Chapter 416
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Do your parents know you two are moving in together?”
Jenny hesitated for a moment, then gave a small shake of her head
Sophie gave her a “Called it” look.
Charlotte asked, “If Matthew’s moving in with you, what about Luna? She’s still in elementary school, right?”
“Yeah,” Jenny nodded. “She’ll be living with us too. We’re thinking of renting a two–bedroom for now. Once we’ve saved up enough for a down payment, we plan to settle down here in Jersey City.‘
“”
Charlotte added a quick reminder, “Make sure to test for formaldehyde in the new place, okay? You don’t want to end up in a toxic apartment again.”
She turned to Sophie. “Same goes for you. Remember, Matthew’s sister got leukemia from living in one of those poorly ventilated places. Thank goodness Matthew was okay.”
Sophie nodded. “I’ll be careful.”
Still looking skeptical, Sophie leaned back with a sigh. “Look, I still don’t think it’s a great idea to move in together this early.”
“Sophie, I really appreciate your concern,” Jenny said gently. “But Matthew’s not like that. Charlotte’s met him. He’s a good guy, really dependable.”
Sophie turned to Charlotte. “Wait, you’ve met her boyfriend?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yeah. When his sister got sick, I helped them find a bone marrow donor. He really is a good guy–driven, responsible, and genuinely kind.”
Sophie let out a long sigh. “Fine. I’ve said my piece. Whether you take my advice or not is up to you. Still, I hope everything works out between you two. I really do.”
Jenny smiled, raising her glass. “I know you’re looking out for me. Come on, cheers to that.”
“Cheers!”
Charlotte smiled. “When you two get married, don’t forget to invite us to the wedding.”
Jenny laughed. “Of course! You’ll all be there.”
Sophie added, “And bring your boyfriend out to meet us sometime will you?”
“Sure,” Jenny nodded. “Next time for sure.”
They ended up staying at the hot pot place for over an hour, and by the end, both Jenny and Sophie were stuffed.
Sophie had had a few beers and was tipsy by the time they left. She leaned on Jenny and asked with a smirk, “Where’s your boyfriend now? Why isn’t he picking you up?”
Jenny chuckled, “He’s working overtime–earning that rent money.‘
“Fair enough,” Sophie said, pulling out her phone to order a ride.
Charlotte stopped her. “Don’t. I’ll drive you both home. You’ve been drinking. I’d rather not risk it.”
Jenny still lived near her old firm, about ten miles away. Sophie’s place was closer–around three miles from the restaurant.
Charlotte helped Sophie into the car and turned to Jenny. “Hop in,‘ll drop you off too.”
“Thanks, Charlotte,” Jenny said as she opened the car door and climbed in. “Riding in your fancy car again—lucky me.”
Petra was driving. Jenny took the front seat while Charlotte helped Sophie into the back.
After dropping both girls off safely, Charlotte finally asked Petra to head toward her private villa.
She had bought a two–story house in a gated community near her office–convenient for work and with tight security. Petra lived with her, acting as both a housemate and a full–time bodyguard.
They stopped at a red light. As the white Rolls–Royce idled quietly by the curb, Charlotte glanced casually out the window.
Suddenly, she froze. A familiar figure caught her eye.
She rolled the window down, leaning closer to get a better look at the man standing outside a bar just across the street.
“Petra, pull over. Find a spot–quick!” she said, urgency rising in her voice.
