She cradled it in her palms as if holding a rare treasure–indeed, it was a priceless rarity.
“Didn’t I tell you? What’s yours will return to you sooner or later. What’s not yours, you can’t get it even if you try to snatch it.”
Elliana reached out and patted her back, her smile growing wider.
Romina replied softly, “Yes…”
At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly called out from the doorway, “Daddy Joaquin, you’re here?”
As soon as those words fell, Romina’s heart leapt into her throat.
Lina was playing shuttlecock at the door, which was wide open, so she could see the person entering at a glance.
“Lina, have you been good lately?”
The man took Lina’s hand and quickly led her inside.
Romina instinctively hid the item in her pocket.
Seeing this, Elliana became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing nervously.
Only after seeing Romina hide the item did she finally relax.
“Daddy Joaquin, I’ve been really good lately. I’ve been eating well and attending my classes!” Lina looked up at the man in front of her, a smile tugging at her lips. “My teacher even praised me for being very smart!”
“That’s wonderful!” Joaquin’s smile deepened. “So what reward does Lina want? I’ll buy it for you next time.”
“I’ll have to think about that…”
“Mr. Bowman is here.”
Elliana greeted Joaquin and then walked forward.
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“Mm.”
Joaquin nodded slightly at her, then fixed his gaze on Romina’s face.
Elliana naturally understood the man’s intention. She quickly stepped forward, took the child’s hand, and said, “I’ll take Lina upstairs for a bath. It’s getting late. You two can talk.”
“Alright.”
The man responded calmly, though his voice was a bit lower.
After Elliana took the child upstairs, Romina poured a cup of tea for Joaquin and handed it to him.
Joaquin, who had been sitting across from her, suddenly changed seats and moved to her side.
“Mr. Bowman, what brings you here so suddenly?”
“I came to ask you something…” Joaquin lifted his eyes, looking at her calmly. “I want to know if you recognize someone.”
Romina’s hand, which was holding the teapot, trembled slightly.
A faint sense of foreboding suddenly rose in her heart.
She had already prepared herself mentally, so at this moment, her expression showed little change.
“Mr. Bowman, who are you trying to ask me about?”
Romina curved her gentle lips into a soft smile.
The man held the teacup, playing with it in his hands, but never took a sip.
After a brief pause, he tentatively asked, “May I ask, Ms. Sandoval, do you know someone named ‘Rosella“?”
Romina’s heart seemed to skip a beat, then began pounding wildly.
“I can’t say I know her, I’ve just heard the name,” Romina replied calmly. “I talked about her with Erick before. Apparently, she’s a quartz artisan, fairly well–known in the industry…”
“So you don’t actually know her!”
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The man nodded thoughtfully, then fixed his gaze on her face.
It seemed as if he was trying to glean some clue from her expression.
Unfortunately, he found nothing.
“I remember Ms. Sandoval once said she had other business ventures. I wonder if those are also related to quartz?”
Joaquin continued to probe, his tone still tentative as he sought information.
Romina’s hand, which was holding the cup, suddenly tightened its grip.
This subtle change was caught by the man in front of her.
Romina set down her cup and asked curiously, “Why are you asking so many questions, Mr. Bowman? When the time is right, you’ll naturally find out.”
Joaquin quickly stood up and walked straight toward her.
He fixed his gaze on her, his tone extremely indifferent as he said, “Then when will the right time be?”
The next second, the man suddenly braced his hand on the back of the sofa.
Romina’s whole body instinctively leaned back, her spine pressing against the sofa.
The sudden closeness made Romina inexplicably nervous.
At that moment, scenes of past intimacy kept flashing through her mind…
She swallowed reflexively, responding a bit nervously, “Mr. Bowman, don’t get so close to me…”
“What are you nervous about?” Joaquin suddenly reached out with his well–defined hand and gripped her chin. “Ms. Sandoval, are you really hiding something from me?”
“Mr. Bowman, given our relationship, I don’t have to tell you everything, do 1?”
Romina’s brows furrowed sharply as she braced her hands against his chest, trying to push
him away.
Joaquin suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Even though we’ve never officially defined our relationship, is that really necessary?”
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Romina naturally understood what he meant.
He was saying that, to him, they were already a couple.
But Romina knew very well that if she admitted it now, her situation would become extremely dangerous, and she would drag Joaquin down with her.
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chapter173
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288 Vouchers
chapter 173
