Chapter 203 Give Steven a Chance?
The three of them chatted in the office until after 9 PM.
When they left, Steven didn't have a car to give them a ride.
He had given the Audi to Nora, and he was driving a Maserati himself. It looked like he'd need to modify another car.
In the end, Amelia went back on her own.
Steven called a taxi. This was his first time taking a taxi, and the driver's skills were terrible - stopping and starting constantly, making Steven frown.
Nora was uncomfortable, too. She pinched her nose and whispered to Steven, "Pretty bad, right?"
Steven frowned, "With driving skills like this, he should be driving bumper cars."
Nora tugged at his sleeve, "Keep your voice down." It would be awkward if the driver heard.
Luckily, the trip was short, and they soon arrived at Riverside Apartment.
"Steven, you should head back. I need to buy some things." Nora walked toward a shopping street with her bag.
Steven only had one apartment at Riverside Apartment. Nora wouldn't kick him out - if he wanted to stay, he could stay.
Although he had forced the apartment on her, Steven had actually bought it. Nora wasn't unreasonable.
"Where are you going?" Steven stood on the street watching her.
"To buy things." Nora had already walked some distance away.
Steven frowned and caught up, walking beside her. "Do you often go shopping at night?"
"Who has that much free time?" Nora glanced at him. "I only come out when I need to buy something."
"Buy what?"
"I want to buy a hot water bottle." It had been too cold at night lately. Nora always felt her feet and back were freezing, making it hard to sleep. She wanted to buy a hot water bottle to warm her feet.
"Why do you need a hot water bottle?" Steven looked at her sideways.
Nora glanced at him. She couldn't very well say, "I can't sleep without you," could she?
When Steven was there, because his body temperature was high, she didn't feel cold. When Steven wasn't there, she felt very, very cold. This winter was hard to get through.
"It's cold when I sleep at night," Nora answered quietly.
"Doesn't the heating at home work?" Steven remembered that James had arranged the best quality heating system for him.
"The heating makes it too dry." She wouldn't admit it was to save money.
South City's winter wasn't really that cold - there was no need for heating.
She just didn't know why; maybe she was getting older and starting to feel the cold more.
Steven stared at her for a while. "It's probably because your body is too weak that you always feel cold. Remember to make soup with those supplements at home."
Hearing his concern, her heart warmed. "I know," she said.
The two walked into a general store. "Boss, do you have hot water bottles?"
"Yes, on the second shelf. Look for it yourself."
"Okay." Nora walked over.
Steven followed behind her. She looked down, picking through the hot water bottles, choosing between a pink one and a gray one, hesitating.
"Pink," Steven answered.
"This one?" Nora showed him the pink one.
"That one." To Steven, hot water bottles were all the same. Did she really need to think about it this long?
"Then I'll take the pink one. I'll also buy a bottle of shampoo." She spent a long time choosing shampoo in the section.
Steven was a bit helpless. "Can't you just grab any bottle?"
"No, if it's not right, I'll get dandruff." She looked carefully and picked an anti-dandruff shampoo.
"Women are so troublesome." Steven took out his phone to pay at the register.
Nora quickly grabbed him. "I don't need you to buy it. I'll pay myself."
They were divorced - why should he pay?
"Let go." Steven took out his phone, warning her with his eyes to let him go.
Nora wouldn't let go.
The shop owner looked at them, thinking they were a couple having a fight.
He decided to help Steven out. Quick as a flash, he took Steven's phone and scanned it at the reader. Payment successful.
Nora fell silent.
Steven couldn't help but laugh.
"Miss, I can see your boyfriend is really sorry. Why don't you give him a chance?" The owner had a cigarette in his mouth as he put the items in a bag.
Give him a chance?
These words made Nora's heart skip.
But... was she the one not giving Steven a chance?
Wasn't it Steven who didn't want her?
Nora instinctively glanced at Steven. She thought he would look back at her.
But he was on the phone.
Nora felt a faint sense of loss.
If he had looked at her then, she definitely would have been moved.
After buying their things, the two slowly walked back to the Riverside Apartment.
The elevator arrived.
Nora stepped in first, turned around, and looked up, quietly watching him.
Would he come home with her?
Nora's hand at her side tightened slightly, her heart full of hope.
But he didn't step in. He stood outside the elevator looking at her. "You go up. I have something to do, I need to go."
Nora couldn't describe what she felt—just a sudden emptiness.
She nodded.
The elevator doors slowly closed in front of her.
Nora let out an almost inaudible sigh.
She had thought he would come home tonight.
But he still left.
Yet Nora didn't lock the door, afraid Steven might come back in the middle of the night and not be able to get in. But the door didn't make a sound all night.
When Nora got up in the morning, she went to check the master bedroom. No one was there.
She couldn't hide her disappointment. She lowered her eyes and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
A while later, the doorbell rang.
Nora thought Steven had come back. A smile spread across her lips as she ran to open the door. "Steven!"
But it was Andrew!
Nora froze. "Mr. Hayes, what are you doing here?"
Nora found it a bit creepy. How did Mr. Hayes know her home address?
Andrew looked up at her. "Ms. Adams, do you know something went wrong with our order?"
Nora's breath caught. "What happened?"
"See for yourself." Andrew showed her an email on his phone.
It was from customs, telling him that a shipment had arrived in The Iron Country, but because prohibited items were found in the package, it was now being held at customs.
