7

Nissa was aghast at the very least. The first thing that registered her brain was the blatant accusation of Queenie. It hurt. She had expected this reaction from her beloved cousin since the surgery but she underestimated Queenie's outright raging. Queenie had changed, and it scared her somehow.

On Jana's defense, she's very annoyed with the points she lost. If she could swallow Nissa alive for 50 v+, she won't think twice and just dive to it!

Jana was conscious that some parts of Queenie's awareness were gone. Some memories are colluded with blacks and grey. Even Vivien, the Ai, instructed her to rely on the pitiful recounts she could think.

Now that Nissa had mentioned the threat of an another assassination, Jana took a relaxed pose on the chair and start thinking steps thoroughly.

No one harmed Queenie since Jana took over her body. In the original plot of the story, Queenie never encountered any dangerous situation. Her death was her own decision too.

'So, Nissa must be lying right now.' Jana crossed her arms and opened stiffly, "You want to implicate Silvia? You're too brave. Wait, isn't the one who's suspicious enough should be you?"

Nissa went silent for a moment. Jana nodded in triumph. As she bent slightly to slice a piece of cake, Nissa laughed. "You're thinking about why there hasn't anyone coming towards you lately?"

"Right."

Nissa pointed to Queenie's back. "Was there any need to think of anyone besides the guy you claim as your 'assistant'?"

Jana took a sharp intake of breath. "What?"

This woman must be nuts!

Hailey went later than the usual. Parking her big bike on the back of the shop, she heaved a long breath before strutting her way inside. The staff, newly hired just two days ago, gave her their chorus 'good morning'. Hailey showed them a winner's smile before instructing them each task.

" …for that, let's wait for Memoir. She knows what to do with those."

The shop is filled with the usual people she'd been accustomed with; the elderly. Eyeing the only table occupied by two young ladies, Hailey sighed. 'It's good to know there's still two of those young grasses.'

Hailey started wiping the counter with a cloth. The preparations were done at the heart of the shop. Now all she could do was entertain the customers. Hiring people lessens the work.

Hailey lifted her gaze and once again stared at the ladies five meters away from her. One of them, a woman in black comfy dress, looked particularly glum. Like the woman would prefer anywhere except the chair she's in right now.

'That won't do.'

Hailey steered herself off the two. It looks like they were having a tight conversation. The other woman was familiar to Hailey. Wearing a red top and tight high waist jeans with only minimal make up on the face, the lady screamed model-like sophistication. She's the eye-candy inside the shop right now.

Hailey once more gave the two a veiled stare. Even if the woman in red is definitely pleasing to the eyes, the other woman in black calls Hailey's attention like mad. It was an unconscious notion in the back of her mind.

'I am certain I don't know her but why do I find her presence... wrong?’ The wind chimes strung. Hailey stretched her lips nice and wide, preparing to greet the newcomer.

"Hailey!"

"Giovanni..." Hailey was in awe seeing Giovanni for the second time. The guy was even better in his casual clothes! "Woah! Are you sure you're not on TV or something?"

Giovanni chuckles for a moment then stuffed his hands deep within his pockets. "How are you today?" he asked.

Hailey's perfunctory smile became bright. Giving the guy a once over, she laughed when he hung his head shyly. "Now that I saw you, it's great."

"Oh, come on..."

Hailey decided to be straightforward. "You have a warm smile, Gio. Everyone who looked at it would just melt and be your friend."

"My friend?" Giovanni turned around. Hailey followed his eyes and found him staring at the two ladies she had noticed a minute ago. "...I guess you're right."

Hailey squinted. Just in time, the woman in red blatantly pointed a finger on their way. "What?" Hailey arched one brow, ready to bend the rude finger back. "Do you happen to know that woman?"

"Oh..." Giovanni laughed. Carrying that natural nonchalance to any unbecoming acts. "She's the cousin of my boss. A model of ZMM Magazine. She'd been invited to some TV show before. You've probably seen her."

"You...sound proud." Hailey was perturbed. Anything within the woman in black's company set her alarm bells ringing nonstop. "But pointing fingers at someone is rude."

