Worth Getting Up Early

"Leon, do you want more coffee?"

"No, thank you."

They were having breakfast in the kitchen, and Leon finished the breakfast that Nora had made. Nora was happy. It was worth getting up early to prepare everything in the kitchen.

Nora liked the kitchen in that house from the first sight. The spacious and bright kitchen with warm wooden floors provided a cozy atmosphere. The walls were painted white with natural wood furniture, creating a minimalist yet warm feel. The open shelves on the wall display a collection of vintage plates and bowls, giving the room a unique characteristic touch. The bowls seem to have been bought by Leon overseas, as Nora saw some decorated with Chinese, kanji and Korean characters. There were also some with Arabic inscriptions.

There was a sliding glass door on the side of the kitchen where sunlight streamed in freely, illuminating the six-person dining table in the center of the room.

She loves how everything is arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, reflecting Leon's calm and organized personality.

Nora sat in one of the chairs, with a cup of coffee on the table. She took a sip of the coffee, while Leon sat across from her, eyes focused on his cell phone.

"I have something to tell you, Nora," Leon said suddenly, making Nora look up and stare at him.

"Oh, what is it?" She had yet to tell Leon that the black card was very useful for filling her walk in closet. Thanks to Gina and Diego's persuasion, the room was now almost full. Nora was so happy, she hoped Leon wouldn't mind her spending so much money.

But that wasn't what Leon was talking about. "My assistant, Gina, is going to start releasing the news of our wedding to some media contacts," he explained, his voice remaining calm. "It's to quell the wild rumors circulating about me."

Panic crept into her heart. Nora wasn't ready to be in the public spotlight, especially with all the rumors surrounding their marriage. However, she didn't want to disappoint Leon. They had an agreement after all.

"No problem," Nora finally replied. "I'll announce the same on my live stream today."

Leon raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised by Nora's calm response. "Good. I'm sure that will ease the pressure on us."

After Leon left for the office, Nora sat at the kitchen table, contemplating her live streaming plan. She prepared her phone, and turned on the live stream.

She prepared her brightest smile as her live stream began. Instantly, the number of viewers grew rapidly

“Hello, everyone!” greeted Nora cheerfully. “Good morning from my new kitchen in Washington D.C. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to live stream in a while.”

“We were worried about you,” a follower wrote in the comments section. “You haven’t even posted anything on your social media lately.”

“I’m sorry,” Nora said. “I’ve been so busy. Today I have an announcement for you all.” She paused for a moment out of tension. “I just got married, guys. And I’m currently living in D.C., with my husband.” There was a lot of excitement in the comment section. “I’m so excited to share this moment with all of you.”

Followers’ comments poured in on Nora’s phone screen, congratulating her and asking about her new kitchen.

“Wow, the kitchen looks amazing, Nora!” wrote one follower. “I love the decorating style. Can we take a home tour?”

Nora smiled gently. “Sure, I might share a little sneak peek later, but not today. There’s still a lot to prepare in this house. But don’t worry, I’ll share more next time.”

The positive comments kept pouring in, making Nora even more excited. Suddenly, a comment caught her attention.

“Nora, you’re joking, right? Who are you married to?”

Nora grimaced at the comment. It was Gwen. Her plan to tell Gwen hadn’t gotten off the ground yet.

“Oh, there’s my friend Gwen Nelson, guys. Hi Gwen!” She waved to the camera. “I didn’t know you were online too. I’ll call you in a bit.”

After a while, she finished the live stream and called Gwen.

Nora wanted to tell Gwen the truth about her contract marriage. She never really had any friends and started to consider Gwen a friend, not just an acquaintance or colleague. However, she still doesn’t trust Gwen completely.

“How can you guys suddenly get married?” Gwen shouted excitedly on the phone “Oh, Nora, please don’t misunderstand. I’m very, very, very happy to hear this news. But I still can’t believe you conquered Leon Carusso so easily.”

“I can’t believe we got married either.”

“Did you guys get back together after that charity date?”

“Yes, Gwen. We dated again. Then, out of the blue, he proposed to me.” Nora grimaced. Did the deal Leon offered equate to a proposal?

Gwen paused for a moment, digesting the information. “I can’t imagine the two of you together, Nora. You’re so cheerful, while Leon is quite a mysterious figure.”

“Yeah, I feel that way too.” Nora bit her lip, resisting the urge to go further.

“What about the house? How’s the atmosphere there?”

Nora was relieved by the change of topic. “The house is very big and beautiful. I’ve visited his parents’ house too. You could say we caused a bit of a commotion at first because Leon’s parents weren’t notified beforehand.”

“I can imagine the situation,” Gwen said with concern. “Hopefully they’ll finally understand.

“Oh, they finally understand....” Nora remembered Diane’s upset face. “Well, almost all of them do.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Gwen said. “When can I come and see your house for myself?”

Nora breathed a sigh of relief. “Whenever you want, Gwen. I’ll be happy to entertain guests.”

“On the contrary,” Gwen said. “Let me know when you visit New York City. I’ll treat you every day.”

“Wow, that sounds fun!” Nora exclaimed.

As they ended the conversation with a promise to keep in touch, Nora felt less alone than before.

Leon came home to find the house empty without Nora in it. Worry welled up in his chest. He entered every room and called out for Nora. There was no one downstairs. He hurried to check the rooms on the second floor.

“Nora?” He stepped into Nora’s room and found silence like the other rooms. “Nora?” He checked the walk in closet where the shelves were filled. If only he wasn’t worried, he would be happy that Nora used his black card as he expected.

He heard the creaking of the floorboards from Nora’s room and back there. There was nothing. Nora’s bed was empty and neat. He approached the nightstand and saw a piece of paper lying on it.

Carefully, he picked up the paper that was filled with overlapping scribbles. He recognized Nora’s writing, and frowned when he read the name on the paper.

Nora wrote: Sophie. Who is Sophie?

Then, there was the sound of the front door opening and closing. And light footsteps crossing the floor below.

“Leon?” It was Nora’s voice. “I saw your briefcase here. Are you home?”

Leon hurried out of Nora’s room. He appeared at the top of the stairs. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Oh, hi!” Nora stepped into his line of sight. She was wearing a sports suit and her hair was soaked with sweat. “I was just jogging,” she said. “The environment here is pleasant.”