Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
“It means that your marriage is long-lasting, unlike any other couple in the world. You don’t have to worry that you will grow old and die alone.”
Flossie could not help but laugh after hearing the old man’s words.
“Are you saying that I still have the chance to meet the man who will spend the rest of my life with me, right?”
“You can put it that way.”
“Great!” Flossie was now relieved. “That’s so good to hear!”
She knew that she was nothing like those ladies in the olden days who dedicated their lives to loving one man for the rest of their lives. She could not possibly love Halston Guajardo alone, for the rest of her life!
Sure, she still could not forget him now, but she was confident that one day, she would meet another man who would make her fall in love with him and completely wipe Halston out of her mind…
Flossie glanced at her watch. It was time to get ready for business now. She then paid the old man the fee for the fortune-telling and was about to leave.
“Wait,” the old man stopped her. “We’re destined to meet each other, young lady, so I would be remiss if I don’t leave you with a gift.
“A gift?” Flossie stopped and turned around, looking at the old man with interest.
How lucky could she be today, to receive a gift from such a legendary person?!
She glanced at the old man’s stall. Any one of those items was either priceless or incredibly rare-she could easily make a fortune selling any of them!
But the old man had no intention to give her any of his wares. Instead, it was something that he carried with him.
“Take this silk handkerchief, young lady. One day, it will give you much- needed guidance.”
The old man then stretched out his branch-like arm towards her, handing her a finely crafted silk handkerchief.
“This silk handkerchief…” Flossie was astonished when she saw the pattern on the handkerchief.
There was a phoenix and some red spider lilies embroidered on the handkerchief, it looked similar to the pattern she saw on the quilt her grandmother had left her all those years ago. Perhaps it might even have been made by the same person. It’s a shame that the quilt was destroyed in that fire…
Just as she was about to ask the old man where he got this silk handkerchief, a woman with her head covered in blood rushed towards her and clung onto her leg.
“Help me!” she shouted. “Please help me, Miss! Those people are going to stab me to death…”
The woman looked to be in her early thirties. She continued to cry, “I can’t die right now, Miss! If I die, then my son would become an orphan! Please, Miss! You must help me!”
Flossie initially had no intention to get involved, but when she heard that this woman was a fellow mother who was bringing up her child alone, she was suddenly moved by compassion. She helped the lady up to her feet and asked, “What happened to you? Explain it to me slowly.”
“I… I came to the antique market to sell something. But these people here are barbarians with no regard for the law. When they saw a weak, helpless woman like me, they immediately tried to rob me…”
As she got to this point, held the bag in her arms even more tightly, before adding, “What I have here is a family heirloom. If my son wasn’t ill and didn’t require a lot of money for treatment, I would never even think of selling this, not even to save my own skin! But those thugs had the audacity to rob it from me. They even threatened me with knives! They’re horrible people, Miss! Please, you must help me!”
Flossie looked her up and down and her eyes gleamed with determination. She calmly asserted, “Calm down. Although I know that Water Dock is a lawless land, since you chose to ask me for help, then I’ll deal with this fair and square. I won’t disappoint you.”
The woman was instantly relieved, so much so that her tears even dried up. She hurriedly replied, “Thank you! Thank you very much, Miss!”
Then, about ten big burly men swarmed in their direction. They were all wearing black suits and each was holding a huge club. They seemed to be searching through the crowded antique market for someone.
“Where is she?! That b*tch is slippery like an eel! How did she vanish so quickly like that?!”
“Leave no stone unturned, boys! Once you find her, make sure she pays with blood!”
Seeing this, the woman instantly took cover behind Flossie, quivering in fear.
“Don’t be afraid,” Flossie assured her, tilting her head towards the woman. “I told you that I’ll help you. They won’t dare to do anything with me here!”
In no time at all, those men noticed Flossie. They rushed up towards her with bloodthirsty eyes and yelled, “If you don’t want to die then don’t butt into this! Get out of the way!”
Without a change in her expression or budging for an inch, Flossie opposed them. “You think I’ll move just because you say so? Who the hell do you think you are?!”
Her fierce reaction not only stunned the men in black suits. Even the sellers and onlookers around her were astounded.