Customs was asking whether to destroy the goods.
"How could this happen?" Nora looked at Andrew in shock. That shipment was worth over $460,000!
Andrew looked at her intently. "Ms. Adams, I should be asking you that. I bought chips - how could there be a problem with the package? Did you accidentally put something in when you were packing that day?"
Nora thought back.
It was impossible. The chips were fine. Apex Technologies Corporation had sent so many without any problems. How could there be prohibited items when it came to her?
"That's impossible. We've sent this product many times before without any issues." Nora looked at Andrew. "Could customs be lying?"
"Is that possible? Customs lying to hold your package?" Andrew looked at her like she was an idiot. "Think about it - where did you send the package that day? Who did you see?"
Nora thought back. The goods were sent from Brilliant Star, and Philip had personally helped her pack them.
Philip couldn't have harmed her. Nora trusted him.
She suddenly thought of Bianca.
That day, halfway through packing, Bianca came. Had she done something to the package?
Nora couldn't remember.
Without getting the package back, she couldn't tell what was inside.
"So what do you say we do?" Andrew looked at her. "The package is being held, and we need this shipment now."
"Let me think." Nora's mind was in chaos. Andrew walked into the apartment, and she didn't have time to stop him.
Since he was already inside, Nora politely poured him a glass of water.
Now that the goods were being held, if this problem couldn't be solved, she'd have to pay Andrew $460,000.
At this thought, Nora felt like her head was going to explode.
Just what she was afraid of!
This order had been problematic from the start. It had finally been sent out, and now it was being held.
Nora didn't know anyone at customs, otherwise she could at least ask about the reason. She was anxious and said to Andrew, "Mr. Hayes, do you have the customs phone number? Please give it to me, I'll call and ask."
"Yes, I'll send it to you." Andrew sent her the number.
Nora walked to the balcony to make the call. She kept negotiating with customs.
Andrew's eyes darted around. Seeing her attention wasn't on him, he quietly slipped into Steven's study.
As soon as he entered, Andrew smiled.
Steven actually kept important York Development Group documents here, and there wasn't even a password lock on the door. He really didn't guard against his wife at all.
Andrew thought to himself that getting his address earlier had been effortless.
Andrew's fingers slid over a pile of documents, finally pulling out a black folder.
Footsteps were getting closer.
It was Nora coming.
Andrew opened the folder and casually tore out a few pages, stuffing them in his pocket, then unplugged the study's surveillance camera.
Nora pushed open the door to see Andrew sitting on the sofa, flipping through a book, looking relaxed.
"What are you doing?" Nora asked warily.
Andrew smiled. "Reading."
"This isn't a place you should be. Get out!" Nora told Andrew to leave.
Andrew didn't insist. He put down the book and walked out, not flustered at all. "So? What did customs say?"
"They need to check. They told me to call back this afternoon." Nora told him.
Andrew nodded and didn't stay long. "Then I'll wait for your good news."
"By the way, how did you know I live here?" At the doorway, Nora asked.
"The first time you sent the contract, didn't you tell me the return address? It was here."
Nora thought about it. That made sense.
Although she felt something was off about Andrew coming to her home, she couldn't put her finger on it.
Especially now, she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. $460,000! If she couldn't sort out the package, she could be in big trouble!
In a terrible mood, Nora took the computer apart from the apartment and brought it to the company.
She was carrying the computer into Harman when she ran into Vivian in the elevator. Vivian was with Cindy, who was carrying her bag.
"Carrying such heavy things without asking for help? How hard?" Cindy mocked. They all knew Nora had started a company and deliberately called her President Tang sarcastically.
Vivian laughed. "Ms. Adams, good morning. We're both in the chip business - we should work together sometime."
Nora ignored them and set down the computer.
"An Alienware computer." Cindy recognized the brand. "Ms. Adams, you have money to buy an Alienware but no money to hire someone to carry it? And you didn't even wrap it - aren't you afraid of breaking it? That's really careless."
Nora was slightly surprised and looked at the computer in the box. "Is this brand expensive?"
Cindy was about to speak when Vivian's expression changed. She tugged at Cindy's clothes. "Ms. Adams is busy. We shouldn't bother her."
Vivian didn't want Nora to know too much about Steven, or she'd quickly find out Steven's real identity.
They were about to divorce - Vivian didn't want any more complications.
Cindy stopped talking.
Seeing she couldn't get an answer, Nora didn't ask more and carried the computer to the company.
If they wouldn't tell her, she could look it up herself.
Nora set the computer on the desk and took a photo to search online.
When she looked it up, she found the computer was really expensive!
"Oh my god!"
Nora covered her mouth.
The computer Steven had gotten for her was so expensive!
Before looking it up, it was fine, but now she felt she owed Steven even more. He really didn't care about money at all - buying such an expensive computer just like that!
Nora sighed.
During lunch break, Nora was plugging in the desktop computer when Steven arrived.
He was carrying a big bag of snacks, and in his other hand was a takeout insulated bag. In his black suit, he looked cold and charming.
"Why are you here again?" Nora asked, holding the cable.
"Came to see you during lunch." He put down the snacks and pushed them toward her. "For you. All your favorites."
Nora glanced at them - a whole bag of snacks she loved.
He really did remember. He remembered what she liked.