Molly sat on the sofa, feeling very uncomfortable.
She was nervous. The entertainment news was still about Park Shin Chun's concert yesterday.
Molly sat on the sofa, feeling very uncomfortable. She was nervous. The entertainment news was still
about Park Shin Chun's concert yesterday. Entertainment outlets, feeding on the hype were now
touting Wing's upcoming charity concert as the next big thing. Spark, the rebellious prince a.k.a Golden
Finger was also slated for a guest appearance at the charity fair. Such a group would undoubtedly
bring more worldwide clout to A City.
The host was cheery, spicing up her show with a bright smile. But Molly was not in the mood any more.
She hardly felt the excitement she'd felt in the ecstatic crowd at the concert last night. She was even
more uncomfortable when she thought why Shirley would come here.
Lisa made a cup of scented tea for Molly. "Miss Xia, have some tea, please. It will make you feel
better." She served with a smile.
Looking at Lisa, Molly asked with curiosity,"Lisa, do I...look very nervous?"
With a slight smile, Lisa said courteously,"Somehow, you do!"
Brow wrinkled in concentration, Molly looked down and rubbed her hands.
"It's natural to feel nervous from the horrifying experiences you went through yesterday. Who wouldn't
buckle under such circumstances ?" Smiling, Lisa continued with a touch of affection,"Actually, you
were very strong."
Looking at Lisa, the frown on Molly's face faded into a smile. Actually... everyone looked at her weirdly,
she assumed.
The sudden slamming of the door scared Molly and Lisa. By instinct, they both turned to look and met
Shirley's furious eyes.
"Madam!" Lisa greeted.
"Aunt...Aunt Shirley..." A scared Molly stood up, breathing in bursts as she watched Shirley angrily
charge straight at her.
Unaware of how nervous Molly was, Shirley grasped her by the arm. "Little Molly, let's go!" she
ordered.
"Go? Where are we going?" Molly asked, stunned.
"Let's just leave here, and get a break from these disgusting men...," Shirley started. She made it
sound as if Brian was just another man - a stranger, and not her son.
Incredulous, Molly stood there rigidly, not knowing what to do.
Now impressed by Shirley, Lisa smiled. "I'll take some clothes for Miss Xia," she said positively.
Then she went upstairs to get Molly's coat and bag. The two of them, acting so abruptly, yet in sync,
puzzled Molly. One wanted to take her away, and the other saw her off happily. Not wishing to argue,
Molly played along. She followed Shirley into the taxi waiting outside. As soon as they were seated, the
driver sped off as if it was an emergency.
At the door, Lisa stood looking at the leaving taxi, feeling both compassionate on Molly and entertained
by Shirley's swift intervention. With a gentle smile, she mused, 'The mom took her son's woman away.
How will Mr. Brian Long take it when he comes back?
Mr. Brian Long had never wasted his time on women. But today, he even put on hold his other
businesses, just for Molly. Is she all that special to him?'
Thinking about it, Lisa was ecstatic. She had known Mr. Brian Long since he was a little boy. She'd
never understood Brian's guarded, cautious way with Miss Yan. How he had often veiled his genuine
feelings when around that woman was a little too monotonous and boring. Even plain weird. However,
in front of Miss Xia, he was a free soul, straightforward and full of surprises.
Lisa came to herself with a smile and went back to work. Although it was not right, with glee, she
expected to see how Mr. Brian Long would react this time when he couldn't find Miss Xia at home. It
seemed he reacted differently each time.
*
"Aunt Shirley, where... where are we going?" Maybe Molly was frightened by yesterday's events, or she
was uncertain how Shirley would treat her. Whichever way, she seemed nervous and unsettled.
Shirley must have read through Molly's apprehension. "Relax, girl. With me, you're in a safe pair of
hands. OK?" she reassured Molly, a playful smile flickering across her face.
Knowing Shirley had read her thoughts, Molly blushed. She bent her head, with her mouth puckered,
feeling a slight tinge of shame, but glad and encouraged by Shirley's kind words.
Seeing that, Shirley sighed. Affectionately she pulled Molly into her arms. "Don't worry about it
anymore. You know, I'm different from Brian. I like you, and this won't change because of him. Clear?"
she said softly.
With a smile, Molly raised her head and looked at Shirley. She still looked stunning and felt young at
heart, although her age showed in the peaceful, wise demeanor. And Molly was immensely impressed
by those qualities.
She trusted Shirley. She reminisced about their time together, just before the abduction. She
shuddered at the ordeal they had endured shortly after, at the hands of their kidnappers. She wondered
how she'd have managed without Aunt Shirley covering her back.
The taxi took them straight to Falloon, the city's most luxurious shopping mall. Out of the car they held
hands, a soft ripple of warm wind brushing their faces as they walked into the mall.
"We'll do nothing today other than relax and treat ourselves as the special queens that we are!" said
Shirley warmly. Standing at the door of the shopping mall, Shirley raised her head slightly and stared at
the collection of classy items upstairs. She turned to Molly and with a smile declared,"We can buy
everything that we want today. Let's forget all our troubles and indulge in a little luxury."
"What?" A cautious Molly looked at Shirley, wondering just how much two people could spend in a day.
Pensively she started,"Aunt Shirley... how much do you plan to spend?"
"Take it easy! It's not on our bill. And you can spend as much as you want!"
Money had never been a problem for Richie or Brian. When it came to treating their women, there was
nothing they wouldn't do. Besides, Shirley and Molly were shopping at an affiliated mall of Dragon
Empire Group.
Although Shirley had never known Richie's exact wealth, she knew the vast financial muscles of the
Dragon Empire group and the XK Intelligence Agency. Shirley simply didn't concern herself with finding
out the finer details of her husband's net worth. But then again, Richie didn't wish her to know either.
Of course, she didn't know Brian's net worth either. But, the daily transactions of his casinos and stock
exchanges on international markets were huge.
"I don't want him to pay for me..." Molly timidly spoke her mind. Although Brian gave her an extra credit
card, she didn't know her limit. She only regrettably knew of the painful cost of the 200, 000 dollars she
had borrowed from him. If she bought things without control... it would take her more than one month to
pay off.
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