Giovanni blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's not to offend you. They're probably talking about me." Scratching his nape, he added, "they were fighting before. I'd like the family feud to end this time. Something about money and betrayals. I just hope to lessen Ma'am Queenie's stress. The doctor said she's having a hard time lately even if she doesn't tell."

Hailey refused to hear Giovanni's concern towards Queenie, whom she figured out to be the woman in black. She focused on the important part. "You're telling me this. You're telling all this to a stranger."

Giovanni leaned on the counter. His back facing Hailey. "I...don't know. You're not a stranger anymore. It was as though I've known you before—I've told you this last time. Have we met somewhere else way back years ago?"

"No. I'm sure we haven't." Hailey wouldn't let this person go if she'd be given a chance. Giovanni's smile and bearing shouts 'go and take the risk—take me!'. He's one of those people who would make you dare take that hasty turn of happiness even just for a short time.

"So, that lady in black must be your Queenie?"

"What's with that 'your Queenie'?" Giovanni pulled at his lower lip for a moment, lost in thought. Hailey followed his movement. Then cursed herself for noticing the man's full lips in pale pink. 'God, I have a crush on him. It's official.'

"Gio..."

It was a call of a small voice, just above whispering. Yet Giovanni reacted as though it was the call of a judge and he was on trial. "Yes? I'm coming!"

Grinning at Hailey for a split second, Giovanni hurried his way over Queenie's table.

The way he moved the utensils away from the woman's grasp is full of tender pampering. Hailey couldn't help but feel ridiculous. That Queenie had legs and both arms intact but still needed a servant to do unnecessary things!

People with money who use it with abandon. Hailey hated them the most.

"...yes, she's the owner of the shop. Her name is Hailey. It's the best in town..." Giovanni boasted about Hailey's shop. Being five meters away from them, although the voice was far, it reached her ear. And the sudden grumpiness was swept away. Hailey waved at their table. Giovanni winked at her.

'It's all good.' Hailey mumbled, 'I can always try.'

Nissa was aghast at the very least. The first thing that registered her brain was the blatant accusation of Queenie. It hurt. She had expected this reaction from her beloved cousin since the surgery but she underestimated Queenie's outright raging. Queenie had changed, and it scared her somehow.

On Jana's defense, she's very annoyed with the points she lost. If she could swallow Nissa alive for 50 v+, she won't think twice and just dive to it!

Jana was conscious that some parts of Queenie's awareness were gone. Some memories are colluded with blacks and grey. Even Vivien, the Ai, instructed her to rely on the pitiful recounts she could think.

Now that Nissa had mentioned the threat of an another assassination, Jana took a relaxed pose on the chair and start thinking steps thoroughly.

No one harmed Queenie since Jana took over her body. In the original plot of the story, Queenie never encountered any dangerous situation. Her death was her own decision too.

'So, Nissa must be lying right now.' Jana crossed her arms and opened stiffly, "You want to implicate Silvia? You're too brave. Wait, isn't the one who's suspicious enough should be you?"

Nissa went silent for a moment. Jana nodded in triumph. As she bent slightly to slice a piece of cake, Nissa laughed. "You're thinking about why there hasn't anyone coming towards you lately?"

"Right."

Nissa pointed to Queenie's back. "Was there any need to think of anyone besides the guy you claim as your 'assistant'?"

Jana took a sharp intake of breath. "What?"

This woman must be nuts!

Hailey went later than the usual. Parking her big bike on the back of the shop, she heaved a long breath before strutting her way inside. The staff, newly hired just two days ago, gave her their chorus 'good morning'. Hailey showed them a winner's smile before instructing them each task.

" …for that, let's wait for Memoir. She knows what to do with those."

The shop is filled with the usual people she'd been accustomed with; the elderly.  Eyeing the only table occupied by two young ladies, Hailey sighed. 'It's good to know there's still two of those young grasses.'

Hailey started wiping the counter with a cloth. The preparations were done at the heart of the shop. Now all she could do was entertain the customers. Hiring people lessens the work.

