"What's this?" Pierre frowned as he watched Calla hand him the leather envelope.Calla replied with a smile, "This is the ten thousand dollars you lent me last time. I've saved up enough to return it to you."Pierre's expression quickly darkened at those words. His tone became somewhat harsh as he asked, "What's the meaning of this?"Calla looked at Pierre innocently and replied, "Nothing, really. I've just saved up the money and am returning what I owe you."She found Pierre's reaction a little baffling. It was just a matter of paying back a debt—why would he be unhappy about it?Visibly upset, Pierre took the envelope from Calla with an expression that revealed his hurt. "Calla, do you think I'm the kind of person who takes advantage of others?"Calla was puzzled. "What do you mean? Why would I ever think that?""When I lent you the money, I had no other intentions or conditions attached. The suggestion I made to you a few days ago… it was from the heart. If you won't agree to
In the afternoon, after selecting and paying for two boxes of goods, Calla's phone rang urgently.She pulled out her phone and saw that it was Fiona calling, likely to ask when she would be back.Calla swiftly answered the call. "Fiona, I'll be heading back soon—"Fiona cut her off urgently. "Ms. Sherman, Clover has a high fever. It's almost 100.4°F! Something's not right. I'm worried that she might have a seizure!" Calla instantly panicked. "How could she suddenly have a high fever?" she blurted out. "She seemed fine when I left. 100.4 °F is way too high; she could definitely get a seizure. You need to take her to the hospital right away!""I-I've never been to the hospital before. I don't know what to do!" Fiona's voice was trembling. She was nearly in tears.Even though Fiona was young, she was uneducated. Coming from the countryside to work as a nanny, she had never been to a hospital in the city.Calla felt even more anxious at those words."Ms. Sherman, when will you be
After hanging up, Calla felt relieved. For the first time, she realized how much she depended on Pierre. He had unknowingly become her emotional support.Without wasting time, Calla grabbed the two boxes of goods and hurried to catch the bus. Since the area was remote, she couldn't hail a cab even though she wanted to.Dressed in a puffer coat, wool gloves, and a knit hat, she squeezed onto the bus and headed toward the city.By the time Calla arrived at the hospital, it was already evening, with the winter sun setting early. The hospital, however, was still brightly lit.As she rushed into the hospital room, she saw Clover lying in bed, receiving an IV drip. Calla immediately rushed to her side."Clover?" Calla's expression was filled with worry as she watched Clover sleep. She gently touched Clover's face. Noticing that her fever had subsided, Calla felt a sense of relief.Standing by the bedside, Pierre noticed Calla's anxious and guilty demeanor. He reassured her, "Clover's
As he spoke, Pierre glanced out the window and took a deep breath.Calla could see that although he was speaking with ease, he still appeared somewhat uncomfortable. This made her realize that her actions had indeed hurt his feelings and pride. She regretted her actions deeply. While returning the money was the right thing to do, perhaps she did it at the wrong time.Pierre then said, "I'll go get Clover's bottle and diapers. I'll bring some daily necessities for you too. You'll probably be staying here for a few days.""Thank you." Calla nodded.Pierre turned on his heel and left the ward. After closing the door, he took another deep breath before heading out.Fiona soon returned with the food. Calla was hungry, having spent the whole day rushing about. Seeing that Clover was better, she felt more at ease, so she started to eat heartily.Meanwhile, Fiona continued to chatter away. "Ms. Sherman, Mr. Garland really cares about Clover. A few minutes after you called, he brought u
Pierre turned around when he heard Calla's voice. Seeing her serious expression, he frowned in confusion.Calla stared at Pierre, her right hand clenched into a fist. At that moment, she gathered her courage, though her legs trembled slightly. She knew that she was closing one chapter of her life by making this decision. Both she and Clover would be stepping into a new one.Pierre looked at Calla for a moment, then said, "Let's talk inside.""Okay." Calla nodded.Pierre then turned and used his key to unlock the door to his apartment. Once inside, Calla followed him in and closed the door behind her.Calla slowly walked up to Pierre. Meeting his gaze, she said, "Pierre, I accept your suggestion."Pierre's forehead creased in confusion. "What… do you mean?"Calla bit her lip, hesitating as she asked, "Have you changed your mind? If you have, just forget I said anything."She started to turn away, but Pierre quickly grabbed her wrist.Feeling the firm grip, Calla looked up to
Calla's exhilarated laughter eventually filled the room.Pierre held Calla and spun around the living room for several minutes. When they were both dizzy and breathless, he finally stopped. He gently set her down on the couch, where they both slumped, panting and disoriented.As Calla leaned back against the couch, she felt like the entire room was still spinning. A smile spread across her face as she savored the thrill of the moment. She had never been so wild and carefree before. This light-headedness felt oddly invigorating.Still catching his breath, Pierre supported himself on the couch with one hand and gazed deeply at Calla with a profound look in his eyes.Noticing his intense gaze, Calla asked softly, "What are you looking at?"Pierre suddenly reached out, cupping her chin in his hand. His eyes seemed to drink in her features as he remarked, "You're beautiful."Taken aback by the compliment, Calla remarked, "You could have complimented me about anything else. How can I c
Just as Calla was facing everything with a determined attitude, all of Pierre's aggressive actions suddenly came to a halt. After a long pause with no further movement from him, Calla opened her tightly shut eyes and saw a face beaming with a radiant smile.At that moment, Calla looked back at him with puzzled eyes. Though she thought it strange, she found it awkward to ask why he had stopped.The next moment, Pierre gently stroked her smooth face with his finger and said earnestly, "I know you're not ready yet. I won't force you to do something you don't want. This is how it is now and will be in the future."Hearing this, Calla stared at Pierre with wide eyes. She couldn't pinpoint the feelings stirring within her. However, she certainly felt moved and grateful, along with some other indescribable emotions. She knew a thing or two about men. It was rare for a man to restrain himself under such circumstances. Perhaps Pierre had sensed her hesitation, uncertainty, and the tens
Calla understood that she was way past the age of pursuing a dreamy romance, especially now that she had Clover. She had to be realistic. She knew she had to cherish Pierre, who was her only choice and a gift from Heaven for her and Clover.Even though they had quickly gotten closer, and Calla would take care of his daily needs, they still hadn't taken it all the way.Calla didn't understand why, but every time Pierre got close to her, her body would tense up. Though she was trying hard to overcome this psychological barrier, her body's reaction seemed to defy her mind's commands.Fortunately, Pierre didn't push her and continued to be patient. Calla felt guilty about it, but he would always comfort her. He said that she wasn't a frivolous woman and had the reserved dignity a woman should have, which was something he especially appreciated about her.Pierre was now even more devoted to Clover. He would spend time every night carrying her around the house, which made Clover giggle j