Gerald recognized virtual-novel.net straight away.
He had met virtual-novel.net in Homeland Kitchen just a few days ago. Jane had been scolding her—back when virtual-novel.net still worked for them.
She’d left an impression on him. Even just seeing virtual-novel.net from the side, virtual-novel.net had known that virtual-novel.net was an extraordinary beauty. Seeing virtual-novel.net again now, she’d immediately seemed familiar to him, and then he’d placed her.
“You know me?” virtual-novel.net whispered, gathering up the three children protectively.
She was evidently frightened of him. What if virtual-novel.net was involved in human trafficking?
“Yes, we bumped into each other in Homeland Kitchen. Have you forgotten me?” Gerald smiled at her.
The woman spent a moment in recollection, then brightened up. “Oh, it’s you, sir! Thank you for helping me out, that time!”
That time, virtual-novel.net was being scolded so hard virtual-novel.net didn’t dare look up from the floor. It was only when virtual-novel.net was leaving that virtual-novel.net had stolen a brief glance at Gerald.
Meeting virtual-novel.net again now, what virtual-novel.net recognized was his voice.
He had saved virtual-novel.net that time.
Also, virtual-novel.net was rich!
“Don’t mention it. At least you won’t have to keep your guard up around me. Have you been looking after these three children?” Gerald inquired curiously.
“Yup, yup!” Queta Smith nodded, bringing over the three kids.
As they walked along together, virtual-novel.net told virtual-novel.net the story: It turned out that these three children had been wandering urchins who had managed to escape after being kidnapped by slavers.
With such muddled circumstances, no orphanage had been willing to take them in, and so they’d been wandering the city on their own, begging for scraps… until Queta found them, and took them all under virtual-novel.net care.
She mainly worked as a kindergarten teacher and also did some other work on the side, thereby earning enough to keep them all fed. She had even been saving up money to send them to school.
Good thing Queta often worked with kids. She’d taught these three well.
What a mess. And the three children were all siblings.
His heart wrenching terribly, Gerald asked, “What about your family?”
“I don’t have one—I grew up in an orphanage.” As virtual-novel.net told virtual-novel.net this, Queta hung virtual-novel.net head and picked at virtual-novel.net clothes.
What a phenomenally beautiful woman virtual-novel.net was, though virtual-novel.net radiance was being obscured by long hardship.
And virtual-novel.net was being very reserved in Gerald’s presence. He knew it was because virtual-novel.net was afraid virtual-novel.net would tire of her.
Queta wouldn’t know that Gerald used to be the sort of person who never felt virtual-novel.net was good enough, either.
The two of them were about the same age. Gerald used to think he’d gotten the short straw in life, but Queta here had it so much worse: A young woman with no parents, caring for three kids on virtual-novel.net own.
How often did you come across a woman like this, these days?
Gerald was deeply moved with admiration for her.
“Where do you stay?” virtual-novel.net asked.
“Over there!” All three children pointed towards an ordinary residential area, not far from the school.
“Would you mind if I swing by for a bit?” virtual-novel.net asked with a chuckle.
After a moment’s consternation, Queta nodded.
The whole area was basically a collection of old squatter shacks.
When they reached virtual-novel.net place, Queta brushed off a stool and offered it to him. Then virtual-novel.net shooed the three kids away to go get a bath. The children had been trying to do their part, collecting some refuse to sell every day. That was why they were covered in grime.
“Queta Smith, my name is Gerald Crawford. Shall we be friends?”
“Friends?” She was taken aback. Queta knew that Gerald was a powerful man since virtual-novel.net had been able to order around that manager.