Chapter 1760
The day was still a mere promise on the horizon.
In a run-of-the-mill housing complex in Greenhaven.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound of the doorbell, interwoven with the hurried and heavy knocking, stirred Bertha and her daughter from their slumber.
Lea, groggy and disoriented, sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Who on earth could that be knocking at this ungodly hour?!”
Bertha was already out of bed and reached for her robe. “Lea, go back to sleep, sweetheart. Let Mommy see who it is.”
Lea might have just woken up, so her mind was still foggy, but her alertness was not to be underestimated. She quickly got out of bed and reached for her mother, who was about to open the door.
“Mommy, this ain’t our place, and your friend hasn’t lived here in a while. Who would come knocking at this hour? We’ve gotta be careful; it could be a bad egg.”
Bertha glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 4 a.m., so a visit at this time was indeed peculiar.
Lea was also now fully dressed. “Wait for me, Mommy. I’ll come with you. You know, even though Daddy left, he must have arranged for someone to look out for us.
By rights, Daddy’s people wouldn’t let just anyone come knocking.
So I reckon, if it ain’t one of Daddy’s men, it’s gotta be a bad egg who’s taken care of Daddy’s men.”
After listening to her daughter’s theory, Bertha couldn’t help but feel a wave of fear wash over her.
Who could this bad egg be? She hadn’t wronged a soul.
Could it be someone sent by Sophia to deal with them?
With that thought, Bertha clasped her daughter’s hand, ready to protect her should anything happen.
The knocking grew louder and more frantic.
Bertha and Lea tiptoed to the door, not daring to turn on the lights for fear of alerting whoever was outside.
Breathing shallowly, Bertha inched closer to the peephole and peered outside.
Huh?!
Lea noticed her mother’s alarm and tugged her hand anxiously, whispering, “Mommy, what do you see? Who’s out there?”
Bertha came back to her senses and didn’t answer her daughter. Instead, she switched on the lights.
The room was instantly bathed in light, making Lea feel more exposed than before. “Mommy, why did you turn on the lights? Aren’t we just giving ourselves away? Who’s out there?”
Bertha patted her daughter’s head. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s not a bad egg.”
With that, Bertha opened the door.
As Lea was still caught between curiosity and fear, a stunning figure burst into the room, carrying the faint, cool scent of roses.
The figure enveloped Bertha in a hug as soon as she entered.
Lea took a whole minute to recover before she blurted out, “Ms. Marlinie, what brings you here?!”
The woman holding Bertha let go of her best friend and looked down at her best friend’s daughter, who was also her student. “Did I scare you, sweetie?”
