Last night had been exhausting, and she fell asleep immediately after, not even bothering to shower. Now, she felt sticky all over.
She walked straight into the bathroom, feeling quite good as she sang while showering. As she finished and stepped out of the bathroom, the doorbell rang.
Wearing a loose bathrobe, she padded downstairs on the hardwood steps and opened the door.
Olivia walked in from outside, her face full of excitement and curiosity.
“Wow, Isabella, this place is like a castle. Andrew is really treating you like a princess.”
“This house wasn’t built for me. Whoever he marries, he would pamper them like this. That’s just his personality,” Isabella said casually, sitting on the sofa and brushing her hair.
Olivia placed the handbag on the coffee table in front of her and chided, “Isabella, you’re being ungrateful. So many people would kill to be the mistress of this big villa.”
“Are they marrying the villa, or are they marrying Andrew?” Isabella retorted indifferently.
Olivia was stunned, realizing there was some truth to her words.
If Andrew wasn’t Andrew Turner, Isabella would still be willing to marry him even if he were a ‘jobless vagrant,’ but those so-called high-born ladies and noblewomen might not be so eager.
Maybe this was one of the reasons she was special to Andrew.
“Check if anything is missing from your bag,” Olivia said.
“No need to check. Even if something is missing, no one’s responsible. Besides my ID and passport, it’s just some makeup and loose change-nothing important,” Isabella said nonchalantly.
She used a towel to dry her hair, and the motion caused her robe to open slightly at the collar.
Olivia couldn’t resist teasing, “Oh, these bruises, Andrew really is rough.”
Isabella shot her a glance and adjusted her robe. “Don’t look where you shouldn’t.”
“Oh, come on, I’m just taking a few extra looks. Andrew wouldn’t gouge my eyes out. We’ve seen each other naked before,” Olivia laughed.
After all, they had bathed together since childhood.
“Alright, you’ve delivered the bag. You can leave now. I want to go back to sleep,” Isabella said, wanting to catch up on some rest.
Just as Isabella stood up, Olivia pushed her back onto the sofa. “Sleep? Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten what day it is today?”
“What day?” Isabella looked puzzled. She had been so busy preparing for her concert that she was completely disoriented and couldn’t even tell day from night.
“Today is Valentine’s Day. How could you forget such an important day? What about Andrew? Hasn’t he planned anything?” Olivia asked, hinting at something.
“He left this morning before I woke up. He probably didn’t plan anything special. The streets will be noisy on Valentine’s Day, and as a public figure, it’s not convenient for me to go out,” she said.
Olivia facepalmed, thinking Isabella was incredibly dense. “Valentine’s Day is the perfect day for a proposal. My brother found out that Andrew ordered a diamond ring, and the jeweler delivered it to his office yesterday. I bet he’ll propose to you today. You should be prepared to become a bride.”
Olivia smiled and nudged her with her shoulder.
Isabella couldn’t help but smile too.
After the first concert, she had made her intentions clear, and Andrew had responded. Olivia was always reliable, so if she said Andrew ordered a ring, it must be true.
Andrew ordering a diamond ring meant he certainly wasn’t proposing to another woman.
Isabella instinctively covered her face with her hands, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Andrew calling.
She finished the call, unable to hide the smile on her face. “Andrew said he’s taking me out to dinner tonight.”
“What dinner? He’s definitely going to propose, trying to surprise you,” Olivia said.
“Then, do I need to prepare anything?” Isabella asked, flustered.
Olivia rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. “Isabella, do you have to act so desperate to get married?”
She pressed Isabella back onto the sofa and tidied her disheveled hair.
“All you need to do is make yourself look beautiful.”
Olivia helped Isabella choose an outfit, going through almost every piece in the wardrobe before finally settling on a pink long dress that was both elegant and exquisite.
Isabella then carefully applied her makeup. Just as she finished getting ready, the sound of an engine came from the driveway.
“I have to leave before your Andrew is back. Good luck,” Olivia said, sneaking out through the back door.
Shortly after, Andrew walked in carrying his briefcase. He was momentarily taken aback when he saw the stunningly dressed Isabella.
It’s just a dinner, is all this really necessary? Clearly, women think differently from men, placing extra importance on holidays like Valentine’s Day.
“Shall we go?” Isabella smiled and took his arm as they headed out together.
“What do you want to eat?” Andrew asked.
“Huh?” Isabella was taken aback. No fixed location for the proposal?
“You like Chinese food. How about seafood tonight?” Andrew suggested.
Isabella nodded and got into the car with him.
The car slowly entered the driveway, and Andrew held the steering wheel with one hand while using his phone with the other to have Ryan make a reservation.
The black Maybach drove along Riverside Road towards Isabella’s favorite seafood restaurant.
The restaurant wasn’t very large, with just two floors, and was almost full due to Valentine’s Day. Isabella, wearing a baseball cap and mask, followed Andrew upstairs, thinking to herself: Is Andrew’s choice of such a down-to-earth place for a proposal too simplistic?
“Mr. Ryan booked room 206. This way, please,” the waiter said, leading them to the private room and handing them the menu.
Andrew ordered the dishes while Isabella kept her head down, silent, to avoid being recognized.
The restaurant’s specialties were crayfish, braised bass, steamed crabs, and seafood porridge. Andrew ordered according to her tastes, then handed the menu back to the waiter.
“Sir, today is Valentine’s Day, so it might take a bit longer for the food to be served,” the waiter apologized.
“That’s fine,” Andrew responded calmly, showing no signs of displeasure.
After the waiter left, Isabella removed her hat and mask, revealing her face.
Andrew picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of warm tea, handing it to her. “It’s busy today, so we might have to wait a bit. Ryan said the owner is too stubborn to agree to any offer to reserve the whole place.”
Resting her chin on one hand, Isabella said, “This place has been around for many years. When I was in middle school, Olivia and I used to come here often. The owner is really nice. Once, we forgot our wallets, and not only did he not make things difficult for us, but he also gave us an extra portion of fish noodles.”
“Who could bear to give a hard time to you, such a lovely girl,” Andrew said with a smile.