Chapter 7
After uttering those words, Nash immediately hung up the phone.
Hera pursed her lips, her curiosity piqued. “How did you know he’s a suitor?”
Hunter Hill was the son of the Hill family in Jonford, one of Baroque’s biggest clients. Ever since Hunter visited the branch company last week to inspect the production line, he had been relentlessly pursuing Hera.
She’d heard rumors about him being an extreme playboy, someone who’d slept with dozens of women.
Nash chuckled. “You’re so beautiful. It’s only natural you’d have several suitors!”
Hera’s face turned even redder at the compliment. But the two began to open up more, and their conversations became longer and more comfortable.
After sharing some basic information about each other, Hera decided it was time to take Nash out to buy some clothes.
Once they were in the elevator, Hera wasted no time. Her fingers flew across her phone’s keyboard as she sent a message to a three-person WhatsApp group.
Rara: [Dad, Mom, I’m taking Nash out to buy some clothes!]
Harrison: [If this is about PDA, there’s no need to tell us. If it’s about money, talk to your mother!]
Lauren: [I just wired you 50 grand. Go get some good clothes in the city and don’t let others look down on us!]
Harrison: [50 grand???]
Lauren: [Any objections?]
Harrison: [No, no, of course not!]
Hera smiled as she saw her account balance update. Originally, she had 100 grand; now, it was 150 grand.
She immediately replied in the group chat: [Thank you, Mommy. Love you!]
Hera was 1.68 meters tall, while Nash was nearly 1.9 meters, so he could easily see her chat.
It seemed that her future mother-in-law was quite generous toward him. His lips curled up in appreciation, a warm feeling spreading in his chest.
Birds of a feather flocked together, he thought. Helena’s family was undeniably snobbish, but Hera’s family seemed to truly accept him, the poor son-in-law. Maybe it was time to use his connections to quietly support the Lewises.
The two of them arrived outside the complex, and Hera hailed a taxi.
“Mister, we’re going to Jonford Fashion City!” she called out.
“It’ll cost you 30 bucks!” the driver said, recognizing Hera as an owner of a company. He immediately upped the fare.
“30 bucks? Why you… Forget it. 30 bucks it is!” Hera replied, not too concerned. As the general manager of the company, a small fare wasn’t something to be bothered about. She opened the car door and gestured, “Get in, my good sir!”
Nash pointed toward the nearby commercial street. “Isn’t there a clothing store over there? Why go all the way to the city center?”
Hera smiled. “Those are low-end brands. As my fiancé, you should get clothes from high-end brands!”
Nash took her arm as they began walking toward the commercial street. “Clothes are for modesty and improving one’s image, not for showing off or comparing with others.”
His master had always told him that shallow water is noisy, while deep water is quiet. If he wanted to achieve great things, he had to stay low-key and steady.
Hera chuckled. “Are you trying to help me save money here?”
Nash pouted. “Are you rich?”
Hera paused, taken aback by the question.
She had 150 grand in her account, but 80 grand was earmarked for payments to suppliers, leaving only 20 grand in available funds. If her mom hadn’t given her the 50 grand, she would have never considered buying clothes from high-end stores.
She pursed her lips. “As you might’ve noticed, my older cousin is snobbish. If she sees you in cheap clothes tomorrow, she’ll definitely mock me again!”
Nash held her hand with a smile. “Speak respectfully to those who deserve respect and ignore those who don’t. Why care about other people’s opinions?”
Hera lowered her head, her eyes lingering on his knuckles. Her face flushed as her heart pounded.
She looked up at his sharply defined profile, feeling her breath catch.
Soon, they arrived at a Haier Men’s store on the commercial street. Just as they were about to enter, a van pulled up by the side of the road, and a dozen masked men with baseball bats stepped out.
Nash’s frown deepened. “You go in first. I have to use the restroom.”
Hera, still chatting on the phone with her best friend, walked into the store without a second thought.
Meanwhile, Nash turned toward the masked men. His aura shifted, becoming as sharp as a blade, his presence like a fierce dragon emerging from the sea.
The group of thugs was no match for him. With a single swift movement, they all groaned and collapsed to the ground.
Nash casually picked up one of the masked men and demanded, “Who sent you?”
The thug was trembling, his voice shaky. “M-Mr. Hunter sent us!”
“Hunter Hill?” Nash asked coldly.
“Yes, yes! It’s him! He wants to see the corpse of the man beside Ms. Hera!”
“So, you were planning to kill me?” Nash’s gaze narrowed, his voice icy.
“I… I… I wouldn’t dare…” the thug stammered.
“Go back and deliver a message to Hunter. If he provokes me again, I’ll emasculate him!” Nash said coldly.
“Yes, yes, I’ll definitely deliver your message!”
“Get lost!” Nash tossed the thug five meters away, attracting the attention of several passersby.
Turning on his heel, he walked into the store, but just before entering, he glanced at a Rolls-Royce parked in the shadows.
He took in the car with a single, calculating look before turning away and stepping into the store.
The van quickly sped off, and inside the Rolls-Royce, a burly middle-aged man squinted at the scene. “Did he notice us?”
Beside him, an elderly man with silver hair, his demeanor still sharp, nodded. “He probably did.”
The burly man’s eyes widened. “Are you sure his medical skills are extraordinary?”
The elderly man shook his head. “I’m not sure. Herman Lewis has advanced stomach cancer and probably won’t live for more than half a month. Let’s observe for a while longer.”
Two hours later, Hera and Nash returned to the apartment, loaded down with shopping bags.
Three shop assistants followed behind, each carrying several bags of clothes.
“Do you always buy clothes so extravagantly?” Nash asked, sitting on the sofa and staring at the pile of bags scattered across the floor.
If he hadn’t stopped her, Hera might have emptied the entire store.
They had bought over 30 sets of clothes, each costing at least 100 dollars.
Hera smiled innocently. “My mom gave me 50 grand to buy you clothes, but I only spent eight grand!”
Nash was stunned. “Wasn’t it five?”
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
“Your shoes have arrived…”
Hera rushed to open the door, and three or four shop assistants entered, carrying stacked shoe boxes that almost reached the ceiling.
Hera quickly began stacking the boxes on the shoe cabinet: leather shoes, sneakers, slippers, and sports shoes—over 20 pairs in total.
Nash could only hold his forehead, completely dumbfounded.
When did she buy all these?
Had she been shopping while he dealt with those thugs?
Later, as Nash walked into the bathroom to shower, Hera lay on the sofa, exhausted.
“Go ahead and take a shower,” she said, her voice slightly strained.
Nash stepped into the bathroom, and the sound of running water filled the apartment.
Hera, noticing the outline of his figure through the glass shower door, blushed fiercely and grabbed a pillow to cover her eyes.
Was there not a shower curtain? Why hadn’t he drawn it?
Ten minutes later, Nash emerged from the bathroom in loose-fitting pajamas, looking relaxed.
Hera quickly handed him a hairdryer. “Do you know how to use it?”
“I lived in seclusion in the mountains,” Nash replied with a grin, “but I’m not some mountain savage!”
He paused, noticing Hera’s flushed face. “Your face is so red. Did you peek at me while I was showering?”
“Pfft… As if! I… I’m just feeling hot!” Hera stammered, quickly grabbing another set of pajamas and rushing into the bathroom.
She shut the glass door and shower curtain, leaning against the door to catch her breath.
What was happening to her?
After a while, Hera regained her composure and spotted the red underwear draped over the sink. Her eyes widened in shock. “He’s not asking me to wash this, is he?”