A Love Rekindled (Nancy and Bruce) novel Chapter 10

I stared at Bruce's profile picture and found myself lost in thought. Initially, I had intended to ignore this friend request.

However, Bruce still held a significant role as our investor. It would be petty of me to ignore his friend request if he merely wanted to discuss business matters.

After careful consideration, I accepted his friend request. Within seconds, an unexpected transfer notification appeared in the chat box. It was a total of 20 thousand dollars.

What was he thinking, sending money in the middle of the night?

I replied with a single question mark. A voice message then popped up, saying "compensation.“ Instantly, his kiss from last night flashed in my mind.

As an investment mogul, Bruce was indeed generous. I didn’t hesitate much and accepted the payment. Who would decline such an offering?

Bruce might even feel uneasy if I hadn’t accepted his money.

After receiving the payment, I contemplated whether to say thanks. However, given our current situation, any conversation felt inappropriate.

In the end, I said nothing.

…

The next morning, I went to the company as usual.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Cindy was casting occasional glances in my direction, as if she were probing something. It made me quite uneasy.

After lunch break, Cindy approached me and asked, "Nance, could I take half a day off?"

I sighed in relief. She just wanted time off, after all.

Before I could speak, she continued, "Bruce's mom invited me for afternoon tea, and I couldn’t refuse."

She then lowered her head with a helpless expression. She didn't have to explain in such detail.

I replied without hesitation, "Don't worry, just go ahead. You can just leave work directly if necessary. "

She looked up with trembling eyelashes and said, " Nance, you’re so considerate."

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that it was just for the sake of money. Besides, I had already completed her tasks, so there would be no delay in our work progress.

I thought my arrangements were reasonable, but shortly after, I received a call from Kate.

"Nancy, I trusted you so much, yet you've kept things from me!" Kate's questioning tone, coupled with her loud voice, conveyed her anger through the phone.

Puzzled, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Cindy working in your studio?" She then angrily questioned, "Are you and Bruce trying to deceive me?"

Though I had anticipated this, Kate's interrogation still stung. In a daze, I recalled Cindy's timid apology.

I rubbed my temples and said, "Hold on, Aunt Kate, I'll come over now." Such matters couldn't be explained easily over the phone with just a few words.

15 minutes later, I arrived at the café where Kate and Cindy were. From a distance, I saw Cindy face Kate with her head lowered, and her eyes were filled with tears.

Kate, on the other hand, had a stern and angry expression. The scene was far from harmonious.

"Aunt Kate," I sat down and pushed aside Kate's coffee. I ordered her a juice with less sugar instead. Considering her heart condition, it was best to avoid coffee.

Seeing my actions, Kate's anger subsided.

She continued, "Bruce is muddle-headed, and you're joining the chaos too. How could you agree to have such a person under your nose?" After speaking, she shifted her gaze to Cindy.

Cindy's face turned pale, and she bit her lip tightly.

I sighed and replied, "Aunt Kate, it was wrong of us to hide it from you. But Ms. Lane was just following Mr. Harold's arrangements; she didn't do anything wrong."

Kate looked at me incredulously and asked, "Don't you feel disgusted?"

I forced a smile and said, "Mr. Harold is generous, and I couldn't thank him more."

Before I could finish my words, Cindy suddenly stood up. She looked behind me and stammered, "B-Bruce..." Tears welled up in her eyes.

Bruce then swiftly walked over to stand protectively beside Cindy. "What did you both say to her?" He demanded sharply.