Chapter 495 My Menstrual Period
In the car, Sophia carefully went through the barbecue order in her hand - all vegetables.
Not a single piece of meat.
This menu looked exactly like something ordered by someone who was constantly watching their weight but trying to satisfy a craving.
And that person naturally couldn't be William.
Could it really be Thalia?
With this thought, Sophia took out her phone and scrolled through Thalia's Facebook, starting from posts from the past two years and working her way to the most recent one.
Until she saw an abstract painting in the background of one of Thalia's selfies.
If she remembered correctly, this painting was by a famous artist from the 1990s. It had been auctioned off in Emerald City for an astronomical price back then. Many people wanted to get their hands on it, but it was ultimately bought by a businessman who rarely appeared in public.
But why would this painting appear in Thalia's home?
"Dad, I want to ask you about something."
"What's up?" As soon as Sophia got home, she eagerly sought out Kurt, standing under the eaves, watching him tend to his flowers and plants.
Ever since his company was acquired, Kurt had been spending his days at home playing with flowers and plants, fulfilling a dream he'd had for years.
Not having to scheme against people in the business world or attend various social functions, after resting for half a year, he seemed to have gotten ten years younger.
"Can I find out who bought a painting at auction?"
"The website will give a general destination, but won't specify exactly. The auction house internally will know the specific destination, though. Why are you asking?"
"Just curious."
"Why are you still tending to plants at this hour? Can't you do it tomorrow?"
"The weather forecast says it'll get cold tonight. Need to move them inside, or they'll freeze to death."
"I'll help you." Sophia's greatest strength was her patience. Even though she desperately wanted to know the answer right now, she could suppress her urge to investigate and finish the task at hand first.
This was also why Thalia only discovered her at the very end.
"W?"
"William?"
"If William was the buyer, why would it be in Thalia's home?"
The next morning, Thalia sat on the bed, watching William button up his shirt in the walk-in closet, his torso tapering from broad shoulders to narrow waist, strong without an ounce of excess fat.
Just looking at him made Thalia happy.
She propped up her pillow and slid down a bit. The blanket still held his distinctive scent.
"William..."
"Hmm?" William tied his tie while looking in the mirror, watching Thalia lounging lazily in bed through the reflection.
"Your body is absolutely perfect."
Halfway through tying his tie, William looked at her with a half-smile, a mischievous grin on his lips, making Thalia's heart race.
Seeing the dressed man walking toward her step by step, Thalia had an ominous feeling. "What are you doing? I'm on my period."
"And yet you're teasing me."
"Menstruation promotes estrogen release.I can only find you particularly handsome during my period?"
William laughed in exasperation.
"Come on, pull down the blanket. Let's have a good talk."
"No." Thalia peeked out with just her eyes, blinking at him like a little fox.
William glanced at the electronic screen on the nightstand, too lazy to argue with Thalia. He reached under the blanket and rubbed her belly, warm and comforting, almost making her fall asleep.
"I have a shareholders' meeting at the company this morning. Tonight I'm meeting Sean, so I'm leaving Bella to you."
"OK."
"Not going to the set today?"
"Because of you, the director is being extra nice to me now. So nice that everyone on set has opinions about me."
William chuckled. "Thalia, remember this - wherever I stand, that's where you stand. No need to compromise for people who don't matter. They don't deserve it."
At seven o'clock, William left on time. Thalia changed into yoga clothes and went to the yoga room downstairs.
The room had the heating on, completely at odds with the cold winter outside.
"Mrs. Brown, honey ginger tea, prepared by Mr. Brown's instruction."
"Bring it to the yoga room downstairs."
........
Winter days grew dark early, and without sun, even faster. At five o'clock, Thalia left on time, arriving at the Jimenez Mansion at five-thirty.
Thalia sat in the car, her eyes fixed on the Jimenez Mansion gate.
After about half an hour, she saw a figure moving in the bedroom from yesterday. When the person walked to the window to draw the curtains, Thalia had John honk the horn while she sat up straight and slowly rolled down the window.
The person standing by the bed was drawn by the horn sound, and just as she was about to look away.
Thalia's face appeared before her eyes.
Even from such a distance, Thalia could see the shock and surprise on Bella's face.
In just a moment, she saw the room's light turn off.
About ten minutes later, someone walked to the car.
"Ms. Smith."
"Mrs. Jimenez, if you don't mind, get in?"
"Thank you."
As soon as Bella got in the car, John drove away from the residential area and stopped at a private café not far away.
Inside the café, the heating was on full blast. Thalia took off her coat, wearing only a black turtleneck sweater. Her long hair was pinned up, giving her quite the look of a classical beauty, captivating to behold.
Bella looked away and, while Thalia was pouring coffee, spoke softly, "Ms. Smith, you truly are Emerald City's most beautiful woman."
"You didn't come just to tell me that, did you?"
Thalia finished pouring the coffee and leaned back in her chair, fingers wrapped around the cup as she looked at the person across from her. "The Jimenez Mansion isn't big. From the master bedroom on the second floor, through the living room to the roadside - slow walkers take three to five minutes, fast ones just a minute or two. But tonight you took a full ten minutes to come down. Can I guess that someone in the Jimenez family is watching you and won't let you interact with the outside world? You snuck out through the back door today, didn't you?"
"Ms. Smith, you are indeed exceptionally clever."
"I'll get straight to the point, Ms. Smith. If you and Mr. Brown want to overthrow the Jimenez family, I can help."
"Why?" Thalia asked.
"One of the Jimenez family's two children isn't biological. The Jimenezes all think it's Michael, but actually it's not..."
Thalia's lazy posture stiffened slightly. "Sean?"
"Yes."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Bella was silent for a while, her golden hair covering half her face, preventing Thalia from seeing her expression clearly. After a long time, as if after a long internal struggle, she finally spoke. "I was Michael's girlfriend. When I accidentally learned this secret, Sean drugged and raped me to drag me down with him, making the Jimenezes catch us in the act. I was forced to marry Sean."
"All these years, Sean has had people watching me, semi-imprisoning me, not allowing me to contact the outside world, and especially not allowing me to privately contact anyone from the Jimenez family alone, afraid I'd reveal this secret."