waking

Chapter 150

Alfred took Naomi to a fancy restaurant, wanting to give his sister all the best, but it was clear that Naomi was very wary of him. Naomi wasn’t the type to flatter anyone or seize every opportunity; she trusted Shawn because he had saved her in both past and present lives. However, Alfred’s family had not appeared in her previous life.

“Naomi, what would you like to eat? My treat.” Alfred couldn’t help but call her by her first name again. Jessie didn’t bother correcting him this time. Naomi pursed her lips and finally wanted to correct his way of addressing her. “Mr. Edwards, could you not call me by my name? You calling me like that is very uncomfortable for me.”

Alfred felt hurt and looked at her sadly. “I’m older than you, and I just saved you. Can’t you even agree to such a small request from your savior? How about this? Be my sister or be my girlfriend, you make a choice!” Alfred seemed to have made a very important decision. “I can’t stand the girl I saved being so distant to me. Naomi, if you don’t choose, it means you don’t take your life savior seriously, and you would be ungrateful.”

Naomi and Jessie were speechless.

Alfred was really desperate. It was okay that Naomi didn’t recognize him as her brother, but he couldn’t help being nice to his sister. There had to be a solid reason for his actions. The term “savior” seemed to fit the situation.

Naomi kept quiet, figuring Alfred might be a little loopy. She was grateful he’d saved her, but his pushiness to be her “big brother” raised some flags, making her wonder what his real angle was.

Jessie cut in, “Ms. Edwards, just take our Mr. Edwards as your brother already!” She went on, “Being his girlfriend is a no–go, even if you wanted to. Mr. Fischer would never sign off on it. I don’t want Mr. Edwards to keel over young. Play along and take him as your big brother. It’ll make things easier for you too now that you’ve offended John.”

Alfred jumped in, “Right! With me here, no one messes with you.” He pounded his chest. “If anyone tries, I will take care of them.”

Jessie shot him a dirty look. “Stay in your lane, business guy.”

Alfred was aggrieved. “Oh, okay.”

Naomi pondered for a long time, weighing the pros and cons in her mind, and finally nodded slowly.

Jessie made sense; being a girlfriend wasn’t happening, and Alfred had saved her life. “Big brother” was a much better deal. Plus, she was curious about his interest in her. “Okay,” Naomi said, feeling weird about it. She couldn’t even look at Alfred.

Alfred was psyched and thumped the table. “Awesome! Here’s a gift to celebrate our

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in his pocket for days, just waiting for the right moment. “Go ahead; check it out.”

get–together, Naomi.” He pulled out a present he’d been hiding

Naomi had to open the black velvet jewelry box he handed over, and she was stunned after opening it. Inside was a pure gold necklace. The gold

necklace was very big, and it looked a bit old, with a small character ‘N‘ engraved on the bottom.

“Naomi, here. This is the second gift.” Alfred took out a black card from his wallet and handed it to her. “Use it as you like, no limit.”

Naomi looked away from the gold necklace, and at this moment, she could feel that Alfred was sincere with her. “Thank you, Alfred, but the gift is too expensive. I can’t accept it.”

“It’s not expensive; if you don’t accept what I give you, you are not sincerely recognizing me as your seriously.” Alfred was determined to use his identity for leverage. “Naomi, you must accept it.”

brother, and you

don’t take your savior

“Naomi, just accept it!” Jessie stuffed the gold necklace and the black card into her hand at the same time. “If you don’t accept it, Mr. Edwards will

not stop.”

Alfred said, “Yes, if you don’t accept it, I will pester you.”

Naomi was speechless. She accepted the gift and didn’t know what

to

say.

Alfred looked at her with caution. “Don’t be nervous and don’t feel pressured. If you need anything or if you encounter any difficulties, just tell me.

I will help you. When you have time and are ready, I will take you home.”

Naomi flatly refused. “I won’t go home with you.” She was on b princess of the Edward family, was a stark contrast to her

own and had no desire to witness the warmth of other families. Ivy, the pampered own situation. They were both women, yet one was the apple of her family’s eye, while

the other had been discarded by her birth parents and treated poorly by her adoptive ones. Naomi couldn’t bear the thought of such a disparity. It would only stir feelings of envy and jealousy.

“Then we won’t go back, Jessie chimed in, cutting off any response from Alfred. “As a brother, Mr. Edwards will definitely stand by your side.

