Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Fathia grinned with immense satisfaction at the result of her arrangement. The bouquet of fresh roses was now beautifully adorned. For a while now, both she and Melly had been getting the orders ready so that by the latest, 2 o'clock, some of them could be dispatched. Today, Fathia had decided to be the one delivering the rose bouquet herself.

Using her motorcycle, which she actually owned but rarely used, she once again ensured the bouquet remained intact. A box attached to the back of her bike was deliberately set up as a means to deliver packages within a 3 km radius of her store.

"Are all the packages prepared according to the delivery addresses, Melly?" Fathia asked, just to make sure. Even though she had personally attached the recipient labels before waiting for the same-day couriers to arrive one by one.

"Done," Melly replied, understanding the young girl's concern. Knowing and working for her for almost a year, Melly understood why Anne was this worried. Sales had never spiked as dramatically as they had during Anne's time working here. It was only natural for Anne to be concerned about the incoming orders.

"I'll head out now, okay? I won't be coming back here; I might drop by Jess's café. You can head back home as soon as all the packages are picked up by the couriers."

Melly chose to give a thumbs-up, seeing off the girl who was all set with her orders. Even though Melly had advised against it, suggesting they use the usual couriers, Anne had declined. Melly was a bit concerned because of Anne's expressions; there was a smile at the corner of her lips when she left, but upon her return, that smile was gone. Melly knew exactly where that smile disappeared to.

Some people looked at Anne with a doubtful furrow in their brows when they locked eyes with her. Her face seemed to have been affected by a pretty serious burn. There was a rather long scar on her left side, not to mention, part of her left eyebrow was bald. Melly had never asked if something had happened to her in the past. Because for Melly, Anne's heart was incredibly genuine. Regardless of her background, Anne kept employing her. In fact, Anne often helped Clara when she was facing financial difficulties.

Anne was lucky to have a friend who cared so much about her life. Jess. Melly was familiar with Jess and quite close to her. It seemed like they were destined to complement each other. Melly believed that this bond could be formed even though their bloodlines were different.

Meanwhile, Fathia rode her motorcycle at a moderate speed. She didn't want to rush and was taking in the density around her. She still had an hour left for the deliveries. She didn't like delivering in a hurry. Besides being afraid the bouquet might get damaged; she also valued her life. There's no guarantee that she and Clara would both make it out if something happened.

Ah... speaking of life, she was reminded of yesterday's incident. It's not about the victim, because Fathia was sure they'd receive prompt and top-notch assistance. Sebastian wasn't someone to mess around in such matters. But... yes, she thought about Sebastian. At the very least, all the question marks throughout her time here were answered.

Fathia had never heard anything from New York City. She felt like everything had been forgotten. Clara's visit had only happened once when her flower shop was just starting out. It was small, with not many flower collections like now, and Fathia was still learning flower arrangements, which often made her feel like giving up.

Fathia distinctly remembered Clara's words back then, "I won't hesitate to thwart you if you dare show up in front of Sebastian. He's happy with me. Remember that," she gently gripped Fathia's face to make her look at her. Was Fathia afraid? No. Well, she was just too lazy to argue with Clara. "You're still breathing because of my mercy."

"Yeah. No need to remind me a thousand times, Aunt."

After that, there were no more visits from her. Fathia herself was quite grateful for that; at least she didn't have to hear the same warning again.

The ten-story building was still a bit out of reach. There was just a red light in front of her to pass through, then she took the left lane precisely because the building was right at the roadside after the traffic light. She parked carefully in the designated spot, double-checking the bouquet arrangement. There didn't seem to be anything to worry about. The flower bouquet was just as beautiful as when she had wrapped it.

From the right mirror, she tidied her hair which was slightly messy due to the helmet she had on. Wearing a mask to cover up her shortcomings now, as well as thick-framed glasses as an aid. Since the incident, Fathia's vision had become blurry and she needed glasses for support.

There was one thing she had to be careful about now. Fathia was supposed to be buried. She didn't want to take the risk of someone recognizing her, although the possibility was very small. However, Fathia didn't want to take any chances. It was better for her to communicate through written notes, except for Jess, Melly, and the people around her she had known earlier.

"Can I help you with something?" asked the guard standing near the entrance. Behind her mask, Fathia was actually smiling. She took out a note and wrote a message.

[Sorry, I'm writing a message for communication. I'm here to deliver flowers for Mrs. Hasni on the fifth floor. They said to leave it at the reception]

The guard initially frowned, but after reading Fathia's message, a slight smile appeared. "Sure. The reception desk is over there. And please, check your bag first."

Fathia nodded in understanding. Once she was allowed to enter, the rather large bouquet of flowers wasn't too difficult to carry. After sending a message to the recipient, she received a reply that furrowed her brow. For some reason, when Fathia inquired, she was simply asked to wait in the lobby. Yet the payment had already been made when the order was placed.

Observing the interior design with a classic theme, she noticed a few people passing by, engaged in conversations and occasional laughter. Waiting wasn't something Fathia particularly enjoyed, but what could she do? Even though she wanted to leave the building right away, she was afraid of disappointing this new customer.

Glancing at the vintage watch she bought from a flea market while touring Beverly Hills last year, she let out a soft sigh. Five minutes had passed since she started waiting, but no one had approached her in the guest waiting area near the reception. She decided to visit the restroom first to freshen up. If the person who had asked her to wait didn't show up by the time she finished in the restroom, Fathia decided she would head home, leaving a message with the reception that she still had another delivery.

The restroom was empty. Right after she finished her business, which included using the restroom, adjusting her long-sleeved teal sweater, her actually unwrinkled jeans, and her short hair, she made sure her glasses and mask were properly in place before heading out.

But her steps came to a halt.

"Just a bit more, Max, and Boss's goal will be achieved. Just keep an eye around the Boss. Alvin's kid is dead. Sebastian isn't a hindrance. Be patient. After this, we'll get rid of the Boss. I know you've been waiting too long. Just like how we got rid of Alvin and his wife. Too bad... Felice joined in."

Fathia's heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly. Her breath caught in her throat as those words were terrifying to hear. So... so... Sebastian's suspicion since long ago, that his parents were murdered, was actually true. Ah... it's not that Fathia didn't want to know the truth about what happened five years ago. She was just scared that it might be true. Especially after the ominous night with several banging sounds.

She wanted to open the restroom door, but her trembling hand was completely out of control. She struggled to keep herself standing upright. To not collapse onto the restroom floor below. Not to mention her eyes had welled up. Don't even ask about how her heart was racing. If she could witness her heart's current state, it would probably be screaming in horror due to how fast it was beating.

Then those steps moved away. Fathia could hear it clearly because only the door was now their barrier, the obstacle between them. She didn't know who that person was earlier. His voice was heavy, full of intimidation, not to mention in Fathia's imagination, the guy was large and covered in tattoos. His face must be menacing, and his gaze fierce. Fathia was sure of it.

It took her about five minutes to calm herself down. She needed Jess. Yes, Jess. She had to talk to Jess. Yep, that was the right decision. She quickly walked away, ignoring her promise to wait for the customer. After all, she had already received payment. However, maybe this customer wanted to give her a tip.

Not rejecting a blessing, but her heart was now filled with questions even though she was sure Jess wouldn't be able to help much. At least, if she talked to Jess, she'd feel a bit calmer.