Dorah cut Ronald off. "Alright then, no funny business," Mr. Carter said with a smirk. "Where's Mom?" Ronald asked, looking around. "In the kitchen, trying to bake. She just won't listen to me. We could have ordered whatever she wanted, but no, she insists on doing it herself. We can't even go on a date. Can you imagine? I'm spending Christmas alone because of this. It's frustrating! My wife is frustrating." Mr. Carter ranted. "Should I go tell her what you just said?" Ronald asked with a mischievous smirk. "What? Did you hear me say anything?" "Oh, yeah. Loud and clear." "You've got no witness, son," Mr. Carter said, smiling. "Actually, I do. Dorah's right here," Ronald pointed at her. "I didn't hear anything," Dorah shrugged. "That's my girl!" Mr. Carter grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. "Seriously, love? You're siding with my dad?" "Take it however you like," she said, smirking. "You're supposed to take my side." "Let's go see Mom," Ronald added, leading the way. "Mom," he called as he walked toward the kitchen. "Oh, my baby is back!" Mrs. Carter exclaimed, rushing out to meet him. "So, now you can leave that kitchen just because your son is back?" Mr. Carter teased from the living room. "Oh, hush, Beck. Don't be jealous," she rolled her eyes before turning to Dorah. "And who is this?" "A friend," Ronald replied. "Good afternoon, ma'am," Dorah greeted politely. Mrs. Carter ignored her greeting. "I actually thought you'd be bringing Maddy. Is she the one you went on a date with?" she asked, eyeing Dorah. "Mom, enough. Please stop. Dorah, let's go," Ronald said, grabbing Dorah's hand. A little later, in the kitchen... "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with him?" Mrs. Carter asked, setting down a small bag of flour on the breakfast bar. "I told him I'd catch up with him," Dorah said as she walked toward her. Mrs. Carter stopped what she was doing. "Why are you here?" "I wanted to lend you a hand," Dorah said, picking up a napkin and drying a bowl. Mrs. Carter's eyes flashed with surprise. "You want to help me?" "Yes. I wouldn't feel right leaving you alone here." Mrs. Carter stared at her, momentarily speechless. "Well, I was about to bake cookies." "Wow, I've always wanted to learn. Watching tutorials online is frustrating, and my mom is never available to teach me," Dorah pouted. "Really?" "Yeah." "What does your mother do?" Mrs. Carter asked as she resumed mixing ingredients. "She's a businesswoman. CEO of T & J Corporation." Dorah smiled proudly. "Oh, I know that company. They once partnered with Beck. And your father?" Dorah's smile faded. "He's... dead." Mrs. Carter paused, looking genuinely sympathetic. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "It's okay," Dorah said, forcing a small smile. Mrs. Carter nodded before returning to her work. "So, what's your relationship with my son?" Dorah hesitated. "We're... actually, we're... just friends." Mrs. Carter studied her for a moment. "Hmm. I hope so. Did he tell you he has a fiancée? As in, he's engaged?" She stopped stirring and looked directly at Dorah.