Emma placed the glass of water in James' hand.
"I have added some sugar in the water, just the way you like it."
After taking a sip of the sweetened water, James asked, "What are you two doing here? Don't worry about me, I am fine. I just needed some place quiet to calm down."
"We just came to comfort you. We thought you were crying," Nina joked.
"I was not crying!" James retorted with a scoff.
Holding James' hand, Emma explained, "Nina said that it's been a while since we all spent time together. That's the reason we came to see you. Remember how we all used to hang out together?"
Nina, James and Emma were family now; they were also friends.
"We haven't hung out together in a long while. And we just miss one more person in our gang," Nina added with a sigh.
Resting her chin on her palms, Emma asked with a sigh, "When is Mimi coming back?"
"Why are you sighing?" James put his arm around Emma. "Isn't she going to be Aunt Nina's bridesmaid? I guess she'll be back soon."
"Yes, you're right. She's sent a letter to C Island and chosen a dress. She'll be returning soon," Nina said.
Suddenly, James remembered something and said, "Aunt Nina, Mimi still doesn't know that you're a princess."
Confused, Nina turned around and looked at him.
"I think she knows, James."
"Does she?" James and Emma asked in unison. They thought Michelle didn't know. Leon had clearly told them to keep it a secret from her.
"How does she know about it?" James asked, still confused.
"Shouldn't she have known it from the start?" Nina recalled the things after she got to know Michelle. "I haven't told Mimi about it, and guessing from your reactions, I think you two haven't told her, either."
"That's right," James replied with a nod.
'If none of us told her, then how does Mimi know about it?'
Nina arrived at a guess and said, "Maybe it was my brother who told Mimi. The last time I contacted her from C Island, she already knew."
"So, it was Uncle Leon. But that's strange, too. He specifically asked us not to mention it to her," James said.
The night were cool and breezy in October. The three of them sat on the bench under the street light, talking happily. Their laughter and giggles were heard from the villa.
John was okay with Nina talking to them, but he did not want her to catch a cold, so just before the sky grew dark, he came and wrapped his coat around her, escorting her into the villa.
James and Emma also went back to their bedroom. They hadn't had sex since the iron wire incident, so James could not get enough of her that night.
The next morning, when James left for work in high spirits, Emma was still sound asleep as her whole body felt sore.
That afternoon when Nina was busy recruiting employees in her office, she received a text message on WeChat from Michelle.
"I'm back, Nini! Are you free now? Can we meet up for some coffee this afternoon?"
Michelle's energetic tone vibrated even from a simple text. It was the kind of voice that could make a person's sadness go away.
Nina was already in a good mood, and the news of Micelle's return was like music to her ears.
After informing Charlie, she took her purse, and walked out of her office.
The warm sun was glistening like gold. There were a lot of vehicles on the road, but Nina spotted the small, cozy restaurant across the intersection.
The restaurant was beautifully decorated. It had plush pink sofas, marble coffee tables, crystal wine glasses, and beautiful vases with fresh pink roses. There was also a chandelier, which made the place look stunning.
There was a camera bag placed on one of the sofas, and its owner seemed to be waiting for someone.
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