Chapter 50
Compared to Emerald City, Silverlight City was less refined but more extravagant.
In this city of bright lights and wild nights, the feeling of being a stranger almost drowned Nora like river water.
Nora curled up in a corner, shivering.
Silverlight City wasn't Emerald City. Emerald City had no winter yet still felt bone-chilling cold, but Silverlight City did have winter.
At night, heavy snow fell as people hurried past.
Nora leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the heavy snowfall outside.
As a child, she loved snowy days. Because Emerald City had no winter, Nora especially longed to see snow.
"Nori, this year I'll take you to the northern city to see snow."
She still remembered the winter before her identity was exposed, when Aiden had arranged the trip and picked her up directly from school, giving her a huge surprise.
When she was young, Aiden loved her. All the care a brother could give his sister, Aiden gave to her.
Back then, Nora took it for granted. Now it had all become a debt she owed, something she should repay.
All these years, Nora had endured the Adams family's schemes and harm toward Evelyn, simply because during those first twenty years of her life, she had received warmth that didn't belong to her.
Evelyn hated her. She could understand that.
"I checked the weather in advance. When we land, it'll be right when the heavy snow starts."
That year, Aiden affectionately ruffled Nora's hair and took her to see the snow.
She was wrapped in a thick down jacket. Though the weather was cold, her heart was warm.
Now the dream was over. Her current life was the reality she should have been living all along.
"Nora!"
"Wake up, Nori!"
Nora had fallen asleep leaning against the window. Hearing someone call her, she jerked awake in fright and hugged herself in panic.
"What are you scared of? I'm not going to eat you." Crouching in front of Nora was a woman wearing a miniskirt and heavy eye makeup despite the snowy weather.
Nora breathed a sigh of relief. "How did you know I was here?"
"Near the train station, the only place where people can sleep is by the ATM. It's safe too." The woman smiled and pulled out a cigarette from her bag and lit it. "When you called me yesterday, I thought I heard wrong. I told you to find me when you got out of prison. Why did you wait until now?"
Nora felt a bit embarrassed. "I stayed home with my child for a few days."
"Alright then, come with me."
The woman's name was Savannah Faith. She was Nora's former cellmate.
And the one who got out early.
Savannah had ended up in prison because she got involved with the wrong man. He was married, and a live-in son-in-law at that. Word was he only got rich thanks to his wife's family, yet he still went out and kept a mistress.
Later, when the man's wife found out, she demanded Savannah return the money. When Savannah refused, the man and his wife reported her together, accusing her of extortion.
That man was clever too, having used Savannah for three years of her youth for nothing.
"I heard you say on the phone you want to make money?" Savannah looked Nora up and down, seeing her shivering and thinking she was too weak. "With your small frame, you can't do what we do."
"I'm fine, I can handle hard work." Nora shook her head. "Serving drinks and tea as a waitress, I can do all that."
Savannah looked at Nora, took a deep drag of her cigarette, and laughed so hard she bent over. "Nora, you don't really think I'm just working as a waitress, do you? What kind of waitress makes ten or twenty thousand dollars a month?"
Nora froze for a moment, finally understanding what Savannah meant. "I can't do that."
"You're the one who said you needed money." Savannah pulled Nora into a taxi. "If you really need money, do you still care about these things?"
Savannah leaned against the taxi window and casually tossed her cigarette butt outside.
Nora instinctively wanted to stop her, thinking it wasn't right to litter.
Savannah caught Nora's intention and laughed without malice. "You still think you're the Adams family's precious daughter?"
Nora froze, then slowly curled up in the corner.
Yes, all her pride and the so-called nobility in her bones should be returned to the Adams family.
She was supposed to be someone from the mud all along.
Aiden and James wanted her to rot in the mud.
"We don't support freeloaders there. Don't say I didn't warn you. You're good-looking, have a nice figure, and you studied dance—that's your capital. If you really want to sell yourself, no one can make money faster than you." Savannah spoke earnestly and sighed.
"It still depends on you. If you're still that stubborn, those rich people aren't there to serve you."
Nora kept her head down and said nothing.
"Nora, you spent five years in prison, right? You were the most obedient, worked the hardest on reform, but never got any sentence reduction. Even an idiot could see you were set up, that someone was deliberately targeting you. You want to make clean money? Is that possible? If it were, you wouldn't have contacted me. Am I wrong?"
Savannah wasn't very smart before, but after getting hurt, those men had taught her to become smarter and smarter.
Seeing Nora go silent again, a flash of pity crossed Savannah's eyes, but what good was her pity? She could barely take care of herself.
"I want to help you too. I grew a conscience for nothing, but I don't have the ability." Savannah laughed sarcastically.
Having suffered herself, she really did want to help Nora, but was she in any position to help?
"I'll try." Nora's voice was hoarse.