Early in the morning, everyone was sitting at the dining table enjoying their food when suddenly the cat began meowing incessantly. Nanci saw it suddenly collapse on the floor and quickly ran over, anxiously picking it up and asking, “Bella, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Everyone gathered around her. Jenny touched the cat and said, “Ms. Ross, it probably ate something it shouldn’t have. Better take it to the pet hospital.”
Jenny scratched her head and said, “I don’t remember giving it anything inappropriate. My cats are all healthy…”
Edward immediately pulled Nanci out of the house, saying, “Let’s take her to the vet.”
In the car, Issac saw the two in the back seat with a constantly meowing cat. Edward said, “To the nearest pet hospital. Be quick.”
…
Nanci watched through the window as the cat was examined, feeling a bit sad. Edward held her shoulder and gently patted her, hoping she wouldn’t blame herself. He softly comforted her, “It’s okay. Bella will be fine after some medicine. It’s not your fault.”
“It hasn’t been here long, and I already failed to take good care of it. I feel like I’m not fit to be a pet owner at all. Did you hear its cries earlier? It must have been in so much pain, but I couldn’t do anything about it. It’s so frustrating.”
“Why blame yourself? We can’t be with it every second. People get sick, and so do pets. I believe it’s not serious and Bella will soon be back in your arms. I’m sure she won’t blame you.”
The vet came out.
Nanci quickly asked, “Hello, how is my cat? Is it serious? Can we take it home now?”
“Don’t worry. It ate some chocolate, but your cat is fine. Didn’t you know cats can’t eat that? Luckily, you brought it in time today. I’ll give you a list of things it can’t eat and some medicine.”
Nanci asked, “Chocolate? I don’t remember having any at home. How did it eat that?”
“Ask Jenny when you get back. Since Bella is fine now, let’s go. I’ll drive you home before heading to work.”
Back home, Nanci saw Rhys standing at the door. Holding the cat, she walked over. The boy saw her and bowed deeply, sincerely saying, “I’m sorry. It’s my fault!”
Nanci had no idea what had happened or why he was apologizing. She asked, “What happened? Why are you apologizing? What did you do wrong?”
“I fed it some chocolate last night. That’s why it’s sick today and made everyone worry. I didn’t dare admit it this morning but told Jenny after you left. She told me to wait for you to come back so that I could apologize properly.”
“Where did that sweet come from? I don’t remember buying any at home. Why did you feed it to the cat? The vet said it’s lucky we brought it in time…”
The boy nervously looked down at his phone and started explaining, “It was the last piece of chocolate my mom gave me before she left. I thought it was delicious and wanted to share it with the cat. We don’t have cats at home. Mom didn’t tell me they can’t eat chocolate…”
Though Nanci felt bad for Bella, she understood that the boy didn’t mean any harm but simply wanted to share something tasty. She gently stroked the cat’s fur and said after thinking for a moment, “Then apologize to Bella.”
Rhys looked at the cat and said, “Bella, I’m sorry for giving you something bad to eat and making you sick. I won’t feed you anything random again.”
The cat rubbed against him happily.
“Come on inside. Bella must have forgiven you already. The vet gave me a list of things it can’t eat. I’ll show you later so you’ll know what not to give it.”
“Okay, I’ll remember!”
“Ms. Ross, you’re back! Is Bella okay?”
“Yes, yes. The vet gave Bella some medicine and an injection. It’s fine now but needs more care since I can’t always be around.”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Ross. We have Rhys here too.”
The boy nodded vigorously and said, “Yes! I’ll take good care of Bella from now on. No one can bully it!”
“Haha, alright then, Rhys. You’re its protector now!”
“Ms. Ross, since you didn’t have breakfast before leaving this morning, should I make something for you now??”
“No need. I’m not hungry. I’ll go upstairs to rest for a bit. I feel quite tired.”
In bed, Nanci took out her phone and messaged Edward, explaining why the cat got sick, and asked if he had reached his office yet.
“I’m at work now. Let’s talk later.”
“Okay, remember to have lunch.”
After hanging up, Nanci scrolled through social media until she felt sleepy.
In the office, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
“President, we have a dinner event tonight that can’t be postponed. Who will be your date?”
