In the end, they both exited at the same time as the heavens suddenly opened up, releasing a torrential downpour less than ten minutes later.This residential area was large and featured a spacious parking garage. Therefore, many residents parked their cars there, including Xavier.He wanted to drive the car right where Winnie was to keep her from getting drenched in the rain.Unbeknownst to him, a flower pot came sailing from above as soon as he stepped outside to get his car.She shrieked a warning when she noticed it almost landed on Xavierâs head.He wasnât carrying an umbrella, so he immediately took a step backward when he heard her, narrowly escaping an accident. The flower pot landed on the ground and shattered into pieces.He craned his neck to look up but saw nothing.Winnie walked to his side with a frown. âYou could have been gravely injured if you hadnât dodged it. Every household has a semi-enclosed balcony, and some are fully shuttered. How could a flower pot fall? Did you offend someone recently?âXavier glanced at the mess on the ground, and his brows furrowed. âThat will be too many to count, but those who intend to harm meâ¦âHe trailed off and instinctively surveyed all the floors of Winnieâs block, remembering that Jacinta also lived here. He continued, âI donât recall them residing in Aqua Moana. This is truly baffling.ââLetâs look for property management. The perpetrator must either be one of the residents or a visitor. It may be hard to figure out which resident it was, but visitors will leave a trail.ââOkay.â He nodded. âGet in the car.âThey arrived at the property management office shortly, and the staff pulled up the security tapes upon hearing their explanation.No visitor had brought a flower pot up the stairs in the last three days, let alone this morning. Only the janitors would clean the corridors once every two days.Thus, there was no way to investigate, and the property management could only advise Xavier to park his car in the underground garage to avoid such mishaps on the ground.He and Winnie understood they should just leave it at that.âDo you suppose it was Harold?â She asked, still perturbed.Xavier shook his head. âIf it were Harold, he would have gone after you instead of me. Whatever it is, be careful for now. How about you go to the office with me later?ââNo,â Winnie declined. âI need to meet Mason, then Lisanne at the Marsh residence. Iâll look for you in the afternoon, and weâll go to Nateâs birthday celebration together at night.ââKeep an eye out.
Please respond promptly when I text or give you a call.âShe frowned slightly. âIâm more worried about you.ââDonât worry.â Xavier caressed her head. âIâll be careful.ââ¦Winnie went to meet Lisanne at the Marsh residence after concluding her meeting with Mason.To her surprise, Lucas was home as well.âWhy arenât you overseeing matters at the office today?â She was curious.âRelax!â He eyed Lisanne and muttered to Winnie, âI stayed home for Lisanne. Sheâs a bit down in the dumps. Go on and talk to her, then Iâll take both of you out for a fun afternoon.ââOkay.â She nodded. âBut count me out. It will only be both of you. Thereâs something else I have to do later.ââWhat is it?ââI have a banquet this evening, and I need to pick out a dress.â âWe should go together!â He said. âPlease bring Lisanne, and Iâll foot the bill today. Girls should go shopping together, so my plan works perfectly.âWinnie was at a loss for words. âItâs reasonable for me to go with Lisanne, but why are you following us?ââIâm your wallet!ââDo we look like weâre strapped for cash?ââThen I can help carry your bags. Are you kidding me? Which queen doesnât leave the house with an escort?â Lucas responded with a flourishing bow.
âJust like me.âShe didnât want to drag this out with him any longer, knowing that he wouldnât be dissuaded, so the three of them went to the shopping district.Winnie and Lisanne both fancied the same brand, and Lucas had worn a few sets of their outfits from the menâs line, so instead of shopping blindly, they immediately headed to the store.He enjoyed dressing up and would ask for Winnie and Lisanneâs opinions when trying out clothes.Winnie needed to choose a dress and didnât want him to waste her time, so she kicked him out.He had no other option except to take Lisanne with him.Winnie ambled around until a black dress with a bandeau neckline and fishtail design caught her eye.As she extended her hand to stroke the fabric, a young and beautiful lady rushed over, yelling, âDonât touch it. I saw that dress first, and Iâm going to try it on. You may touch it if I deem it unsatisfactory.âBewildered, Winnie wondered if everyone behaved unreasonably these days. âI promise I wouldnât even look at the dress if it were already in your hands, but itâs still on the rack. Do you think it makes sense that you said you wanted to try it first?ââWhat do you mean it doesnât make sense? I said I saw it first but havenât gotten the chance to try it on. Do you understand the term âfirst-come, first-servedâ?â The young woman argued haughtily, each word coming out of her mouth growing increasingly absurd.âSo what if you tried it on? Does that mean itâs yours?â Winnie scoffed.A girl in austere clothes hurried to them as the young woman opened her mouth to retort.She stopped in front of Winnie, her face contorted like she was near to tears. âMaâam, can you please give us this dress? It was an oversight on my part. She was interested in it at first, but I forgot to take it to the dressing room, and this happened. Please do me a favor and continue browsing, or my life will be hell today.âWinnieâs brows drew together, not wanting to give in to that woman, but the girl was in a tough spot, and she didnât want to make things difficult for her.Besides, she suddenly didnât want the dress after the woman expressed interest in it.âAll right, Iâll do it for you.â Winnie backed down and took a few steps forward, eyeing another black dress.The woman declared at that moment, âLeave it. I spotted that dress first as well.âWinnie was silent for a second before turning back to pin her with a stony expression. âAre you the proprietor of this store?âThe womanâs gaze raked her up and down before she answered smugly, âNo, but I can afford everything I try on. I want this, this, and the one Iâm wearing now. Thatâs three pieces in total.âThat brought a smile to Winnieâs face. I think Iâm dressed too casually today for her to look down on me.She met the womanâs gaze squarely. âI suppose you still havenât paid?â