Chapter 78
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Evening.
On the streets of Santo Domingo Valley district, people were sparse, with paper scraps and plastic trash scattered on the ground.
A solemn black Arasaka luxury sedan was driving slowly along the road, its tires crushing a discarded can, the sound catching the attention of pedestrians.
Inside the upscale and luxurious carriage, Gloria sat on the soft leather seat, sitting upright somewhat stiffly, her hands folded on her lap, slightly tugging at the somewhat silky hem of her skirt.
The outfit wasn't her own choice; Tang Yu had prepared it for her in advance.
After finishing their conversation at home, the two sat briefly in the apartment before two Shinguji attendants delivered the dress personally, with the Arasaka motorcade waiting downstairs well in advance.
The design of the new dress was somewhat complex, requiring the attendants' help to put on.
To avoid impropriety, Tang Yu went downstairs first and waited in the corporate car.
The length and waist of the dress were quite fitting, but unexpectedly, the curvature was designed a bit too tight.
It was alright standing up, but sitting down made it clear that the dress was too constricting, causing Gloria some chest discomfort, and she worried about ruining the hem's stitching.
"This garment is so expensive, it would be embarrassing to damage it, and I couldn't return it to the store."
Therefore, Gloria was extremely careful throughout the journey, her entire body slightly tense, making a concerted effort to keep her abdomen tucked in.
The carriage was silent to the extreme, with excellent soundproofing blocking out all outside noise and a faint, pleasant fragrance lingering at the tip of the nose.
Gloria thought, "The silence is too awkward. Maybe opening a window or playing some music would be better."
"Sigh, I don't even know if I passed."
Tang Yu never gave any indication verbally, his silence essentially an acknowledgment of Gloria's performance, merely giving her a ride home on his way.
Soon, the vehicle slowly stopped in front of the towering H4 skyscraper.
Tang Yu spoke up to notify her, "We've arrived."
Caught up in her thoughts, Gloria snapped out of it, hastily looking out the window and realizing they were at her home.
Gloria nodded slightly to express her thanks, "Thank you, Mr. Tang."
Tang Yu responded naturally, "You're welcome."
As she reached for the car door to get out, she heard Tang Yu add another comment.
"If there's news from Maine, remember to tell me immediately. Keep this connection maintained and don't let it be taken by someone else."
"And lastly, report promptly if you encounter any issues."
Gloria turned to look at Tang Yu, stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant, passion flashing in her eyes as she replied, "Understood!"
After getting out of the car, Gloria stood in place, watching as the vehicle drove off, her mind filled with countless emotions.
She knew that Tang Yu had given his approval.
Gloria had felt a certain awakening.
As an Arasaka agent, no, as Tang Yu's agent, from this moment on, she was entrusting her life and beginning a new journey of fate.
Whether she was headed towards darkness or a new future was not up to her; her only option was to submit and serve.
Suddenly, recalling something, she attempted to gesture for attention, but the cars had already turned the corner and disappeared.
Gloria could only lower the hand she had just raised, then looked down at the expensive dress, her expression a mix of helplessness.
"What should I do with such an expensive dress? Should I return it to Mr. Tang, or perhaps wash it first? But what if they won't accept it after it's been washed?"
Frustrated, Gloria turned and carefully entered the building, returning to her dated apartment.
Clack.
The mechanical door to the room opened.
"Mom, you're finally back."
David sat on the sofa, looking depleted, his right hand covering his forehead, a few drops of blood seeping through his fingers.Gloria saw David injured and hurriedly kicked off her shoes, running barefoot to him. She bent down slightly, her back tight but with no regard for her own discomfort, she quickly checked the gash on David's forehead—it was serious, a deep cut with swelling as if he had been struck by something sharp and hard.
"Does it hurt?" Gloria asked as her finger touched the wound, causing David to shiver in pain.
"Hisss..."
But David bore it, not wanting to worry Gloria, and said helplessly, "I wasn't careful when walking today and took a fall, hitting my forehead by accident."
After inspecting the wound, Gloria said with distress,
"Why weren't you more careful? You're not that young anymore. Bear with it for a second; I'm going to get some medicine to disinfect it."
She quickly turned around to fetch the medical kit—during her time working at the public medical center, she had saved some essential medical supplies.
Most of these external medications were past their expiration date, but not by much, so Gloria had taken advantage of her position to bring some home.
She took out antiseptic pain relief spray and synthetic biotech skin bandages, wiping the blood from David's forehead gently while applying the medicine.
Gloria knew David was lying; the wound clearly wasn't the result of a fall—it was evident someone had hit him hard.
She looked over his clothes, dingy with some water stains, likely from his attempts to clean them.
Gloria didn't want to press for answers, knowing that even if she knew the truth, there was little she could do.
"How long have you been back, and why didn't you apply medicine yourself?"
There was a bittersweet tone in David's voice as he replied with a wry smile, "I just got back, saw you getting out of the car, and didn't call out. I went upstairs first."
Gloria's hands stilled, a mix of emotions welling inside her.
It took her a few seconds to respond with a daze, "David, I'll explain everything to you, okay?"
David looked up, noting his mother's nervous and restrained expression, and asked with some confusion, "Explain what? I know that day at Yu Jin Restaurant, you talked about something with Mr. Tang."
"You came back in an Arasaka company car, you went to meet him, right?"
Gloria was momentarily taken aback, thinking how clever he was to round up the conversation so neatly.
She had been worried that David would misunderstand something between her and Tang Yu, but she soon realized that she was overthinking.
In young David's eyes, Tang Yu was a lifesaver, an executive of the Arasaka corporation, an unattainable aristocrat.
David's counterquestion caught Gloria off-guard, making her feel embarrassed. Chastising herself inwardly, she quickly coughed.
"Cough cough..."
"It looks like you've grown up and become sensible, David."
"I did indeed go to discuss important matters, and I've been meaning to tell you all about it."
"But nothing's been finalized. I'll tell you once it's settled, and trust me, things will get better for us in the future."
Seeing Gloria's warm smile made David feel much better, and the pain on his forehead seemed to lessen.
"Mom, I believe you."
David looked at Gloria, wanting several times to reveal the truth, but in the end, he held back.
After the car accident, he didn't want to make his mother sad or disappointed again.
In truth, the wound on his forehead was caused by being bullied by a classmate.
The culprit was Tanaka Katsuo, and it all started because of rumors he spread, targeting Tang Yu.