Chapter 78
When I woke up the next day, it was already noon.
I had missed the time to have a meal with Nina. I walked downstairs feeling a bit apologetic.
However, Nina didn't seem to mind at all. She looked at me with joy on her face and said, "Do you have time this afternoon? Maybe we could go out."
I bit into the pasta in front of me while asking curiously, "Why do you suddenly want to go out?"
A slight blush appeared on Nina's face as she said, "Bertley invited me to go shopping and have dinner together. I felt a bit awkward about it, so I wanted to bring you along, and he agreed."
I nodded seriously and said, "Okay, I'll go with you."
I picked out a very low-key outfit, just a simple gray T-shirt and slightly long jeans.
Nina, on the other hand, carefully chose a khaki-colored spaghetti strap dress with tassels.
Combined with her hot figure and delicate features, she looked very passionate and attractive.
I gave her a thumbs up, "You look absolutely beautiful in this outfit today. If I were a man, I'd be crazy about you, too."
Hearing my sincere compliment, Nina broke into a happy smile.
She glanced at me and frowned slightly, "Why don't you dress up a bit nicer?"
I looked at my comfortable outfit and shrugged, "I think what I'm wearing is just fine."
Nina seemed to see through my thoughts. She walked up to me, her voice somewhat low.
"I know you probably don't want to steal my spotlight, but since we're going out to have fun, we should both dress up nicely, shouldn't we?"
I patted Nina's hand and gave her a slight smile. "I just think that with all the shopping and eating we'll be doing, dressing too fancy would actually limit me. After all, you definitely can't eat too much today, so I need to eat enough for both of us, right?"
I playfully winked at Nina.
Nina was convinced by my explanation. She smiled and reached out to pinch my nose. "Alright, you always have your reasons. Well then, we can get ready to go."
Seeing Nina so happy, I prayed silently in my heart.
I hoped Bertley was a good person like Kane.
We arrived at the entrance, and Bertley was already waiting there in his car.
Today, he was driving a relatively low-key business vehicle.
Nina and I sat in the back row, very comfortable.
Bertley wasn't surprised at all by my presence. Clearly, Nina had given him a heads up.
He turned around and thoughtfully handed each of us a Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
The one in my hand was even my favorite macadamia nut flavor.
I blinked in surprise and looked at Nina.
Nina's was pistachio flavor.
"Did you tell him our preferences beforehand?"
Nina shook her head gently while eating her ice cream, "I never mentioned it."
Bertley, who was driving, heard my voice and said with a smile while glancing at the rearview mirror, "Mrs. Moretti, understanding a lady's preferences is what a gentleman should do. I didn't forget."
Bertley was sitting right in front and could hear our conversation.
I nodded somewhat embarrassedly, touched my forehead, and ate my ice cream in silence.
The ice cream was really delicious.
When I was at the church before, a believer who was close to me had given me one.
I only took one bite before wanting to bring it back to my mother.
But my mother was very sick at that time and couldn't eat such things at all, so it ended up being taken by Luca.
Thinking of Luca, I suddenly felt like that seemed to be from a very long time ago.
I laughed at myself and shook my head, continuing to eat the ice cream in my hand.
Just as I finished the ice cream, Bertley's car stopped in front of a shopping mall.
This was a newly opened mall that I had happened to see while browsing on my phone.
I heard that everything here was very expensive, unlike Kane's mall from before.
The drinks here were said to cost a hundred yuan per cup.
Such prices were hard for me to accept, even though I had money now.
Seeming to notice Nina's and my hesitation, Bertley smiled and said to me, "This is my friend's store, and I have shares in it. You don't need to worry, just buy whatever you like."
I didn't actually have much desire to shop. I just followed behind him and Nina.
Watching Nina pick out things she liked, I couldn't help but smile.
As long as Nina was happy, accompanying her shopping wasn't such a big deal.
After shopping all afternoon, Bertley insisted on buying Nina some clothes and jewelry.
He even picked out a necklace worth several hundred thousand yuan for her.
Seeing Nina so happy, my prejudice against Bertley faded a bit.
"Now let's go eat. It's dinner time, and we can't let two beautiful ladies go hungry."
Bertley glanced at the time and turned back to say to me with a smile.
I nodded, reached out to take Nina's hand, and we quickly walked into the restaurant.
It was a very upscale private music restaurant with an overall black interior design.
A grand piano stood in the middle of a fountain in the hall, and a woman in an evening gown was slowly playing the piano.
Just as we sat down, I received a message from Bandel.
Bandel: [I packed some dishes from the hotel. Mr. Moretti asked me to bring them back, but you don't seem to be at the estate.]
I immediately replied to Bandel: [Bertley invited Nina and me to dinner. We're at a music restaurant now.]
Soon, Bandel replied again.
Bandel: [Mr. Moretti also prepared other things for you. I think I should deliver them to you personally. Can you send me the address?]
I didn't think much of it - Bandel was Kane's person after all.
I immediately sent the address to Bandel.
I had just put down my phone when I smelled a strange fragrance.
I frowned and looked up, and a smiling face appeared before me.
My smile froze on my face, my eyes widened suddenly, and even my body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Nina was the first to notice something was wrong with me.
She quickly moved closer to me, grabbed my hand, and asked while rubbing it, "Sonya, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
I stared at the old woman in front of me, who was looking at me with a smile but saying nothing, not daring to speak.
Nina finally noticed where my gaze was directed.
She looked up, seemingly about to scold the person standing in front of me.
But when she made eye contact with the other person, Nina was also startled.
She cried out, stood up abruptly, pointed at the woman's nose, and asked, "How can you be here?"
I finally heard the woman speak. Her voice had appeared countless times in my nightmares.
"When you see someone you know, shouldn't you say hello first?"