Chapter 56
Walter understood and leaned back in his seat with a smile. "Get in. Don't make me say it a third time."
Nora's fingers were nearly digging into her own skin. She looked down at herself, making sure her clothes were clean, then carefully opened the back door.
"Sit in front," Walter indicated.
Nora thought for a moment, then sat in the front.
Walter said nothing and took Nora to the mall.
"Get out." Walter told Nora to get out of the car.
Nora sat still.
After a while, Nora finally spoke. "I want to go back."
"Do you think I'm keeping you around for three years to be a nanny or a cleaning lady?" Walter found it somewhat amusing.
Nora still said nothing.
"Get out. Whether I go for the paternity test depends on whether you behave." Left with no choice, Walter could only threaten her.
Nora was completely stubborn now, and this was the only thing that worked on her.
After getting out of the car, Nora followed behind Walter.
Walter led Nora into the elevator. She automatically retreated to the farthest corner, staring at the elevator wall.
The elevator stopped at the first floor of the mall, and many people got in.
Walter reached out and pulled Nora in front of him, frowning slightly.
Nora stood stiffly in the crowd, somewhat frightened.
She was afraid of crowded places.
After all these years in prison, Nora had developed serious psychological issues.
When a person suffers a huge blow and experiences such a drastic fall, it's inevitable that they develop a series of stress reactions.
Nora was afraid of enclosed spaces, afraid of crowds, afraid of being squeezed among people.
Her breathing became difficult, and Nora's forehead began to sweat.
Walter looked down at Nora.
He was very tall, standing more than a head above everyone else, but Nora was almost buried in the crowd.
"Let's go."
Compared to five years ago, Nora was much more obedient now.
She just followed quietly behind Walter, like a soulless puppet on strings.
Walter's steps paused for a moment as he suddenly realized what had changed about Nora.
Before, Nora's eyes had been bright and sparkling.
But now, they were empty.
Her whole person seemed to have had her soul extracted.
Only a shell remained.
Suddenly feeling some regret, Walter unconsciously clenched his fingers.
Five years ago, he actually had the ability to help Nora, but he didn't.
He even wanted to see what she'd look like after all her pride was stripped away.
"Get a phone card, use your ID, and have it delivered to IF." Walter called his assistant and led Nora into a store.
Those phones were all so expensive. Nora kept her head down, not daring to look at the prices.
Walter didn't have a habit of shopping and never came out to buy things on his own initiative.
Nora really was always his exception.
"Can you use this phone?" Walter's voice was very low.
Nora stood far away from him, looked up at him once, and said nothing.
"Come here!" Walter took a deep breath.
Nora was afraid Walter would take it out on her, so she slowly shuffled over.
After five years without touching a smartphone, phone features had changed too much. She probably wouldn't know how to use it anymore.
She was already out of touch with society.
"No." Nora shook her head honestly, then pointed to the cheapest phone. "I can use that one."
Walter laughed.
He wasn't someone who laughed easily, but Nora was an exception.
"Don't embarrass me. I'll teach you." Walter took the phone, grabbed Nora's wrist, and led her away.
Nora wanted to pull away.
"Don't you need to adapt in advance?" Walter looked at Nora.
Nora stopped talking.
"Isn't this Mr. Wood!"
Walter brought Nora into a high-end custom styling shop. The stylist inside saw Walter and her face lit up with a smile. "Mr. Wood, why didn't Bronte Langley come with you?"
Bronte was a young actress Walter had kept some years ago. Everyone in their circle knew about it.
That actress was called Bronte, looked innocent, did ballet, and relied on being with Walter for three years to act arrogant and look down on everyone.
Walter's expression darkened. He instinctively looked at Nora.
She also looked up at him and pulled her wrist from Walter's hand.
She needed to stay clear-headed. These men were all the same.
No exceptions.
To them, women were just temporary playthings, nothing more.
The stylist, just realizing something was wrong, covered her mouth in panic. "Mr. Wood, this is..."
"Take her." Walter irritably rubbed his temples and sat on the sofa, casually flipping through a magazine.
"What's the background of this woman Mr. Wood brought today? Mr. Wood never brings people to the shop on his own, and look, he was even holding that woman's hand."
"I saw that woman looking all timid and scared, like she's from the countryside. Has Mr. Wood changed his taste? Doesn't like those proud swan types anymore?"
Nora was changing in the fitting room, listening to the women gossiping outside.
The tailor helped Nora take measurements, asking quietly, "What's your relationship with Mr. Wood?"
Nora said nothing.
The tailor smiled and said, "You're very pretty. Be more confident, straighten your back. Mr. Wood likes girls with presence, the kind who've studied dance since childhood."
Nora paused but said nothing.
"Bronte has been with Mr. Wood for three years. He doesn't want that proud little princess and chose a maid instead?" Outside the door, several young women were still muttering.
Nora said nothing. She didn't care if others looked down on her. What she cared about was whether she would ruin someone else's relationship.
Wearing the white dress the stylist brought, Nora walked out of the fitting room.
Walter looked at Nora and was silent for a long time.
Honestly, Nora had changed so much.
She could never get back her former radiance.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Nora quickly lowered her head. She didn't dare look.
Because she didn't recognize herself anymore.
Very strange, and very scary.
"It's fine." Walter nodded.
The stylist went to find other clothes suitable for Nora and had Nora sit aside to wait.
"Who is Bronte?" Nora looked up and asked.
If she was Walter's girlfriend, then she couldn't agree to his demands.
She wouldn't be a mistress.
"You care?" Walter looked at Nora.
Nora shook her head.
She didn't care. "But if you have a girlfriend, I won't be a mistress."
"Mistress?" Walter laughed. "You think pretty highly of yourself."
Nora lowered her head and stopped talking again.
"I don't have a girlfriend." Walter explained.
Bronte really didn't count as a girlfriend, at most she was a kept canary for entertainment.
Nora still said nothing.
"Mr. Wood, the phone card." The assistant rushed in and handed the phone card to Walter.
Walter put the card in the phone, turned it on, and activated it for Nora.
"Come sit here, I'll teach you." Walter patted the spot next to him.
Nora hesitated, then sat over.
The assistant stared at Nora in shock. Wasn't this the receptionist from the club?
She'd already hooked up with Walter?
Really impressive.
"Now it's all facial recognition." Walter patiently taught Nora.
Nora watched the phone very carefully. When the facial recognition passed, she looked at Walter with surprise and a hint of shock.
Phones nowadays were so amazing.
Walter looked at Nora's eyes and was momentarily dazed.
In that instant, there seemed to be light in them.
"Making calls and WhatsApp are all here. I'll help you set up an account." Walter taught her very patiently.
Nora listened very carefully.
The assistant stood to the side, very seriously shocked.
"Mr. Wood." The assistant hesitated for a long time but decided to talk business first.
While Nora went to try on clothes, Walter frowned and said, "Speak."
"Michael, the CEO of the Smith Group from Emerald City, wants to come to Silverlight City early. He says he wants to ask for your help to find someone." The assistant quickly spoke.
"Find someone? Who?" Walter was curious about what kind of person would be worth someone as aloof as Michael personally searching for.
"A woman."