Edward replied with a question, “What do you think?”
Issac wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Sorry, I’ll go get ready.”
Edward then called Nanci, abruptly waking her from a dream. Drowsily, she answered the phone.
“Hello…”
Hearing her sleepy voice, Edward chuckled, “Did I wake you up?”
“No, I just got a bit bored and fell asleep.”
“I have a dinner party tonight and probably won’t be back in time to eat with you. I wanted to let you know in advance.”
Nanci instantly became alert, frowning as she asked, “Who are you going with?”
“Just Issac and me. I originally planned to pick you up after work, but since I know you were tired, I figured I’d go alone.”
“Come pick me up after work! If I’m not there, who knows how many women will try to get close to you? I need to make sure no women approach my man!”
Edward responded with a broad smile, “Just wait for me at home.”
After hanging up, Nanci sat up and started thinking about what to wear that evening. Normally, she preferred comfort, but since she’d be accompanying him to an important dinner party with many notable figures, she couldn’t afford to embarrass him.
She stood up and opened her wardrobe, overwhelmed by the array of clothes. Finally, she chose a white evening gown. After selecting her outfit, she sat at her vanity to get ready.
She simply tied her long hair up, looking very elegant and poised. Looking at herself in the mirror, she said, “Nanci, you’re the best. Don’t be nervous!”
Once she was ready, she sat on the sofa with her laptop, checking on the latest updates from Ross Clinic. After confirming everything was fine, she turned on the TV, trying to ignore the anxiety bubbling inside her about the evening.
Edward finished work and got into the car. Issac drove straight to Waterford without needing instructions.
“Mr. Clarkson, you’re back. What would you like for dinner?”
“I’m going to a dinner party with Nanci tonight, so we won’t be eating at home. Just make dinner for yourself and Rhys.”
Nanci quietly waited in her room. Hearing Edward’s voice in the living room, she came downstairs and smiled, saying, “Let’s go.”
Edward looked at her, impressed by her appearance. “Do you know how charming you look? I’m scared someone will steal you away from me.”
Nanci linked her arm through his playfully, “Isn’t that the point? I just don’t want to embarrass you! Plus, I’m yours, and no one else can steal me away. Don’t overthink it. If I don’t dress up, what if other women criticize me in front of you? Alright, we’re running late. Let’s go!”
At the door, Nanci pulled out a pair of high heels. Edward looked at her and said, “You don’t wear heels often. Why not stick with flats? They’ll look just as good.”
“This dress shows my ankles, and that wouldn’t look right. I used to wear heels all the time. If I really feel uncomfortable, I’ll tell you. Let’s not keep Issac waiting outside. We need to hurry!”
Edward watched her helplessly, understanding she was trying to avoid embarrassing him, but he wanted her to feel comfortable around him. That wasn’t his intention at all.
In the car, he held her hand and kissed it, saying seriously, “Nanci, don’t change yourself for me. Just follow your heart. My woman doesn’t need to worry about what others think. Just be yourself. I’ll always be behind you.”
“Okay, I know. But dressing up for occasions is a rule. It’s a sign of respect for everyone. Have you ever seen anyone not dress up for such events? I’m just respecting the occasion, not forcing myself. Now, tell me who else is coming tonight. It’s been a while since I attended an event like this. I’m a bit nervous, haha!”
“It’s fine. I’m here. I’m not too clear on the details either, but it’ll mostly be people looking for investors. Rodolfo and the others should be attending too.”
“Oh, it’s been a while since you all got together. You can catch up during the dinner party.”
“What’s there to catch up on? I just want to be with you.”
“Sir, Madam, we’ve arrived.”
Edward stepped out of the car, walked around to Nanci’s side, opened the door, and extended his arm. Nanci placed her hand on his, and as they both stepped out, they were immediately surrounded by photographers.
The bodyguards blocked the reporters, allowing them to safely enter the venue. Rodolfo spotted Edward and walked over.
“Edward, you’re here! Ms. Ross, nice to see you.”
Nanci politely responded to everyone who greeted her, while many others, seeing Edward’s arrival, approached with drinks, eager to network. After all, he was a coveted connection, and everyone wanted to build relationships.