Naomi didn’t take Jessie’s and Alfred’s words to heart. Soon, the steaks arrived. The Western restaurant was impressive, with both excellent food and a pleasant atmosphere. Naomi was a stickler for good food, and the sight of the delicious dishes made her smile involuntarily.

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Chapter 150

“Go ahead and eat!” Alfred encouraged, having seen all there was to know about her. He knew the hadn’t been eating or living well in Javier’s house and had often been mistreated, which caused him great distress. Alfred had already taken steps to track down Javier and Victoria, be wodéd’s la those ungrateful people who had hurt his sister go unpunished. However, Jessie had advised him that Naomi should have her own plan and was handling the Edwards family on her own. As long as she didn’t voice her concerns, he shouldn’t intervene openly but simply offer weppon from

behind the scenes.

Without hesitation, Naomi began to eat quietly. Alfred watched her with a heavy heart, making her feel as if the had just escaped from a refugee

Camp,

After the meal, Alfred offered to drive her back, and Naomi didn’t refuse. “Naomi, you’re going to ML fashion show, right

Naomi nodded, “Yes, I’m going with Joanna

“Oh” Alfred responded, “Can I come to see you when you graduate from your school?”

The private school Naomi attended had its fair share of prodigies who could graduate in as little as a month. Before they could don the cap and gown, though, they had to submit their graduation projects. If these projects won accolades, the school was known to be generous with bonuses. Naomi had already scored a bonus for the three projects that gother in the door, and now she had another thot at it. After a moment’s thought, the nodded, “Yeah, you can”

“Does Joanna have a male companion?” Alfred had initially intended to inquire about her, but then he figured his sister might tell Shawn about it, so he switched gears. “I was playing a role when I pushed you to decide between being a girlfriend or a sister. Truth is, the one I’m really interested in is Joanna

Naomi’s eyes bulged with surprise, and she couldn’t mask it.

Jessie’s lips twitched, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

“Alfred, you should let go of Joanna as soon as you can,” Naomi advised earnestly. “She’s already got her eyes on someone else. Your one–sided love isn’t going to get you anywhere”

Alfred continued, “How do I know it won’t work out if I don’t try?”

“Alfred, I’m cool with you being a ‘third wheel‘ if you want, Naomi said, her tone turning more serious. “But listen, even a guy being a third wheel gets a bad rap, You’ve got money, looks, and status- -plenty of famous actresses would be into you. But Joanna? She’s off–limits.”

Alfred was struck speechless. He had only mentioned it in passing, hoping to find a reason to get closer to his sister, but the more his sister elaborated, the more absurd it sounded, However, seeing the sincerity in his sister’s eyes, Alfred couldn’t bring himself to reveal the truth. “Can I at least catch a glimpse of her from a distance? At the fashion show, I’ll pretend to be your male companion and just get a distant look from afar.

“Why are you doing this to yourself?” Naomi sighed, “Unrequited love will only make you more painful. It’s better to nip these thoughts in the bud

from the start.”

Jessie lowered her head, holding back her smile.

Alfred felt a twinge of regret for causing his sister’s concern and knew he needed to maintain the ruse. “Ah…” He sighed dramatically, “Am I going to get my heart broken before I’ve even had a chance to date?”

“There are lots of good people out there. Don’t pin all your hopes on just one,” Naomi offered, showing him some photos of famous actresses on her phone. “As far as I know, these beauties are all unattached.”

Alfred was at a loss for words.

Jessie was barely containing her laughter, her shoulders quivering. It was the classic case of being hoisted by one’s own petard.

“Well, it’s not like I can’t get over her, but give me some time,” Alfred said, putting on a sorrowful expression. “I’ll drop you off at the Hopper residence tonight and swing by to pick you up in the morning”

“What for?” Naomi inquired.

“To take you to school, naturally!” Alfred said as if it were the most obvious thing. “A brother’s duty to his sister–what could be more normal? Plus, I’m concerned about you dealing with that jerk, John,”

Naomi didn’t object; she had a short time left in Yeonland and wanted to keep the peace. “Okay, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it; it’s my job as a brother,” he said.

As they reached the Hopper residence, Alfred watched Naomi with a heavy heart. “Naomi, spend money freely, I’ve got it. If you want something or feel like treating yourself, don’t hesitate. Don’t let anyone push you around.”

“Got it,” Naomi said, stepping out of the car. Just as she was about to go inside, Alfred quickly added, “What if I get you a building? Like Elaine’s office building, so you can just kick back and collect rent.”

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