"I just wanted to thank you again for bringing our child back to us. We would never have anticipated that she would go to that peak of all places!" a woman in her fifties remarked softly, looking at Tapiwa, who was drinking wine from a cup.
Tapiwa sweetly smiled at this woman who had looked so harsh to her the day before but was now all warm and appearing like an entirely different person and remarked back, "Any sane person would do this. I'm just grateful it wasn't anything major because otherwise, neither of us would have survived."
"Haha, I'm glad it wasn't anything serious, otherwise I wouldn't even want to think about the dire consequences if anything bad happened," she laughed hard with a chilly glimmer after hearing Tapiwa's statement.
Tapiwa, on the other hand, only gave the lady a slight smile. She wasn't afraid of her or her family. After all, she had noticed that there were no mages in the mansion, and if trouble truly arose, she would simply use her powers and flee the home, as well as Karoba.
"In any case, I'd like to thank you for inviting me to this meal. It's been a pleasure," Tapiwa responded graciously, not averting her gaze from the lady.
The woman, Ruth's mother, who goes by Ma Ruth or her maiden name Thandeka, was astounded by Tapiwa's serenity and confidence.
She was terrified and anxious yesterday after learning that her daughter was missing and that no one knew where she was.
Ruth was a child she had after years of showing no signs of pregnancy. She had even given up on having another child since she was too old.
But who would have predicted that she would become pregnant when she was in her forties?
The sensation was exhilarating, and despite the significant and high risks involved with her pregnancy, she refused her husband's proposal to abort so that she would be safe.
Everyone was kept on their toes during the difficult pregnancy. Fortunately, her husband had always been a faithful spouse who never married other wives or concubines, so she had no worry about being hurt during the important moment.
Thandeka was able to give birth to Ruth, despite the numerous challenges she had as a result of this.
Her other children from her marriage were already grown and focused on themselves, so having Ruth at home changed everything and filled the house with laughter.
Her husband retired from the court ten years ago, and the entire family relocated from the capital to Karoba to escape the commotion and intrigues that came with living in a city where power was concentrated.
Thandeka has always considered herself to be a good judge of character. She could tell what a person was like just by meeting them, but all of it was pointless at the moment.
She didn't have anything else other than the public information she had about Tapiwa, her family background, and her business.
But she could tell and had a feeling there was more to her than she was letting on.
Sitting with a noble and maintaining a comfortable demeanor. It seemed as if she were at home. Thandeka couldn't help but be interested in her.
What was even more remarkable was her daughter's behavior when she returned home. She had never seen her daughter be so submissive.
Ruth, the callous girl, even apologized with snot and tears, promising her that she would never travel somewhere else without the knowledge of others.
When Thandeka asked what was going on, Ruth steadfastly refused to reveal anything, but Thandeka's assumption was on Tapiwa.
Her daughter had only communicated with Tapiwa, and if it wasn't her who had put her daughter into this mess, she didn't know what else to assume.
Thandeka couldn't help but stare at Tapiwa as a result of all of this.
"I heard you're creating a business to empower women. Would you mind telling me about it?" Thandeka inquired, her gaze fixed on Tapiwa.
'Rich people truly know how to do things,' Tapiwa thought, with a faint smile, 'They discovered everything about me in less than a day. It's terrifying!'
"I'll just share my vision with you. It won't be a secret anyway," Tapiwa said as she sat back in her seat, relaxed.
Thandeka breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that. She was terrified that Tapiwa would refuse to inform her, making everything awkward.
So Tapiwa began passionately telling Thandeka about her idea without revealing too much, and Thandeka listened intently.
"Because it's a club. Does that mean you'll be accepting members one day?" Thandeka inquired, after hearing Tapiwa's speech.
Tapiwa sipped her tea before nodding, "Yes, that will definitely happen, and these members will become the first priority of investors once I start a new project. With their funds invested in any particular project I am working on at the time, they will be guaranteed a share of the profit when it is completed. And, unlike other people, they have preferences."
Thandeka nodded in agreement, clearly awestruck by this fascinating and unique thought.
She'd heard of clubs before, but mainly for recreational purposes. She'd never heard of one where people get together and work on various projects to earn money.
It sounded more like workshops, but this one sounded odd and was also controlled by a single person, and everything was geared towards the empowerment of women, which was really rare and unique.
"How much money would one need to invest to become a member?" Thandeka inquired, perplexed.
She wanted to be a part of the project since she was intrigued by it. She wanted her name to be remembered as more than just a former minister's wife, but as someone who helped to change people's lives.
She would have just stolen the concept and completed the job on her own, but she knew herself very well. She wasn't talented in several areas, and she believed strongly in karma and didn't want to suffer too much when she died.
She will just do the right thing, support if she can, and profit while making a good name and building a reputation not only for herself, and her family but also for her mischievous daughter.
Tapiwa lit up when she heard that. What she was missing at the time was money, and here was someone willingly knocking on her door to offer her money. How could she refuse such a person?