“But why? How did that happen?” Cristelle felt like she was gonna cry.
She could see those craftworks through the window. Her sister used to be a great pianist. But now, she was forced to do things like this.
She wondered if Claire liked her job or not.
“Miss, are you also here to buy their works?” The teahouse owner looked serious yet friendly, “The owner of that craft studio has been my neighbor for at least ten years. His business has been running slow. Until one day, a young girl named Selena showed up. She was such a talented worker. The things she made were exquisite. She made the business better. But I don’t know why that girl suddenly decided to quit a couple of days ago. The studio owner was so upset that he closed the studio instantly. I wonder when he will open up again.”
Selena? Cristelle’s eyes lit up, “Ma’am, do you know where I can find this Selena then?”
The lady shrugged, “How would I know? But that girl is so beautiful and talented. She’ll do just fine wherever she goes but wait, why are you guys looking so similar to each other?”
Cristelle faltered before dropping her gaze, “I’m her friend. I’m just here to see her.”
“You should’ve come earlier. I heard that the girl was in trouble. She quit the job to hide from her debtors.” The owner hushed her voice, “Or why would she suddenly decide to leave? Her boss was paying her well.”
“Who did you hear it from? What trouble did she get herself into?” Cristelle went nervous instantly.
The lady poured her a cup of tea, “Don’t get anxious. You must be new to this place. That craft studio may seem tiny. But do you know who is the one who opened the studio?”
Cristelle asked, “Who?”
The lady smiled mysteriously, “It’s a rich man from a big local house. That man treats Selena quite well. He’s so protective over that girl. So, if Selena really gets herself in trouble, that man will also solve the problem for her. You don’t need to worry. She’ll probably be back in a couple of days.”
Cristelle only got even more worried. Selena must have run into one of their enemies and decided to run. Cristelle felt miserable.
She wanted to see her sister so much, but she suddenly disappeared. She had had hope earlier, but now that hope was shattered into pieces.
She wondered when she would see her sister again in the future. Cristelle left the teahouse after a while, buying some tea back, or she would feel bad after everything the owner told her.
She wandered on the street listlessly. It was getting dark right now. She felt all sorts of travelers surrounding her. The street was full of life, but she felt extremely lonely walking among the crowd.
At last, she decided to call a taxi. Before she could cross the street, however, a huge truck was suddenly driven in her direction. Cristelle didn’t even have any time to react before someone suddenly pulled her back. Cristelle fell back with a pair of strong hands on her waist. She bumped her head against the cold concrete the next second.
It took her a while to make out the anxious face before her.
“Diego? Why are you here?” Cristelle sat up, glaring at the man before her.
Diego looked so pissed off, “You would have died if I wasn’t here. What’s wrong with you? Can you at least watch when you walk? You would have been crushed if I wasn’t here to save you.”
A couple of tourists walked forth. Some even pulled out their phones, getting the accident on their cameras.
Cristelle didn’t want so much attention, “I don’t want to argue with you in the middle of the crowd. Can we leave here first?”
Diego cast a glance in the direction where the truck disappeared. But, unfortunately, not so many trucks of that size could be seen at city attractions.
They went to a teahouse. Cristelle flattened her dress before sitting down, “Tell me, why are you here? I couldn’t find Selena. Was that a part of your plan?”
“Cristelle, am I that foul in your mind?” Diego sounded a bit sad. But his tone was gentle, “I only arrived here a couple of hours ago.”
“Why are you here too?” Cristelle questioned him suspiciously, frowning.
Diego looked her in the eyes, “Because I want to see you. I know you’ll be here to look for your sister. So I decided to come here and try out my luck.”
Cristelle looked away, “Are you sure my sister didn’t leave because of you?”
“I swear!” Diego sounded genuine, “We both know what happened to your dad. Those people must still look for your sister. Even I can find her, not to mention those people. Your sister must have left because she noticed something was off. Not hearing anything from her is probably a good thing. You really shouldn’t worry.”
What he said made sense, but Cristelle was still so pissed off. She had been so close to getting to see her sister today.
If she could have come here earlier, things would have been different.
Diego stared at the woman sitting before him obsessively. How she dressed reminded him of the days when they were still dating. Despite being a mom of two, she looked as stunning as before.
“Cristelle, are you sure the babies’ father is Bradley?” Diego was almost gonna sweat when he asked her.
Cristelle nodded, “Yes.”
Diego looked extremely sad after hearing the answer.
Cristelle knew she shouldn’t waste any time with him anymore, standing up from her seat, “I really need to go now. See you.”
Diego’s hand hastily extended to grab her wrist, “Cristelle, do you resent me this much? You used to stalk me. You would be anxious if you couldn’t see me before. You would get jealous when other women talked to me. I don’t believe you hate me so much.”
What a joke. Did he really think he still could affect her that way after what he had done?
“Please stop saying nonsense words, or I’m gonna throw up. Diego, listen. Things have passed, and people always change. Right now, I just wish you could disappear from my world. Let me go, or I’ll call 911,” Cristelle struggled to pull her wrist.