Chapter 18

Chapter 18 His Video Call In the following days, Cora spent most of her time bustling around the emergency room.

But Sally insisted on taking her to high-end shops in search of the perfect dress to outshine Mia at her engagement party.

Despite Cora’s attempts to persuade Sally otherwise, she found herself being dragged along.

Meanwhile, Byron, who was on a business trip, had only managed to make one video call to Cora on the first night.

“Mr. Hansen!”

At that moment, just like every other night before falling asleep, Cora was immersed in despair over her family’s misfortunes and unease about living alone.

Byron, wearing a black shirt, appeared elegant and meticulous on the screen. His presence immediately distracted Cora from her sadness and anxiety.

“Are you home?” Byron asked, adjusting his tie and glancing around.

Cora wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Byron’s expression had softened. ‘Maybe he’s just tired?’

“Yes, I’m home,” Cora replied.

‘Where else would I be so late at night?’

But she didn’t dare to say that out loud in front of Byron.

She wondered why he was still dressed so formally at this hour. Could he still be working at his office?

In fact, Byron was in a conference room. He had taken a few minutes during a break in the meeting to make the video call.

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Several gossipy executives around him tried to listen in on the conversation.

After confirming that Cora was in her apartment, Byron visibly relaxed. “That’s good.”

Cora didn’t know how to respond. She could only look down, hoping to end the unsettling video call as soon as possible.

As she remained silent, Byron also didn’t speak for a long time. Cora thought he might have ended the call until she looked up and accidentally met his gaze on the screen.

Cora’s heart raced. She realized that Byron was looking at her with a desire-filled gaze.

But before she could dwell on it, he abruptly informed her, “I’ll be back on Saturday.”

Cora was confused because she didn’t think it was any of her business.

Then it dawned on her that Eason and Mia’s engagement party would be on Sunday. Byron, being Eason’s uncle, probably had to be back to attend the event.

Naturally, that would show his support for them. But why did Byron have to mention his support for them in front of her?!

Just thinking about it made Cora upset. Without bidding Byron a polite farewell, she promptly ended the video call.

The romantic atmosphere dissipated, and the uneasiness and sadness that had plagued Cora were replaced by a slight annoyance.

***

Soon enough, Saturday arrived, and both Cora and Sally had the day off.

Cora wanted to find another part-time job during her break. In the past, she had never worried about her livelihood, unaware of the true value of money.

But after the Lane family’s bankruptcy and the abandonment of her relatives and friends, Cora realized the significance of money more than ever. Hence, her focus shifted towards earning as much as possible.

Yet Sally offered her perspective. “People have limited energy, Cora. Even if you’re in a rush to make money, you need to vent your anger and get this business done first, so you can better move on, right?”

With that, Sally dragged Cora to a luxury shop. This time, they were searching for a pair of high heels to pair with the dress they had previously chosen.

To their surprise, they encountered Mia at the shop. Mia was arm in arm with a beautiful woman and examining a pair of high heels.

“Jane, I’m so grateful you made that call for me,” Mia patted the woman’s hand.

“Don’t mention it. But these heels are too high for you. You should be careful.”

“Don’t worry! You know I’m not really...” Catching sight of Cora and Sally, Mia immediately stopped and became inexplicably flustered.