Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 983 Extra Story 121 Of Aaron The Melody

Stepping out of the car and flapping a red umbrella open, Ximena walked forward to look at the surrounding environment and finally fixed her attention on the house in front of her where her aunt had been working since she got out of prison. Because of her criminal record, no one wanted to hire her, except for this family who gave her a chance to do some cleaning work for them... It was not until Grand Night Casino opened that she was also able to work part-time there.

All the money her aunt earned, apart from paying the rent and the daily necessities, had been donated to an orphanage.

Why would she do that? No one knew. Perhaps, she was trying to atone for the guilty feelings deeply rooted in her heart.

Ximena lifted her hand and rang the doorbell gently. Shortly after, a woman in a pair of coffee-colored casual pants and a black shirt, ran out in a hurry without holding an umbrella... The sight of the woman stopped her heart for a second and filled her with an almost unbearable sorrow.

'If mother were alive, she would be sad and heart-broken to see her sister like this, wouldn't she?' Ximena wondered.

"Hello, may I..." Freya suddenly stopped as she recognized the person under the umbrella. With a look of surprise that faded almost instantly, she said, "Oh, it's you."

She smiled, seemingly forcing her lips to curve up, "Excuse me, but what can I do for you?"

Drizzle annoyingly splattered on Freya's head and for some reason she seemed lonely. Ximena, wearing a gentle smile, asked politely, "Sorry for visiting you so abruptly. But may I ask if you are free now?"

"Me?" Because Ximena was the one who went to see her sister and brother-in-law, she was not alarmed and cautious by her sudden appearance. Her face filled with reluctance, "I haven't finished my work yet. And now is not really a good time, so..."

"It doesn't matter," said Ximena immediately, who did not want to embarrass her. "I'm not in a hurry. I can wait for you." After a pause, she asked, "When will you be off work?"

"I will only be off work after I finish making dinner..." Freya said, her face twitching awkwardly without her knowledge. "And then I need to go to the Grand Night Casino for cleaning..." So, the hidden meaning in her words was that she had no time for Ximena at all.

"It's all right," Ximena said with a smile. "I'll pick you up for dinner when you finish work here." Not allowing Freya the chance to refuse her, she quickly said, "Anyway, you still have to eat, right? And don't worry about your shift at the Grand Night Casino. I'll ask the manager to replace someone to take your place today."

Freya frowned and said, "Thanks! But I really don't think that is a good idea." She didn't want to bring inconvenience to others, so she looked at Ximena with some hesitancy, "Well...

May I ask why are you looking for me? I just finished cleaning and I'm not very busy at the moment. If you have something to tell me, you can say it right now."

"I'm afraid this isn't a convenient place to talk to you..."

Ximena furrowed her eyes and bit her lip. "Don't worry! I don't want you to get in trouble with your employers. And you don't need to worry about the Grand Night Casino at all..." Leaving no more for Freya to make excuses, she quickly said, "That's a deal then. I'll pick you up later. I need to go now. Bye!"

Ximena turned around and walked to her car, leaving Freya speechless with an open mouth. In a thoughtful consideration for Freya, she decided not to drive her fancy car so it wouldn't upset or bother her.

Freya watched as Ximena drove away. Turning sideways and wondering why or what could be so important that Ximena was willing to go through so much trouble just to talk to her.

Time went by in its usual pace. Later that evening, Ximena stopped her car in front of the small two-story house to patiently wait for Freya to get off work. She made sure to come early so she wouldn't have to ring the doorbell and draw unnecessary attention. While Ximena waited there patiently, she noticed a car drive through and parked at the garage of the building. She guessed it was the owner of the house who had come back for dinner, which would mean that it was time for Freya to get off work.

Just as she had guessed, about half an hour later, Freya walked out with an eco-friendly bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other. As she stepped out of the door and saw Ximena's car, she heaved a gentle sigh and walked to the car. Seeing Freya approaching, Ximena quickly got out of the car to courteously open the door for her.