A tall man in a black suit who stood in front of the others viciously roared back, “Is this your first time in Water Dock? Don’t you know who you’re talking to?!
“I…”
Flossie spread out her arms and in a helpless tone replied, “I’m sorry. What I’m pawning is too hard to show. All I can do is make a guarantee that your boss will definitely take a liking to it. You should take a plunge and give me a chance. If he really likes it, he might even give you a generous bonus.”
Chase raised his eyebrows. He was beginning to find this woman more and more fascinating. Based on her outlandish courage alone, he knew that she wasn’t one to be underestimated. Perhaps she really did have something interesting to pawn?
“Okay. I’ll take a gamble based on your spunk and confidence. People like us in this line of work need the courage to make a bet every once in a while. I’d gladly introduce you to our boss, but…”
His gaze shifted from Flossie and fell on the woman cowering behind her. He smiled and continued, “I must insist on letting us handle this woman ourselves. Please don’t meddle with our business and hand her over.”
Flossie turned around and glanced at the woman who was shivering in fear. She asked Chase, “If I hand her over to you, what are you guys going to do to her?’
“We are not at leisure to divulge that. This woman has violated the rules of Carmine Pawnshop, so we’re going to deal with her according to our rules.”
He then turned and coldly peered down at the quivering woman, saying,” You’ve caused enough commotion, Rosie. It’s time to stop and come back with us!”
“No!” the woman clung onto Flossie’s arms and pleaded with reddened eyes, ‘Please don’t hand me over to them! I beg you! They’ll never let me go! I can’t die! My son will die too if I die… I know you’re no ordinary woman, so please help me! Please!’
Flossie heaved a long sigh, then pried the woman’s fingers off her arms one by one before saying, “I want to help you, but you are in the wrong. You stole from them, so it’s their right to deal with you and punish you. If I help you, it means that I’m helping a thief to get away…”
The woman’s expression turned cold in an instant. Her tears vanished as if by magic as she sniggered, “As expected of Maurice Ellsworth and Liliana Schneider’s granddaughter… Your eyes are sharp indeed. When did you realize I was lying?”
Flossie was taken aback by the fact that this woman knew her, but she then realized that if she had not, there was no reason why she would choose a fragile-looking woman like her out of all the other potentially powerful people in Water Dock to be her savior.
“That’s right,’ Chase interrupted in confusion. He was just as puzzled as the woman as he asked, “How did you know that she stole something from Carmine Pawnshop? I hadn’t even mentioned anything!”
Flossie turned to the woman and explained, “Because the wound on her head was clearly not caused by your men. She must’ve inflicted it on herself to invoke my pity…”
“Carmine Pawnshop’s men,” she continued, ’were all holding clubs in their hands, yet the wound on her head was obviously a knife cut. Besides, if Carmine Pawnshop was as wealthy and powerful as it was rumored to be, they could easily buy her item at a high price if they really found it that interesting. They wouldn’t risk tarnishing their name, causing such a huge commotion by trying to rob and kill a woman in the middle of such a busy market…”
“That is why,” she concluded, “there is only one explanation for this-the woman must’ve stolen something from Carmine Pawnshop and got caught, then hurt herself to try to look like the victim to save herself!’
Flossie’s assessment of the situation was so clear and logical, so well- founded on reasonable facts that the crowd around her applauded.
The woman knew then that there was no use in arguing anymore, so she handed the treasure she had been holding over to Chase and sneered, “I’ve failed you, Mr. Cheever. I’ve failed despite your trust and all your guidance. Just take me back and punish me however you like. I’ve accepted my fate.”
Chase said nothing to her, he just turned to the men behind him and ordered, “Take her back to the pawnshop and lock her up in the water prison. We’ll wait for Mr. Q to decide what to do with her.’
“I’m sorry, Mr. Cheever!”
The woman closed her eyes. Though her face was cold and stony, there was still a trace of emotion left, though she seemed to have been so devastated by years of misery that only a look of despair seemed permanently etched on her face.
Flossie was very familiar with the signs of exhaustion on the woman’s face. It was the kind of exhaustion that any woman who had been a mother before would viscerally sympathize with.
“Wait!” Flossie stopped the man who was about to take the woman away.
The woman frigidly turned to her and smiled bitterly.