“… Often?” Estelle seized upon the crucial word and asked.
“Yes, but he’s been doing it less often since you returned. When I found out your name, I figured that Mr. Hans’ stargazing had something to do with you. And indeed, you and Mr. Hans used to be a couple, even with three children. It’s clear that he only loves you!”
Estelle remained silent.
“Humph. Life can be so unfair. I work hard every day to bring you two back together, and I can’t even get the overtime pay I deserve!”
Estelle couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll treat you to dinner this weekend as a reward. You can pick any restaurant you like.”
“Really?”
“Unlike your boss, I keep my promises,” Estelle teased her.
Eva laughed happily. “Mrs. Hans, how about we go to the Atlantis Seafood Restaurant? I heard it’s the most expensive place in Hadale, with a transparent tunnel where you can see all sorts of fish.”
“Sure, let’s have dinner there,” Estelle agreed.
Then, a thought seemed to strike Eva, and she asked, “Mrs. Hans, could you reward me with a cash bonus instead of dinner? I’m in urgent need of money.”
Estelle replied firmly, “No.”
“Could I have something else as a reward, like luxury goods that I can sell for money?”
“No,” Estelle reiterated.
Eva pressed, “Why not?”
Estelle sighed and explained, “Eva, both Cristofer and I appreciate your hard work, and we will certainly reward you for your efforts. If you want, I’ll take you out for dinner every day. How does that sound?”
Eva’s expression fell, and she replied with a hint of dejection, “I get it. You’re willing to reward me with anything except cash or items I can easily turn into cash.”
Estelle couldn’t help but pause at Eva’s persistence.
Eva let out a long sigh and continued, “You and Mr. Hans seem to be on the same page when it comes to how not to reward me. Since you two have such a perfect understanding, why did you separate? Why did you move to a hotel? Did you have a quarrel?”
“No, we didn’t quarrel,” Estelle reassured her. “I moved to the hotel for a different reason.”
“Mrs. Hans, please consider getting back together with Mr. Hans. Despite his cold, picky, inhuman, and stingy boss persona, I can see that he genuinely cares about you. I believe he could be a great husband if you gave him a chance,” Eva suggested earnestly.
As Eva playfully teased Cristofer, her voice became more excited, especially when she called him “stingy.”
But then, a cold voice interrupted her. “I’m cold, picky, and stingy?”
Eva, who had planned to continue poking fun at Cristofer, froze when she heard his voice. She felt a shiver down her spine and decided to change her approach. Nervously, she asked, “Mr… Mr. Hans? Are you with Mrs. Hans right now?”
With a slight smile, Cristofer replied, “Who else would I be with?”
Eva quickly changed her tone, trying to wrap up the conversation. “Well, you two seem like a loving couple. I still have a lot of work to do, so I’ll hang up now. Goodbye.”
Before Cristofer could say anything else, Eva ended the call abruptly.
Cristofer then handed the phone back to Estelle and chuckled. “It seems like you and Eva have a good relationship. She even complained about me in front of you.”
Taking the phone from him, Estelle helped him back into bed, giving him a disapproving look. “Have you forgotten that your legs are broken? How could you get out of bed to grab my phone? Do you want to stay lame?”
Instead of getting upset by her scolding, Cristofer seemed pleased and smiled wider. “Star,” he called her by her nickname gently.
“What’s the matter?” Estelle asked.
“I remember back in high school when I broke my leg playing basketball, you scolded me in the same tone,” Cristofer reminisced with a fond smile.
Estelle couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Cristofer. “Back then, your leg was broken and hurting badly, yet you refused to go to the hospital, worrying about embarrassing yourself. I don’t get it. Is your reputation more important than your health?”
Cristofer raised an eyebrow and replied, “I was famous and popular in school at that time. Many girls were watching me during the game. Falling and getting injured in front of them was already embarrassing enough. Going to the hospital would have made them think I was weak and ruined my perfect image in their eyes.”
After tucking him in, Estelle got up and said with annoyance, “Don’t act like you were the only popular one in school. I received twice as many love letters as you did when we were students.”
Cristofer retorted, “So what? I threw all the love letters you received into the trash can.”
Estelle was taken aback, realizing that her love letters hadn’t just disappeared mysteriously. “You threw them away out of jealousy? Because of you, I never got a chance to read those letters and find out what the boys wrote.”
Cristofer remained silent, and the ward fell into quietude once more.
Cristofer, looking pale but affectionate, leaned against the bed’s headrest, gazing at Estelle with sparkling eyes.
Feeling a bit uneasy under his intense gaze, Estelle furrowed her brow and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Cristofer replied with a smile, “Nothing. I just miss the good times we had together. How long has it been since we sat down and had a heartfelt conversation like this? We used to be so happy together. I should have cherished those moments.”
Estelle, while reminiscing about their past, couldn’t help but respond with a bit of reluctance, “There were tough times, too, when we were together. Were you really happy when I scolded you?”
“Yes,” Cristofer nodded without hesitation.
Hearing Cristofer speak with such certainty, Estelle was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Estelle, I have two things to share with you. One is good news, and the other is unfortunate. Which one would you like to hear first?” Cristofer asked.
After contemplating for a few moments, Estelle replied, “I’ll start with the good news.”
“The good news is that I’ve fully recollected all my memories from when I was Mr. Mysterious.”
“And the unfortunate news?”
“The unfortunate news is…” Cristofer paused, releasing a sigh. “Victor deceived you.”
“What?” Estelle’s eyes widened in shock.
“The Samoyed we both raised together has passed away. The one Victor presented to you is a counterfeit.”
Despite her mental preparation, Estelle’s heart ached at this revelation.
“Pets can only travel in the cargo hold. The day prior to our departure for the airport, I asked Ron to send the puppy to the airport for check-in. In other words, the puppy boarded the same flight with you going to Europe back then,” Cristofer explained.