Her heart skipped a beat, weighed down by troubles, she prepared to return to her resting room. Seeing Lily Clark, she instructed, "After you've finished cleaning, you can go off duty. I'll stay here tonight."
"Alright, Ailin, then I'll clean up and leave first."
"Okay. If there are no guests, keep the tip for yourself."
"Thank you, Ailin."
Ailin watched her and then turned back into the room, feeling somewhat downcast.
Carolline Ruiz and Bryan Hawkins were sitting together in the back seat. Bryan raised the divider between the front and back of the car, giving them an undisturbed, private space.
Carolline was still a bit nervous. Initially, she thought Bryan wouldn't come back or wouldn't return so early. However, when she heard Bryan apologize for being late and then offer to take her home, she felt quite dazed.
She didn't know much about luxury cars, so she didn't recognize the Maybach. The cars she knew were the Chery Whatsapp, Alto, Oxford Bread, and better ones like BMW and Audi.
Moreover, when she got in the car, she wasn't in the mood to pay attention to it. She only noticed how spacious the back seat was, having only seen it on television before.
Her heart fluttered, not knowing where to place her hands and feet.
"Are you blaming me?" Bryan suddenly asked.
"Uh..." Where to begin? How could she blame him? There's no reason to complain either.
She always knew he was a busy man. Even when he was in a wheelchair, he was constantly working.
"..." Seeing her foolish appearance, Bryan couldn't help but feel amused. It was different from the ridicule he felt when he saw Ailin; this time, it was more pleasant.
In his limited memories of her, Carolline wasn't such an awkward person. When she made him take medicine and injections, she was quite serious like a doctor treating a patient. Why was she so awkward tonight?
Was it like Ailin, unexpectedly able to stand up and walk? It shouldn't be. Wasn't she the one who encouraged him to go to physical rehabilitation in the first place? Besides, he had been able to walk for three months now. She should know.
Back then, even though he didn't care and didn't respond, he knew she had put in a lot of effort to convince him to undergo rehabilitation.
It seemed that it was since then he started to notice her.
But tonight was really a coincidence. To appease the old man at home, he casually agreed to go on a blind date. Arriving at Flomoon Tea House, he didn't expect to see her, so he changed his plan slightly and walked towards her.
He made her wait, partly to test her and confirm some suspicions, and partly to achieve his real goal for the night.
So, after meeting Carolline at six, he really went back to handle some affairs, and returned at eight, waiting in the car for Ailin. Once Ailin entered the tea house, he went in after three minutes.
His original goal was to let Ailin see his present self.
He honestly didn't expect Carolline to wait for him for such a long time. Additionally, it was fortunate that Carolline insisted on waiting on the second floor; it made his appearance in front of Ailin seem natural, not deliberate.
"Take a day off from work. Tomorrow morning at nine, I'll come to pick you up," Bryan suddenly changed the subject.
"Huh?" Carolline was a bit confused.
"Remember to bring your Resident Book. I'll wait for you for ten minutes. Remember, I won't wait if you're late."
"..."
"We're here, get out."
While Carolline was still in a daze, the car door on her side opened. Bryan's assistant, Xavier Estrada, was holding an umbrella and said with utmost respect, "Miss Ruiz, please."