Chapter 06

When Clarice saw the photo, she felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground, but Alice didn't notice her change and only explained.

"Clarice, did you see this? This is what I told you when we were younger—the daughter of President Armani with the world's top financial magnate, that's success in life. And Mr. Nicholas is so handsome! I've only seen him once at the company, but he's so handsome, and Miss Armani is truly blessed. To be able to marry such a perfect man, it's really enviable."

Clarice stared at the photo expressionlessly; she felt her whole body getting cold, as if her blood were freezing. When she left his house, she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart; she thought that maybe Nicholas would look for

 her, but of course, she was wrong. Maybe he wanted her to leave, but didn't know how to say it, so he just let things happen. And now, she had left on her own to make way for Miss Armani, and they had hurriedly spread the news of the wedding.

"And the wedding is scheduled in 20 days. I must say, the Murray family is very fast; the wedding will be held so soon. I wonder if a little employee like me will receive an invitation to attend the wedding. I'm really looking forward to it." Alice daydreamed as she was infatuated with the man in the photo.

However, Clarice felt like she was in an ice-cold house. In the next month, he would definitely be so eager to marry Miss Armani.

"Clarice, you're really foolish to think that he would come to look for you so quickly because he thought you had disappeared," she mentally scolded herself.

Alice, who was beside her, was infatuated for a while and then suddenly remembered that she would be late for work, so she quickly returned to her room to change and left.

On the other hand, Clarice sat on the living room couch in a daze. Her phone had been turned off since yesterday, and now it seemed like it was no longer important for her to turn it on. He hadn't looked for her.

She laughed bitterly at herself before picking up the phone and pressing the power button. Since her phone didn't have a missed call reminder, she couldn't receive any missed calls at the time of shutdown.

A few minutes after the phone was turned on, it suddenly rang.

She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number.

Who could be calling her?

Nicholas?

The only thing that came to her mind was that name, but very quickly, she shook her head again.

How could he call when she was about to get married?

After some hesitation, she slid the answer button.

"Clarice, is that you?" On the other end of the line, there was a somewhat familiar voice, but she couldn't remember who it was.

"Who is this?"

"Julia, your mother. Don't you recognize my voice anymore?" Julia's tone carried a hint of reprimand.

Mother?

Upon hearing that name, Clarice suddenly felt her stomach churn, and her heart gradually grew cold.

"What do you want with me?"

"What are you saying, silly girl? Of course, I've missed you. Where are you now? Mom can invite you for lunch."

"No need. Since there's nothing else, I'll hang up." She didn't know why her mother, who had always treated her like a snake or a scorpion, suddenly became so intimate. This change reminded her of her father, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. She was very afraid.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't hang up, don't hang up. Mom has something to tell you." Julia saw that her attitude was cold and didn't want to talk much, so she asked anxiously.

"Go ahead."

"But, I can't explain it over the phone right now. How about you don't want to have lunch with me, and we can find a place for a cup of coffee? It won't take much of your time, just half an hour, okay?" Clarice hesitated.

"How is your brother now? I heard he went to study abroad. How is he?" Julia asked again on the other end of the line.

Upon hearing that she mentioned her brother, Clarice's heart softened. Yes, even if she didn't like her mother, but now that she thought of taking care of her brother, could she meet her once? Maybe her brother wasn't as averse to their mother as she was. What right did she have to refuse on behalf of her brother?

"Are you thinking about Otto now?" Clarice's tone was cold and harsh.

"Clarice, I know that everything that happened to you and your brother is my fault. I shouldn't have left you two behind, but as a simple woman, what could I do? And if I brought you with me, and you both went hungry? Clarice, I know you hate me, so I don't expect you to forgive me, but please, give Mom a chance. Let's meet. You've grown up, you're out in the world, you're capable of supporting yourself, but Otto is still studying, and I know studying abroad is expensive, so Mom can help him."

Certainly, when Clarice heard about this matter with her brother, in the end, she couldn't bear to reject, so she agreed.

"Send me the time and address."

"Okay, I'll send it to you right away. Do you need me to tell the driver to pick you up?" Julia asked attentively.

"No need, I'll go on my own." Clarice immediately rejected without thinking.

After hanging up the phone, Julia sent a message with the meeting time and address. Clarice looked at the address and tossed the phone aside.

It was a very stylish café in the city, and Clarice showed up on time. As soon as she entered the door, she saw Julia sitting in the corner, who also noticed her and immediately got up and waved to her.

Clarice walked over to her and, for the first time, helped her pull out a chair, her expression extremely attentive.

"After not seeing you for a few years, you seem more beautiful with each passing day. You look a lot like me when I was young." Julia assessed her daughter from head to toe and said with a smile, but Clarice wasn't pleased to hear her words.

She scrutinized Julia's face. Although she was already middle-aged, living like a queen for a long time had preserved her youth. Only the fine lines at the corners of her eyes still betrayed her age. She was wearing a dark green dress, her hair elegantly tied up, and a pearl necklace around her neck, exuding the vibe of a noble lady.

The waiter approached and took their order. Clarice ordered a cup of coffee and then fixed her gaze on Julia's face.