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Novel Catalog
Chapter 43
But when Ivor opened the restroom door, there was no one inside.
His frown deepened. He was certain he had heard a man’s voice just moments ago. Was he overreacting?
“I don’t need to use your restroom anymore,” he said, his voice light but tinged with confusion. “You should get some rest.”
“Sure. Please close the door on your way out,” Bonnie responded with equal nonchalance, her tone giving nothing away.
Ivor nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
Bonnie wasted no time. The moment he was gone, she rushed to the restroom. Where was Jim? The window in there could only open a little, too small for him to escape through.
Then she heard a faint swoosh! above her head, followed by the soft thud of someone landing on the floor.
“That was a close one,” Jim said, brushing himself off as he straightened. “I would’ve been caught if I hadn’t acted fast enough.”
Bonnie let out a relieved sigh. “You were lucky, but you shouldn’t act so rashly again.” She began ushering him toward the door. “Alright, that’s all the time you have. Hurry up and go. And remember—don’t climb into my room unless it’s an emergency!”
“Loud and clear,” Jim muttered, his shoulders slumped as he left, looking a little dejected.
The next morning, Bonnie received a call from Vera, asking her to have breakfast at their place. Bonnie was just about to leave when Quenton arrived at the Knight’s residence.
“Was what you said last night true, Mr. Ivor?” Quenton asked, his voice curious but serious. “Did that girl brew better tea than I did?”
Ivor pulled a teapot from the fridge, still containing some tea from the previous night. “This must be stale by now, but I believe your sharp senses will still catch the brewing skill behind it,” he said, handing Quenton a cup.
Quenton poured himself a cup, his eyes lighting up as he tasted the tea. “Spectacular! The flavor of the leaves should have dissipated after a whole night, but it tastes wonderful! The key lies in the rich aroma—surprisingly, it benefited from the cold brewing!”
Ivor’s thoughts lingered on the previous night’s events. Where is she, Mr. Ivor? Quenton asked eagerly.
“She’s just gone out,” Ivor replied. “I’ll let you know when she returns.”
Quenton, however, had no intention of leaving. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, settling down on the couch with an excited grin. “In fact, I’ll do nothing until I meet her today.” Despite being over sixty, Quenton seemed as eager as a child at a candy store, refusing to leave until he met the mysterious girl who had impressed him so much.
Ivor sank into thought. Bonnie’s tea brewing skills were beyond his comprehension, especially if they had managed to stir even Quenton, a world-class expert, to such excitement. She was just a young woman, yet how had she learned such mastery? The more he got to know her, the more mysterious she became.
His lips curled into a smile, his gaze lingering on the teapot as if it were prey to be pounced on.
Meanwhile, at the Shepard’s residence, Vera was casually filing her nails. “Since you have your SATs tomorrow, Bonnie, you should stay here tonight,” she said, sounding nonchalant. “I’ll have Lorraine make your favorite food and make sure you eat well. I wouldn’t want you going around saying I treated you poorly.”
Bonnie narrowed her eyes, the corner of her mouth curling into a sarcastic sneer. “It sounds like you’re doing all this not because you care about me, but because you’re worried about what people will say about you.”
Vera’s face twisted in anger. “What kind of nonsense is that?!” she shouted. Bonnie’s words hit too close to the truth.
“Am I wrong?” Bonnie shot back, her voice cool. “I remember you made Trina’s food yourself when she was taking the SATs, but now that I’m the one taking them, you’re telling the servants to do it instead. You’re speaking condescendingly, too.”
“Is that how you talk to your mother, Bonnie?” Vera retorted, her tone turning venomous. “She hasn’t been feeling well. Are you really going to ask her to prepare food for you herself? Are you really so heartless? That’s not how I raised you!”
Gresham, unable to hold his frustration in any longer, stood up and raised his voice. “Enough, Bonnie! If you keep this up, I’ll show you some respect! Don’t think you can just walk away from your responsibilities just because you’re an adult now!”
Bonnie, already exhausted from the endless battles, couldn’t be bothered to argue further. It was clear her parents would always favor Trina over her. If she didn’t know better, she might have thought she was the one who had been adopted.
“If that’s all, I’m leaving,” she said flatly, turning toward the door.
Vera, now boiling with rage, wasn’t done. “Look at you,” she spat. “You think you’re so tough just because you’re an adult? Are you really leaving just because I said something you didn’t like? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
Furious, Gresham grabbed a broom from the wall and advanced on Bonnie, raising it to strike her.
But before he could act, Trina stepped in, feigning concern. “Don’t hit her, Dad! She didn’t mean it. She was just born like that. Her SATs are tomorrow! Don’t you see? You’ll ruin her grades if you hit her! This is the most important test of her life—it’ll decide her entire future!”
Gresham stopped in his tracks, his gaze flicking between his two daughters. “I’ll ruin her grades?” he asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.