Chapter 9

At 10:00 pm sharp, a black Maybach quietly cruised down the streets and came to a stop at Riverdale Ridge downtown. The streetlights streamed into the car through the windows, illuminating Samuel's side profile. He sat in the driver's seat but did not turn off the engine. He turned around and looked at the woman in the front passenger seat. Nadia rested against the seat. Her head was slightly turned to the other side, and her even breathing suggested that she might have been deeply asleep. Her long lashes cast a shadow under her eyes. Her cheeks turned an almost unnoticeable shade of pink. Samuel curled his fingers on the steering wheel, fighting the urge to touch her—even touching her hair would be enough. However, he immediately killed off such thoughts when they popped up. He swallowed hard. In the silence of the car, he could only hear their breathing sounds and the occasional honking from the outside. Nadia shifted a little. In fact, she hadn't fallen asleep. She was enjoying a little shut-eye. When she sensed that the car had come to a stop, she opened her eyes, looking a little fatigued. "Have we arrived?" Her voice was hoarse after waking up, and she sounded polite, as if she was purposely keeping a distance between them. His heart skipped a beat. Nadia opened the car door without stopping. "I'm leaving. Thanks." "Nad!" Samuel got out of the car. His deep voice sounded forceful in the deep of the night. She turned around. "Anything else, Samuel?" He reached out. She froze and instinctively shunned his advance. His fingertips gently brushed her shoulder with such speed that it made her think it was an illusion. However, she clearly felt his warm touch through the thin fabric, sending a slight electric feeling through her body. Something had struck her heart, just enough to make her feel stuffy. Samuel slowly pulled back and pushed his hands into his pockets. He forced himself to sound calm, like a senior who cared for Nadia. "Rest early," he spoke slowly and gently. Moments later, she looked up and gave him a polite smile. "You, too." It was not a genuine smile. She did not linger for long and hurried into the apartment. When she reached her home, the sensor-activated lights at the entrance immediately lit up. She kicked her heels away and headed to her study without changing her clothes. There, she turned on the unremarkable laptop that carried some interesting secrets. She swiftly typed out a string of complicated code and medical jargon. Nadia looked focused, an entirely different person from her normally quiet and meek personality. The screen flickered, casting light and shadows on her face. She quickly typed some words in the search bar. She was looking up Karlie and the latest clinical treatment for late-stage lung cancer, as well as clinical data analysis. … The weather on the next day was perfect. It was sunny out, with a cooling breeze. Wendy had arrived in a hurry. Her voice filled the air before she appeared. "Nad, I'm back! Have a taste of my lunch I made with love! Ugh, plane food is the worst!" Nadia put aside the medical book and stared at Wendy in exasperation. Wendy had run over and thrown herself at Nadia by then. Nadia said, "You should have rested after you came home. Why did you drop by?" Wendy let go of Nadia and cupped her cheeks. She looked at her friend. "Alright. You look rosy. Seems like you're recovering well, which means you can go shopping with me this afternoon." Nadia chuckled. "Is shopping all you ever think of? How was the business trip? Did you seal the deal?" Wendy patted her chest gleefully. "Of course! I went to Ningvale this time—my uncle is the mayor of Ningvale. There is no client that I can't settle!" She playfully winked at Nadia. Nadia tapped her on the forehead. "I hope you won't bring him trouble." Wendy pouted. "This is all my dad's fault! If he had had another child, I wouldn't need to shoulder the burden of the family business." Nadia rolled her eyes at Wendy and led the latter to the dining table. "So, what did Emma make for me this time?" "She made your favorites—Buffalo wings, meatballs, steak, and mushroom soup." Nadia immediately felt hungry. Emma's cooking was phenomenal. "Emma is the best." However, Wendy's mood suddenly tanked. "When everything's ready, I'll visit Martellia in Ardovia." Nadia paused. Then, she looked at Wendy with a serious face. "I'll go with you." "Sure. Have some soup." Wendy gave her a nod and a smile. Nadia was well aware of the pain that Martellia signified to the Cooper family. Five years ago, Wendy's older brother, Thomas Cooper, had died in a huge explosion in Martellia. Until now, they could not locate his body. Over these years, the Coopers had always sent someone to search for Thomas' body in Martellia, but they stopped talking about it after many futile tries. As such, the responsibility of carrying on the family business went to Wendy. Her father, Colin Cooper, offered her a job as the business manager to build her experience. When they were enjoying the mushroom soup, Nadia suddenly blurted out, "By the way, Wendy, I heard that Mrs. Haber Senior is sick. Have you heard of it?" "Mrs. Haber Senior?" Wendy set her spoon on the table. The look in her eyes changed. "Are you talking about Wyatt's grandma?" "Yeah. Wyatt mentioned her sickness to me before. It has to do with her lungs." Wendy thought hard. "Mrs. Haber Senior is pretty kind and friendly. I even attended her birthday party when I was a kid." A look of longing appeared on her face. She continued, "But she has been recuperating at Haber Manor over these years. She rarely left the house. Most of us don't have the chance to meet her." Something occurred to Wendy. Her eyes lit up. "Why don't you help her?" Nadia had the same idea, too. "But I need to see her in person, and it has to feel like a casual encounter." "Oh, right! Her birthday is at the end of this month. Her family probably won't throw a huge celebration because they don't want to tire her out, but they will invite some close friends to the party. Come with me!" The idea appealed to Nadia. She turned to Wendy. "Sure." They enjoyed their dinner together. Suddenly, Wendy received an attachment on her phone—a photo of Knox making out passionately with a B-list star. Wendy commented coldly, "What a playboy! His taste is getting worse." Nadia stole a worried glance at her. "Are you alright?" Wendy placed her spoon on the table with a bright smile. "Do I look like I'm not fine? You think too highly of Knox when he's nothing to me!" She pointed at her heart with clear and unfeeling eyes. She might have grown up with Knox, and their families had agreed to a marriage arrangement when they were 18 years old, but she no longer considered him a serious candidate because he was a playboy. Instead, she worked hard, hoping to call off the marriage arrangement when she was in power. Now was not the right time to break off their relationship with the Nicholson family. Nadia's worries went away when she saw Wendy's confidence shining through. "Who sent you the photo?" "Beats me. I receive a photo per month, more in time than my period! They're all different. Before this, he was dating hot international models, but nowadays, he's only managed to get some B-listers." Wendy shook her head at the photo with disdain, clicking her tongue. Nadia suddenly laughed. "Send me the IP address. I'll have someone track them down." But Wendy immediately gestured no. "Please don't. I'll take advantage of the free services of a private detective. I'm getting more bargaining chips against Knox over time." She wouldn't want to give that up. "Fine. Whatever suits you." Nadia felt relieved when she confirmed that Wendy wasn't upset over Knox. After the meal, they took a quick rest. Soon, Nadia entered the study. Samuel called her once, inviting her to dinner, but she turned down the invitation, claiming she was tired. At night, Wendy forced Nadia to change into a stunning outfit and dragged her out of the house. Staying at home was a waste of one's youth. Wendy, dressed sexily, had clearly gone all out on that day. One could tell from her outfit choice that she wanted to blow everyone away. Already blessed with good looks and tall height, Nadia looked amazing, too. Her light makeup and a fiery red dress were eye-catching. At 7:00 pm, they arrived at a bustling boxing club downtown. Nadia looked at the signage with wonderment. It read "Wonderment Boxing Club". She pointed at the half-spherical building with neon lights. "Do you take me as an idiot who plays drinking games like Truth or Dare? This is my secret place. Tonight, I'll open your eyes," Wendy declared. They successfully entered the club with Wendy's VIP card.