Elegance defined the woman. Her long hair was combed back and styled into a chignon. A diamond hairpin held the hair knot in place. A pair of delicate pearl earrings underscored her gentle face and the matching necklace accentuated the royal blue cheongsam that wrapped her curvaceous figure. Rachel immediately recognized the woman. It had been four years since she last saw her, yet she hadn’t changed. She looked gentler than she was in her white gown back then. “Dr. Jimenez, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other,” Rachel said. Clara had seen Rachel from a distance. She just wasn’t sure it was her. And now, standing in front of her, Clara stood transfixed.
A few days ago, Clara had heard that Rachel was still alive. Still, it felt surreal seeing Rachel with her own eyes.
“Cousin,” Ameer addressed her politely. Rachel raised her eyebrows, surprised. Clara was Ameer’s cousin?
“Ameer’s mother and my mother are sisters,” Clara explained when she noticed Rachel’s confused look. “Clara, do you know Miss Bennet?” Ameer threw an inquiring look at Clara and then turned his eyes to Rachel.
“We are good friends.” Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. She and Clara knew each other but not so much that they would be regarded as good friends.
heard the word “friend.” She pursed her lips and looked away. The first time that Rachel heard the word was from Carson. It didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. Carson
she was transported back to a time when a man and a woman came to hurt her badly. That was four years ago. The scene had recurred to her many times over that she vowed
bringing to naught any affection she would have for others. “Oh, I see,” Ameer said as he touched the tip of his nose. Thinking of what
in Baltimore for a month now. There’s a project
Rachel but found her showing no interest in what they
be here, right? I’ll go and see them since I
Rachel and saw the disappointment in his eyes. Clara s eyes darkened. She seemed to know
is Riley,” Clara said. “It would be a good
with her eyes and then
shoulders. It seemed that
interested in Ameer. She knew that look that Ameer had given Rachel. He was looking at Rachel the way Roger had at that
yet, much has changed.” Rachel turned around so that she could rest an elbow on
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!