Chapter 30
As soon as Loretta went inside, a tall guy emerged from the darkness outside the house.
He was holding a cigarette that wasn’t lit anymore, so it looked like he’d already finished it. He took a quick peek at the little balcony on the second floor of the house, dropped the cigarette butt, and then headed toward the car parked nearby.
The next day. Loretta got woken up by some voices outside her window. It was Vanessa. “Mr. Broderick, is this how you water the plants? Ah… I can’t seem to handle this hose,”
John replied, “Point it at the grass, not at you”
Vanessa said. “Oh, got it.”
With a smile, Loretta hopped out of bed and went to check out the scene from her little balcony. Down below, she spotted John and Vanessa in the backyard, trying to water the plants. Vanessa was all thumbs with the hose, and she ended up getting herself soaked.
Loretta leaned on the railing and joked, “Vanessa, you’re such a klutz.”
At that, both of them looked up. Vanessa caught sight of Loretta and waved back with a grin, but she was still holding onto the garden hose. In her excitement, she lost her grip on the hose, and it sprayed her from top to bottom.
Loretta just couldn’t stop herself and laughed out loud.
John quickly moved in, grabbed the hose from Vanessa, and with a hard–to–hide smile, he said, “You’d better change into some of Loretta’s clothes. You’re drenched.”
Vanessa gave John a shy grin and promised, “Mr. Broderick, I’ll do a better job watering the plants next time.” After John gave a nod, she made her way towards the house.
Loretta turned and went back to her bedroom. She picked out two outfits, one for herself, and the other for Vanessa to change into.
When Vanessa made her way upstairs, Loretta was already in the bathroom, getting ready for the day. Vanessa peeked her head in and asked, “Loretta, do you have something I can wear?”
Loretta called back from the bathroom, “The set’s on the bed.
Vanessa said, “Got it.” By the time Loretta had finished in the bathroom, Vanessa had already slipped into the outfit that Loretta had set aside for her.
Loretta gave a nod of approval, saying, “These clothes were a bit snug when I first tried them on, so I never ended up wearing them. But it looks like they fit you just right.”
Vanessa grinned back at Loretta. “Well, it’s not your fault for having such a banging body. If I had a figure like yours, I’d be
with envy. rocking all the tight clothes and making everyone green
Loretta chuckled and said, “You’ve got a great figure too.”
They both had their hair tied up before heading downstairs.
At that moment, John was just coming in from outside, having put away the gardening tools. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and suit pants, he had the charm and elegance of a mature man With the light shining behind him, it cast a soft glow around him, and Vanessa couldn’t help but stare. “Oh my gosh, Mr. Broderick is so handsome!” she exclaimed,
Loretta glanced at Vanessa, who was totally starstruck, and teased, “You better wipe that drool off your face.
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Vanessa automatically wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, but then caught on that Loretta was just messing with her. Her face turned as red as a tomato, and she playfully nudge Loretta Loretta, you’re so mean!”
John looked at the two girls and said, “Let’s grab some food first. Then he turned to Vanessa and asked, “Vanessa, is someone coming to pick you up later?”
Vanessa nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got a ride lined up.” She was only two years older than Loretta, and since Loretta had skipped grades, they ended up in the same class. Now they’d both wrapped up college. Vanessa’s family was in the machinery business, but she wasn’t into that. Instead, she opened a dessert shop in town.
“A few days ago, I found this amazing pastry chef in Freyland through a friend. He’s coming in today, so I need to head out carly to meet him.” Vanessa’s eyes sparkled just thinking about the pastries. “If the chef is as good as they say, I’ll have him whip up some treats for you to taste.”
John, who wasn’t a big fan of sweets, chimed in, “I’ll pass, but Loretta should definitely give them a try.”
Loretta, on the other hand, was a total dessert fan. “Tll be at the office, so don’t forget to bring me some of those pastries when you get them,” she said.
“I won’t. I promise, Vanessa said, which made both Loretta and John smile.
But just then, Coby came in from outside and announced, “Sir, Ma’am, Ms. Amy Broderick has arrived.”
The mention of that name wiped the smiles off their faces. Vanessa was the first to voice her concern. “What’s Amy doing here at this time?” She would have outright questioned Amy’s brazenness if John hadn’t been there.
Loretta lowered her eyes, thinking for a moment, then spoke up. She’s probably here because of what Bruno pulled yesterday.”
John, who was out of the loop, frowned. “What did Bruno do yesterday?” he asked.
Loretta quickly filled him in “Bruno came looking for me in the company parking lot yesterday. I told him to die, and he actually went to Riverside Bridge that’s under construction.”
“But just as he started climbing, a bunch of live streamers showed up. This streamer had a huge following, so his stunt of jumping into the river quickly went viral. Someone even doxed Him, and now he’s getting slammed online. Amy’s probably here to ask me to vouch for him and help clear his name,” Loretta continued.
John’s face darkened immediately at her words, and Vanessa was disgusted by Amy and Bruno. “Loretta, maybe you should just avoid seeing her,” he suggested.
Vanessa was also fed up with Amy and Bruno. She knew Amy well because of her closeness to Loretta. Amy had a reputation for playing the innocent and using tears to get what she wanted,
Once, Vanessa saw Amy as a sweet and considerate girl, but after finding out about Amy’s months–long relationship with Bruno, she couldn’t help but see her as a deceitful manipulator.
As Amy’s voice boomed from outside, “Loretta, I know you’re in there! Can you come out to see me? I have something really important to discuss. I’m begging you!” her sobs echoed along with her words.
Vanessa’s forehead creased with annoyance as she gave Loretta look that said it all. “Ignore her. If you want, I can go deal with her for you.”
Loretta mel Vanessa’s gaze, shook her head, and then turned to John “Dad, you and Vanessa goi just have a quick chat with Amy and then I’ll be in With that, she headed towards the door.
and have breakfast. I’ll
Amy was standing outside the big iron gate of the villa, gripping tightly with tears in her eyes and a face full of distress. Anyone passing by would think she was going through some serious hardship,
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Chapter 30
Loretta stopped a few steps away from the gate and asked with a chill in her voice, “What’s going on?”
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Amy, unable to handle Loretta’s frosty attitude, couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Loretta, can’t you ever forgive me? I’ve been so miserable these past few days. If I had known that drink was spiked, I never would have taken it. I know you’re upset about me sleeping with Bruno, and I’m furious with myself too. He’s your fiancé. If I had known it was him back then, I would have rather died than… than be with him.”
Loretta gazed at Amy’s tears with disgust. Once Amy finished her plea, Loretta gave a cold smirk and said, “Amy, you really are a great actress. If I didn’t know the truth, I might have fallen for it. Just like how she did in her last life.
“Huh…” Amy stared at Loretta with a confused expression, as if she had no idea what Loretta was talking about.
The smile on Loretta’s lips grew wider, but her eyes remained cold. “Since you and Bruno have already been together, I’ll just let you two figure things out. Don’t come looking for me again, alright?”
“But Bruno loves you.” Amy’s voice couldn’t conceal the jealousy and bitterness she felt. “He needs you right now,” Loretta replied with a nonchalant tone, “But I heard from your classmates that you two have been an item for months now.”
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