Chapter 7 Enrollment (1)
1133 Words
Aliana stayed in the dining room for a while before coming back to her senses.
It didn't matter. Anywhere was fine.
But she needed two things...
Aliana would talk to Joshua about it. If it was not possible, she wouldn't go.
With a determined mind, Aliana finished her breakfast and went straight to Joshua's study.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Joshua gently opened the door of his study.
Aliana's mind went blank for a moment.
It had been so long since she last saw this study.
Aliana shook her head, and then she looked up at Joshua, who was organizing his clothes, ready to go out.
"Joshua, I have something to discuss with you."
Joshua's expression immediately became impatient.
"Just get to the point! Besides not wanting to go to school, everything else is negotiable."
Aliana shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to go to school so that she wouldn't have to face them all day long.
Aliana cleared her throat. "I want to borrow some money to buy a cellphone and a laptop. I will repay you."
The study fell into silence
"Aliana..."
Joshua felt a strange atmosphere.
His sister borrowed money from him and promised to pay him back.
Joshua put aside the issue of borrowing money for now.
Didn't Aliana have a cellphone?
Leia had the latest tablet and cellphone. As long as there were new arrivals, Hugh would buy them for her.
Joshua thought Aliana would be able to benefit from Leia's spoils and had a laptop or cellphone.
But it seemed not.
Due to Hugh's reaction just now, Joshua paid more attention.
"I will buy them for you. Our family doesn't need to borrow money to buy such things."
His remark was directed at Aliana.
Aliana obediently nodded, but she would pay Joshua back.
She didn't want to owe them.
Joshua agreed, and Aliana politely bid farewell to him.
She left the study without looking back.
"..."
Joshua's brows furrowed tightly.
But Aliana had left the study. He suppressed his dissatisfaction and went out to work.
As he came to the door, there happened to be a maid walking out with garbage bags.
Joshua, who was adjusting his tie, caught a whiff of lavender fragrance.
He turned around and gazed at one of the bags that looked different from the others.
Joshua thought it was just an empty garbage bag.
But inside it was an unfinished sachet and some dried lavender flowers.
It was thrown away by Aliana.
Joshua froze at the door for a moment.
He had never seen this thing before, and Aliana never told him that she would make a sachet for him.
But Joshua was certain that it was thrown away by Aliana.
"Mr. Joshua?"
The driver at the door found it was about to be late for work, so he called out to Joshua with a puzzled look on his face.
"Well, let's go."
Joshua got into the luxury car and left the Harriman's place.
The maid who was cleaning up brought out the bags from other rooms.
She looked at the flattened garbage bag.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Ah? Where are the sachet and flowers inside this bag? Did I lose them? This is too bad. Where are they?"
The nervous maid searched all day to preserve her position, but she did not know these two items were in a drawer in Joshua's office.
After leaving Joshua's study, Aliana started wandering around the Harriman's place.
Even in her past life, Aliana wasn't familiar with the layout of the house. She just knew everyone's rooms, the dining room, and the small garden, but she didn't touch anything else.
How foolish!
Aliana sneered.
She started wandering around the manor.
As Aliana reached the garden, she heard the pleasant laughter of a child.
Aliana looked towards the garden.
The sunlight shone brilliantly in this beautiful garden.
Leia sat on the swing specially made for her by her parents, with her mother pushing her from behind.
Leia swung higher and higher.
Both of them were laughing happily.
Leia's tender but pale face was bathed in sunlight. She appeared to be fragile.
Yet, Leia was incredibly beautiful.
Aliana found the scene so hurtful.
The throbbing in Aliana's heart made her fingertips start to ache.
She quickly reached out to rub her fingers and chest, trying to alleviate the pain.
Under the sunlight, Leia formed a stark contrast with Aliana in the dark room.
After a while, Aliana quietly left, no longer continuing to look at them.
"Hmm?"
Jazmine, who was feeding Leia water, suddenly felt a shock.
She lifted her head abruptly and looked towards the window where Aliana had just stood.
Jazmine placed her right hand on her chest and took slow breaths.
For a moment, she felt a strange sensation, but more importantly, she felt that something important was moving away from her.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Leia tilted her head and looked at Jazmine, with a hair clip on her hair that Aliana liked the most.
"Oh, nothing. I just spaced out for a moment."
Leia's voice eased Jazmine's mind a bit.
Putting aside the momentary discomfort she felt, Jazmine happily played with Leia.
Not long after Aliana indifferently returned to the room, there was a knock on the door.
It was Luke. He was holding the phone and laptop that Aliana mentioned to Joshua in the morning.
"Ms. Aliana, Mr. Joshua asked me to give you the phone and laptop. Let me activate them for you."
Luke knelt down on one knee and made eye contact with Aliana. He carefully explained how to use the phone.
"Thank you, Luke. I watched how Joshua turned on and off the computer and operated the phone. So, you can rest assured."
Luke looked at Aliana strangely. Aliana took the phone and laptop from him.
With a series of actions, she left Luke speechless.
"Ms. Aliana, it's good that you know how to use them. If there's anything you don't know or if they get damaged, just let me know, and I will send someone to repair them for you."
"Yes, thank you, Luke! I will be careful!"
Luke looked kindly at Aliana, who had her eyes on the phone, stood up, and bent slightly towards her.
"Congratulations on starting school, Ms. Aliana."
Aliana suddenly looked up. Luke was smiling kindly and sincerely gave her best wishes.
Uncontrollably, Aliana's nose twitched, and tears filled her eyes.
She bit her back teeth hard, not letting herself cry.
At the sight of Aliana's teary eyes, Luke felt sorry for her.
Luke was advanced in age. And Aliana's eyes were pure enough to soften his heart.
Luke admitted that he could not be indifferent to Aliana.
Aliana was a pitiful girl.
So, Luke had sympathy for her.
- Writer
