𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙧. 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙝𝙞𝙙

10. Discovery

We were shopping in Brookfield Place in Downtown Manhattan when an American guy suddenly approached me. He looked to be in his thirties.

"My, my, my, look what we have here," he said, eyeing me from head to toe before suddenly taking off my glasses.

"How tall are you?"

My grandma came closer.

"175.26 cm?" I replied, not understanding why he was asking about my height.

"Ahhh, perfect," he said with so much glee.

"What's going on?" my grandma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You must be the mother," he said, turning to her.

"I'm the grandmother."

"Ohh, I thought you were her mother. You look so young!"

My grandma couldn't hide her smile at the compliment.

"My name is Christian; I'm a fashion designer. And, Mother, I really would like your granddaughter to wear my clothes. She is perfect in every way. We just need to remove these ugly glasses of yours, darling."

I laughed at his last comment as he looked at me. I liked him a lot already.

"How old are you, my love?" he asked.

"Eighteen."

"Would you like to go with me to Paris?"

My eyes widened in disbelief. I couldn't process what he was saying.

"Seriously?"

He laughed.

"Just say yes, and I will make you into a multi-million-dollar fashion model. What do you say?"

I felt a rush of excitement. This was an opportunity I never expected. I needed to talk to my parents about it, but convincing them would be hard. Still, how could I say no to such an incredible offer?

My mind raced with possibilities. I imagined myself walking the runways of Paris, wearing stunning designs, and living a life I had only dreamed of. The thought of it made my heart race, and I couldn't help but feel like this was a blessing that had suddenly come into my life.

As I glanced at my grandma, I could see she was just as intrigued. This might just be the adventure I was waiting for.

🐬🐬🐬🐬

“Valerie has arrived.”

I couldn’t sit still; I didn’t know why. I followed Mom to Bella's house.

It had been two months since they left without saying goodbye. Or rather, Bella left without a word.

I still wasn’t sure why, but both Hailey and I were shocked when we heard that Bella had gone to the US for a holiday.

That night at Andy's house, she suddenly returned home. At the very least, I wish she had told us she was leaving. But she didn’t mention a word.

What had we done to her? Hailey and I were just a couple. Did our relationship affect our friendship with her?

I thought Bella would understand that we couldn’t go back to how things were before.

It would be awkward for her to join us on our dates.

Had she changed because of this?

We stood in front of Bella’s house.

Mom rang the doorbell, and a moment later, Tita Val came out.

“Cherrie, come in.”

“How was your vacation?” Mom immediately asked her.

“Hi, Tita Val,” I greeted the woman.

“Hi, Zayne. Belle is not here, anak.”

I froze.

“She left?”

Suddenly, Bella's mom fell silent.

“Ahh, no. How should I say this? Belle is not here right now. She’s still in the US.”

“When is she coming back? School starts in two weeks.”

Why was I suddenly anxious? Did something happen to Bella?

“She will be staying in New York with her grandparents, Zayne.”

“Huh? Why the sudden decision?” My mom asked in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why was it so sudden?

“Let’s talk inside. I brought you some gifts.”

I followed them in a daze.

Why would Belle choose to stay in New York?

“I was against her decision, but she was adamant about not coming back. It pains me to be apart from her, but I have to respect her choice. It’s difficult for us to be far apart, but we have to think about her happiness,” Tita Valerie explained.

I sat down, feeling quiet and overwhelmed by the news.

“She’s going to continue her studies in the US?” Mom asked.

“Yes, she already took the entrance exam at a university in New York. You know Belle is smart; she can succeed anywhere she goes. I only came back to take care of her school papers. As you can see, Edward is still in the US. I’m the only one who came back.”

Tita Valerie looked at me with concern.

“I’m sorry, Zayne, but she never mentioned your name. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but it seems she doesn’t want to talk about you or Hailey.”

“Why?” was all I could ask.

“I don’t know. What’s going on? Did something happen among the three of you?”

So I told them the truth: Hailey was my girlfriend now.

I didn’t notice how the two of them exchanged glances because I was lost in my own thoughts.

I was deeply hurt by Bella’s sudden move to New York.

I didn’t realize how they silently communicated with each other, understanding why Bella didn’t want to talk about me and Hailey anymore.