Noah never realized that shopping with a woman could be so exhausting.
They had shopped at several stores, but Alicia was still not done. Although she had already purchased a few pieces of clothing and accessories, she had more to buy.
He intentionally allowed her to enjoy herself, lift her spirits, and help her forget the sadness she carried. Even though her smile constantly brightened her face, he could see that his little sister was hurting inside.
After visiting a few more shops, Noah noticed that Alicia had finally finished.
He felt relieved because it was already three in the afternoon, and they hadn’t even had lunch yet.
The most amusing thing Noah ever saw was Jason carrying many shopping bags. He couldn’t help but notice how not-so-cool Jason seemed in contrast to his actual role as a bodyguard.
Noah could only give Jason an apologetic glance, hoping to lighten his mood.
Despite this, Jason didn’t mind being Alicia’s porter. In fact, he appeared to embrace the role, often taking the initiative to help her whenever she was uncertain about her choices.
As they walked out of the last shop, Noah could no longer hold back his hunger.
He glanced at his sister, "Alice, Jason, let’s grab something to eat before heading back to the apartment. I’m starving!"
"Ugh! Sorry, brother, I completely forgot to eat. Wow, shopping without watching the price is terrifying. I just lost track of everything..." Alicia says with an apologetic smile as she walks beside Noah.
Noah laughed at her words but said nothing else as he guided them to the steakhouse; guided might be incorrect as he had never been there before.
As they sat at the best table by the glass wall facing the street, waiting for their order, Alicia suddenly leaned closer to Noah.
"Brother, I know you’re rich now, but could you please stop wasting your money?"
Noah almost chuckled when he heard that. He finds it funny because he now looks at the notification in his system; he just accepted bonus money from it.
After noticing the notification of his revenge on Betty Stone, he received another one from Killian Stone that caught his attention.
Money isn’t an issue for him; even without relying on his father’s funds, his system will generate money for him.
Now, he enjoys the trouble that follows him because trouble means fresh money!
However, something excited him: he was gaining his driving skills after his revenge on Killian Stone’s success. He had been waiting for this bonus and was thrilled to try driving his car.
"Brother, why do you ignore me?" Alicia’s voice pulled Noah out of his system as he glanced at her.
"You didn’t like eating steak? We can choose another restaurant if that’s what you want..." he said softly, but she simply rolled her eyes at him rather than replying.
Seeing his pouting little sister, Noah laughed as he tousled her smooth hair.
When Noah finally caught her attention, he continued, "Alice, I don’t know if I’ll have moments like this again in the future—strolling around with you, shopping, and enjoying meals at the mall just like normal people. So, let’s make the most of this beautiful moment together..."
Alice’s expression slowly changes. She had already pictured what would happen once they moved to the capital, but this time, she worried about what would await them there.
"Y-yes, bro..."
"Alright, alright, no need to worry about anything else. Just start eating..." Noah smiled as he began to enjoy his lunch.
After lunch, Jason abruptly asked Noah to talk privately in the corner.
"Jason, did something happen to your dad?" Noah asked, worried when he saw Jason’s stressed face.
"Sorry, man. This isn’t about my father. But someone wants to meet you."
Jason scratched his head, which wasn’t really itchy, as he awkwardly expressed what he wanted to say.
A thin line appeared on Noah’s forehead as curiosity filled his expression.
"Meet me? Who...?"
Jason didn’t answer him; instead, he gestured towards a table at the far end of the restaurant, where a girl was sitting with her back to them.
Just from seeing her shoulder-length hair from behind, Noah recognized the girl. He gasped in surprise and quickly turned to Jason.
"Emma? What is she doing here?" he questioned, perplexed. "What a coincidence! Did she come here to eat as well?"
Jason shook his head.
"Nope. But she called me and asked to meet you."
Noah grows increasingly confused. He remembers already saying his final goodbye to her. Why does she want to meet him again?
"Why did she want to meet me?"
"Noah, you can scold me later today. But you must meet her now. She’s already waited for about thirty minutes. I don’t know what she wants; she only mentioned wanting to talk to you privately."
Jason feels terrible after making a decision without consulting Noah first.
"It’s fine, man. No need to feel bad. Please, accompany Alice for a while..." Noah patted him on the shoulder before walking over to Emma’s table.
...
"Hey, Emma..."
Noah’s voice prompted her to rise and face him nervously.
"Sorry to appear so suddenly, Noah." She offered a faint smile as she gestured for him to sit across from her.
"That’s fine. Would you like to order something?"
"No need. I’ve already ordered," Emma replied as she sat down again.
"Why didn’t you call me? I remember never blocking your number, Emma." He laughed softly, adding a playful twist to the moment.
"Well. Honestly. I’m slightly concerned that you might not want to meet me."
"What? Absolutely not. Why would you think that?"
Feeling flushed, Emma quickly stifled her emotions while handing him a small shopping bag.
"Noah, I wanted to give you this. Please accept it."
"What is this? My birthday is still quite a while away..." Noah hesitantly takes the orange shopping bag from her.
Gazing at the branded logo, he realized that what lay inside was undoubtedly high-end—luxurious things. A wave of guilt washed over him as he accepted the gift, knowing that Emma must have spent her entire year’s savings to purchase it for him.
"Noah, this gift expresses my gratitude for you. You have been helping the company survive from the worst thing any company could experience."
Noah was shocked.
’She knows my identity? Did her father tell her?’