Another peaceful morning had come, or maybe it was only in Anastasia's mind. She ate her breakfast as she did every morning, not minding anyone else.
"Do you still want to continue to work there?" The question her father suddenly asked pulled her out of her daydreaming.
"Huh? Work?" she asked, not having heard the question clearly.
Flynn shook his head. "Anna, what are you thinking about?" he smiled, finding Anastasia's habit of daydreaming sometimes cute. "How's work these days? Are you sure you don't want to work with Jnes?"
Hurriedly shaking her head, Anastasia gave Flynn a big smile. "Thanks, Dad, but I love my job."
"I really don't understand," Bella suddenly interrupted their conversation. "Dad is offering you a higher position, and you choose to work there as an assistant branch manager?"
Anastasia looked in Bella's direction and could only reply with a smile. A sister whom she adored since she came into this family.
"If you ever change your mind, tell me, okay?" Flynn continued to persuade her.
Nodding her head, Anastasia felt grateful to be welcomed by both father and daughter.
'I have received more than enough.'
"Sis, I will send you to work today!" Bella suddenly looked excited. She pulled out a car key from her pocket and waved it in front of Anastasia's face. "Dad's gift, since I got my licence." A wide smile formed on her rounded, cute face. A twenty-one-year-old girl, a daughter of the Chairman of Jnes Group.
"Ah! I forgot! Congratulations! What do you want? I will buy it for you," Anastasia finally remembered that Bella took her driving exam yesterday.
"Hmm…" Bella narrowed her eyes, thinking hard about what she wanted. "Lunch? Prime Cuts Steakhouse!"
Anastasia giggled and then nodded lightly. "When? Today?"
Excitedly nodding, Bella said, "He starts working today! I have a reason to go there then!" A wide grin appeared as she sneakily plotted a plan to 'coincidentally' meet her Prince Charming.
Ethan Harrington. The name of Bella's Prince Charming that Anastasia had heard since the day she moved into this family ten years ago. She had never met him because he had to move overseas to further his studies.
That's what she heard from Bella, and all the information about him came from Bella's mouth. Ethan this, Ethan that. She could imagine how he looked just from Bella's description. A picture? Bella didn't want to show her one, afraid she would fall in love with him too. At that time, she could only laugh it off. An eleven-year-old girl telling a story about how she met her eighteen-year-old Prince Charming.
"Sis?" Bella flicked her fingers in front of Anastasia's face. "Why are you always daydreaming?"
"Ah, sorry." She smiled with her eyes, feeling sorry for being lost in thought. "Wait for me in the lobby, okay?"
"Okay, deal!" Bella shouted in joy.
Anastasia shook her head lightly. She scooped the last portion of her breakfast and put down her spoon. "Mom, Dad… I'll go first…" She then turned to Bella and motioned for her to sit back down when she was ready to stand up. "Not today…" she smiled.
Bella looked disappointed. "Don't tell me… are you afraid?"
The question filled the dining room with laughter.
"Anna made a good decision; her life is precious," Flynn said with the remaining laughter.
Anastasia shook her head. "It is not because I am afraid, but I already asked my colleague to help pick me up today. Maybe tomorrow?"
Bella nodded in agreement. "Deal!"
As Anastasia walked towards the main door, Marleen rushed to catch up with her. "Anna…" she called out, stopping her daughter.
"Hmm?" Anastasia was surprised when her mother suddenly halted her.
"If it is hard, I can buy you a small car," Marleen said. She found it difficult for Anastasia to go back and forth from work using a bus. Anastasia had refused to be sent by the driver and had even turned down Flynn's offer to buy her a car. Marleen knew why, and that was the reason she was offering now.
"No, Mom, it is okay. I am comfortable enough using public transport, and sometimes Diya even offers to drop me home because she lives nearby." Anastasia tried to convince Marleen that she didn't need a car.
Marleen leaned forward. "I can afford a small one. The money from your father's insurance… I still haven't used it." She said, half-whispering.
The expression on Anastasia's face showed that she would definitely turn it down again, and it made Marleen sighed immediately. "I am afraid. A girl riding a bus is dangerous. You sometimes come home late," she expressed her concern.
Gently reaching for her mother's hand, Anastasia gave her a warm smile. "Save it for something more important; who knows, we might need it later. Or, Mom…" she rubbed Marleen's hand, "you can use it for yourself. Buy some clothes or makeup if you want."
Marleen immediately shook her head. "Your dad already provided me with all those things. It's just that I don't feel like using them," she chuckled. "You know…" she leaned closer, "they didn't suit me."
Both of them were holding back their laughter. Anastasia looked deeply into her mother's eyes, feeling happy and convinced that her mother's second marriage was a decision she never regretted.
"Did you ask her?" Flynn walked towards Marleen, who was walking in after sending Anastasia out.
She gasped as she realised she had forgotten. "Ah, I forgot… but Flynn…" Marleen frowned slightly. "Are you sure they asked for Anna's hand and not Bella's?"
"Why?" Flynn returned the question with a question. "You didn't agree to that?"
"No, you know I don't have a say in our kids' marriages. We need to ask for her decision…" Her words trailed off. "Right?"
The silence from Flynn felt like a cold shoulder to Marleen. "I will ask her later, but I hope you can talk to Bella so this doesn't cause a misunderstanding. This proposal could change everything for our family." She pursed her lips, her expression reflecting the gravity of the situation. With a heavy heart, she walked past Flynn and up the stairs, worrying about what might happen with the path they tried to create for their daughters.