Although Freya felt flattered by Ximena's politeness, she reserved a certain sense of skepticism in her eyes. Ximena noticed that her expression frequently verged on concerned and apprehensive as she fasten the seat belt for her and said, "Don't worry about your shift at the Grand Night Casino. It's been taken care of."

"The lobby manager of the Casino already informed me earlier today..." Freya said slowly and hesitantly. Judging by the manager's tone on the phone and the way he mentioned her name with respect and politeness gave Freya an idea of the extent of Ximena's power and influence.

Ximena bit her lip and smiled, "Let's go for dinner, shall we?" As she started the car, she asked briskly, "What type of food would you like to eat?"

"I, I don't have particular preference..." Freya mumbled the words.

Ximena had a quickly glance at her and said, "I prefer spicy food." After hearing no response, she cast a glance at Freya again. "I don't know if you're used to spicy food, are you?"

Freya meekly nodded and answered, "Yes, I prefer spicy food too."

"That's great," Ximena said excitedly. "I know the perfect place that serves excellent spicy food. Let's have dinner there."

Before long, the car stopped in front of a restaurant that wasn't particularly upscale or exclusive. Thoughtfully taking Freya's feelings into account, Ximena didn't go to a very fancy place because she didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. According to the information given to her by the private detective, Freya preferred strongly flavored food, and even though she was not very fond of food with strong taste, she managed just fine.

"Miss Mo, the compartment you've reserved is ready," the manager said enthusiastically, as he personally led them to the compartment. The courtly manager flashed them a big smile, "The food today..." Before he could finish, Ximena cut him short with an abrupt wide- eyed glare. Fortunately, due to his experience from working in the service industry for many years, the manager did well to read Ximena's expression quickly. Glancing momentarily at Freya, he thoughtfully decided not to mention Ximena's early order. He simply said, "Miss Mo, what would you like to order today?"

Ximena looked at the manager with great satisfaction and walked into the compartment. She pulled the chair for Freya to sit down before she took the menu and ordered almost half of what was on the menu, which was enough to feed an entire family.

"It's a bit much for two people, isn't it?" Freya frowned, anxiously fidgeting in her seat.

Ximena smiled and shook her head, dismissing Freya's concern. She looked at the manager as he stood there with a pen and a notepad in hand. "Oh! Please add another dish. I'd like to try the West Lake Beef soup!"

"All right," answered the manager respectfully. "Miss Mo, the dishes will be served soon. Please wait for a moment."

Soon, a small entourage of waiters walked in, each carrying an exquisite dish, one more delicious than the other. Looking at the splendid choice of food on the table, Freya thought to herself, 'It's too much food for just two people. What a waste! I wonder if they will let me bring some food home with me later...' However, thinking of the woman, Freya assumed that she wouldn't consider packing the remaining food as appropriate behavior for someone of her social stature. "Don't worry. If we can't finish it, we can ask them to pack them for us," Ximena whispered at once as if she could read her mind.

"Really?" Freya asked to confirm, and she was deeply relieved to see Ximena nod with a smile.

After a while, as they started eating, Freya eventually became less reserved and nervous. The two of them cleverly avoided the serious talk until they were so full they couldn't eat another bite. After allowing the delicious food to settle down, Freya asked cautiously, "I can't help but wonder why Miss Mo came to me today?" Meanwhile, she was pacing about in her mind like a caged tiger. I remember the manager said her last name is Mo. I can't believe that she has the same last name as my brother-in-law...' As she went over the same thoughts in her head, over and over again, her heart became intense and she looked at Ximena with a weird expression on her face.

Ximena noticed Freya's inquisitive eyes upon her and she said, "I was looking for you... because you are my only surviving relative in the world now!"

Freya's jaw dropped to the floor. Totally stupefied, she scanned Ximena up and down with eyes wide open, occasionally blinking. She stammered over her words for a moment before she finally managed to regain the power of speech. "Are you my sister's daughter?" Ximena nodded, looking at Freya's dumbstruck expression, while her face conveyed an arresting spectrum of ambivalent emotions.

"How old are you?" Freya eagerly leaned in to have a closer look. Of all the questions that swirled in her mind, oddly enough, she simply chose to ask how old Ximena was...