via was copying the records into theputer when Abigail entered with her beaming smile. Earlier, after lunch, Abigail had returned the favor by driving dwin, Phoebe, and Jonas to the hospital, citing responsibility as the reason. However, Eijaz had generously invited the three guests to return to the hospital with him.
“Why are you back? I thought you were heading home,” via asked, and Abigail responded with a shrug before sitting on the long sofa across from via. “Don’t you have other work?”
“None. I’m free. Just finished reloading my ammo,” Abigail replied casually, choosing to focus on the CCTV.
“Gilbert?” via asked again. The mention of ‘ammo’ indirectly reminded her of their previous conversation about Gilbert, who was a photographer working with Abigail.
Abigail paused for a moment before turning to look at via with a puzzled expression. “Why bring up Gilbert?”
“You mentioned reloading ammo. Automatically, my mind goes back to Gilbert,” via answered nonchntly, continuing to input data into herputer.
“Ignore Gilbert. Toss that guy into the sea,” Abigail said again with a sarcastic tone.
via smiled. “Alright, alright. I’ll tell him to throw himself into the open sea if he ever meets you.” via joked. “So, what ammo are you talking about?” she asked, curious once again.
Abigail turned to her friend. She had a n in her mind, but of course, it wasn’t a secret if she revealed it to via.
“There is something. Something that definitely concerns my future, your future, and our future. Just pray that everything goes smoothly for me,” she requested sincerely.
via smiled again. They were friends and now considered each other as cousins. Of course, via would always pray for her happiness, even without Abigail asking.
“How about the reports from the two restaurant branches that you took earlier?” via finally chose to shift the conversation. She knew that if Abigail had a secret, she would keep it until she was ready to share it.
Abigail opened her sizable handbag and handed over two differently colored folders containing the financial reports to via. Yes, their tasks for their cafe were divided. via was assigned to handle financial matters and bookkeeping, while Abigail took on the fieldwork, monitoring the cafe, collecting reports, and handling any issues between employees and customers, although the third point rarely urred. In terms of roles, via acted as the administrator, while Abigail yed the role of public rtions.
“What about social media advertising and promotions?” via asked again.
“Smooth. Theunch of the new menu is ready to be circted this weekend. Currently in the editing process,” Abigail replied casually.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.
Yes, another task for Abigail. As a social media influencer and model, her job allowed her to promote their cafe on her social media tforms. She also became the icon of their cafe. Whether she liked it or not, it had to be acknowledged that she yed a crucial role in attracting customers to their cafe, although via was mostly the brain behind many aspects.
A few hourster, Tobby’s driven car entered Antony’s parking area. Actually, via herself owned a private house that she bought with the earnings from her business over thest five years. Initially, she bought a piece ofnd at the suggestion of her uncle, Altezza, who worked as an architect. Her uncle said that investments in real estate, especiallynd and houses, would be more valuable over time. So, when via saw and for sale announcement, she consulted her uncle for advice on pricing and location. When her uncle personally inspected the area, negotiated the price, they ended up with via purchasing the one-hectarend.
If you’re wondering where via got her money, it came from her father. Not by asking, but since the third grade, when she was only nine years old, via had been diligently saving. While her mom’s wealth came from inheritance, business, and her intelligence in investments, via started by saving the monthly allowance her father sent through her grandmother and the pocket money she received from her uncles, all of which she managed with the help of her grandmother.
Then, when via got to know ire, she started learning about business by making simple local cakes that she could sell at the school canteen. No one knew about this except her family and Abigail. And when her father found out, despite initially forbidding her due to concerns about via getting tired and neglecting her schoolwork, he eventually gave in after being promised that she could handle it.
Academically, via may not be as brilliant as Abigail or Haisley. Among them, via ranked third, with Abigail at the top. Nevertheless, her grades were not disappointing, and she managed to secure a schrship when applying to one of the prestigious universities in California.
Back to the issue of the house. After via decided to buy thend, she continued to save, even though at that time, she had enough money to build a modest home. However, via and Abigail had ns to start their business. A year after they graduated, and after via was dered able to move freely following an ident, she and Abigail started their culinary business, which is now thriving. The capital they invested returned even in their first year of operation.
All thanks to the support of their parents and Abigail, who chose to continue her career in the modeling world, expanding their market share.
A year ago, before via decided to pursue her Master’s degree, she had another discussion with her uncle and eventually created the design for a modern two-story house that is now afortable residence. The spacious backyard became her private garden, surrounded by high stone walls epassing all of via’s property. As for the interior design, via herself arranged it ording to her passion.
Her uncle had actually offered via a position in his architecturalpany. However, via’s father didn’t allow it. He wanted via to eventually take over his position at Coskun Company. Whether working with her uncle or her father, it was the same for via. After all, both were in the construction industry.
via got out of her car and recognized another vehicle. She entered from the back yard as usual and noticed the area was empty, so the car’s owner and her mother were probably inside.
She headed straight to the kitchen, where she found her mother, who was in her third trimester of pregnancy, standing with her big belly alongside her grandmother, Julie Hampton.
“Just got back, dear?” ire Hampton, now ire Quirino after marrying via’s father, Antony Quirino, greeted her. via nodded, approached, and hugged her stepmother before kissing both of the woman’s cheeks, then turning to her step-grandmother.
“When did Grandma arrive?” She asked politely. Her father’s house and her grandmother’s house weren’t too far apart. It only took about five minutes by car to get there. That’s why they referred to themselves as neighbors. However, because via’s parents had chosen to live in Manhattan before, her grandmother rarely visited.
Now that her parents had returned to Kansas, her grandmother visited more often, and that was one of the reasons why via preferred to stay in her own house rather than her father’s. She only stayed there if her mother, father, and younger siblings were present.
“Not long ago, dear. Were you at the cafe?” Her grandmother asked, and via nodded. “With Abigail?” via nodded again. “That child. dwin keepsining to me, asking him to convince her toe back home and not stay in the apartment all the time. But she always has reasons.”
“Why does it matter if Abigail stays in the apartment? As long as dwin doesn’t live there, Abigail helps him manage the ce.” ire said, puzzled.
“The problem is, dwin says he’s ufortable. They’re both adults now, maybe he’s reluctant to bring his girlfriend home if Abigail is there. But your nephew is just stubborn.” Her grandmother grumbled, and via responded with a smile. “dwin too, until now he hasn’t introduced his girlfriend to me.” Her grandmother continued to grumble, and via, who was sipping her drink, froze.
“Well, maybe he doesn’t have one yet,” ire replied, trying to calm the situation.