Hailey lifted her gaze and once again stared at the ladies five meters away from her. One of them, a woman in black comfy dress, looked particularly glum. Like the woman would prefer anywhere except the chair she's in right now.

'That won't do.'

Hailey steered herself off the two. It looks like they were having a tight conversation. The other woman was familiar to Hailey. Wearing a red top and tight high waist jeans with only minimal make up on the face, the lady screamed model-like sophistication. She's the eye-candy inside the shop right now.

Hailey once more gave the two a veiled stare. Even if the woman in red is definitely pleasing to the eyes, the other woman in black calls Hailey's attention like mad. It was an unconscious notion in the back of her mind.

'I am certain I don't know her but why do I find her presence... wrong?’ The wind chimes strung. Hailey stretched her lips nice and wide, preparing to greet the newcomer.

"Hailey!"

"Giovanni..." Hailey was in awe seeing Giovanni for the second time. The guy was even better in his casual clothes! "Woah! Are you sure you're not on TV or something?"

Giovanni chuckles for a moment then stuffed his hands deep within his pockets. "How are you today?" he asked.

Hailey's perfunctory smile became bright. Giving the guy a once over, she laughed when he hung his head shyly. "Now that I saw you, it's great."

"Oh, come on..."

Hailey decided to be straightforward. "You have a warm smile, Gio. Everyone who looked at it would just melt and be your friend."

"My friend?" Giovanni turned around. Hailey followed his eyes and found him staring at the two ladies she had noticed a minute ago. "...I guess you're right."

Hailey squinted. Just in time, the woman in red blatantly pointed a finger on their way. "What?" Hailey arched one brow, ready to bend the rude finger back. "Do you happen to know that woman?"

"Oh..." Giovanni laughed. Carrying that natural nonchalance to any unbecoming acts. "She's the cousin of my boss. A model of ZMM Magazine. She'd been invited to some TV show before. You've probably seen her."

"You...sound proud." Hailey was perturbed. Anything within the woman in black's company set her alarm bells ringing nonstop. "But pointing fingers at someone is rude."

Giovanni blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's not to offend you. They're probably talking about me." Scratching his nape, he added, "they were fighting before. I'd like the family feud to end this time. Something about money and betrayals. I just hope to lessen Ma'am Queenie's stress. The doctor said she's having a hard time lately even if she doesn't tell."

Hailey refused to hear Giovanni's concern towards Queenie, whom she figured out to be the woman in black. She focused on the important part. "You're telling me this. You're telling all this to a stranger."

Giovanni leaned on the counter. His back facing Hailey. "I...don't know. You're not a stranger anymore. It was as though I've known you before—I've told you this last time. Have we met somewhere else way back years ago?"

"No. I'm sure we haven't." Hailey wouldn't let this person go if she'd be given a chance. Giovanni's smile and bearing shouts 'go and take the risk—take me!'. He's one of those people who would make you dare take that hasty turn of happiness even just for a short time.

"So, that lady in black must be your Queenie?"

"What's with that 'your Queenie'?" Giovanni pulled at his lower lip for a moment, lost in thought. Hailey followed his movement. Then cursed herself for noticing the man's full lips in pale pink. 'God, I have a crush on him. It's official.'

"Gio..."

It was a call of a small voice, just above whispering. Yet Giovanni reacted as though it was the call of a judge and he was on trial. "Yes? I'm coming!"

Grinning at Hailey for a split second, Giovanni hurried his way over Queenie's table.

The way he moved the utensils away from the woman's grasp is full of tender pampering. Hailey couldn't help but feel ridiculous. That Queenie had legs and both arms intact but still needed a servant to do unnecessary things!

People with money who use it with abandon. Hailey hated them the most.

"...yes, she's the owner of the shop. Her name is Hailey. It's the best in town..." Giovanni boasted about Hailey's shop. Being five meters away from them, although the voice was far, it reached her ear. And the sudden grumpiness was swept away. Hailey waved at their table. Giovanni winked at her.

'It's all good.' Hailey mumbled, 'I can always try.'