Chapter 99 Ursula’s Love Life
Rosalie’s heart sank, and she managed a tight smile. “No. I wasn’t being quiet.”
She suddenly grabbed her drink and stood up. “Thank you so much for visiting me in the hospital. I know your job is tough and dangerous. I’m not great with words. I hope every time you head out on a call, you make it back home safe.”
Everyone immediately raised their glasses in a hearty response. “You’re the best, Rosalie!”
Rosalie downed the rest of her juice in one go. After plopping back into her seat, she whipped around to face Julian, looking like a kid trying way too hard to prove a point. “I’m talking like I always do. Everything is normal, so don’t overthink it.”
Julian was at a loss for words. He just looked at her, seeing right through her weak excuse.
Sitting across from them, Ursula burst out laughing, pointing at Rosalie like she was the funniest thing she had ever seen. “You’re so cute, Rosa. Seriously, if I were a guy, I would be swooning right now.”
The firefighters among them joined in, laughing heartily and lifting the mood in the room. Rosalie blushed, wanting nothing more than to vanish into thin air.
She couldn’t help but groan. That just made things worse.
Edmond leaned back in his chair with a teasing smirk. “You actually try to go after Julian’s date, Ursula. You must be tired of living.”
Ursula fired back, “That’s none of your business. You talk too much.”
Edmond raised an eyebrow. “Did coming to Calver make you forget all about me? Who was it that helped you find your family?”
Ursula snorted, her smile sharp enough to cut. “You’re right. I’m so grateful, Mr. Fairbank. Thanks to you, I get to mooch off my parents so comfortably that I’m losing all ambition.”
Edmond shot Ursula an exasperated look. “So much for thanking me.”
Suddenly, Crispin piped up with a clumsy but genuine question, “Are you seeing anyone?”
Ursula softened and winked at Crispin. “No. Are you volunteering?”
Crispin turned bright red and got all tongue-tied.
Edmond took a huge bite of meat and mumbled a warning through a full mouth. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Her standard is pretty high. She shoots down every rich heir her family sets her up with.”
Hearing that, Crispin shrank back and buried himself in his food.
Rosalie asked in surprise, “Are you seriously doing blind dates, Ursie?”
Ursula’s mouth twitched. “I was bored. Just playing along for my family’s sake.”
Rosalie’s curiosity shot through the roof. “What’s the deal? Did you and Edmond know each other before?”
Ursula glared at Edmond, then muttered under her breath to Rosalie, “He’s the one who brought me back to the Reed family back then. He runs a detective agency, but his main gig is being a lawyer.
Everything started to make sense. Rosalie remembered meeting Ursula back when they were in ninth grade.
One day, she saw Ursula single-handedly take down a group of troublemakers in the school alley. She was totally terrified by Ursula’s fearless, badass attitude. She just spun around and ran for it.
In the end, Ursula chased after her, grabbed her arm, and tried to explain. But Rosalie was too freaked out
to listen.
The next day, Ursula transferred to her class, booted her deskmate out, and sat right next to her. Ursula said she was going to look out for her and told her not to worry.
Back then, Rosalie was honestly scared of Ursula. She had to secretly ask around to find out that Ursula
was the Reed family’s long-lost daughter.
Apparently, Ursula had grown up in the rural areas. She was used to getting picked on, and that was how
she had built that tough, intimidating presence to survive.
The whole story just made Rosalie feel sad. After that, if anyone tried to call Ursula a “backwater hick”, she would instinctively step up and stand by her side.
Over time, they became inseparable best friends all through high school.
Thinking about it now, Edmond got Ursula out of the sticks back then. How could she act like she owed him nothing? If anything, it felt like she held a vendetta against him.
Rosalie was spacing out and prodding her food when a tall figure loomed over her. She came back to her senses and saw Julian standing up again.
