Flashing him a stiff smile, she racked her brain and churned out an excuse.
“Mr. Seet, you’ve got the wrong idea. I’ve been applying quite a few acupuncture treatments to my patients lately, so I just need some exercise to soothe my sore limbs.”
“Oh, really? Should I get you a therapist to give you a massage?”
At the same time, Evan sized her up with a crafty look.
Sensing the bad intention from his expression, it took Nicole no more than a second to understand what he was trying to imply.
“It’s not necessary. I can continue doing exercise at home later.” With that, she gave him another stiff smile before spinning around and taking to her heels out to the courtyard as if she were running for her life.
It didn’t occur to her that Evan would actually turn around all of a sudden.
Should she continue pestering him for the several thousand?
At the moment, two voices emerged in her head. One of them was urging her to go for it because her hard work deserved to be rewarded and she needed respect for her effort.
Meanwhile, the other one was dissuading her because she would be able to make more money from her clinic in the future. If she continued pestering Evan for the money, not only might he not pay her readily, but it might also get her into more trouble in the future.
By the time she returned to the backyard, she had yet to make up her mind.
When she entered the room she found the four kids frantically dispersing from where they had been gathering. They scrambled back to their little chairs while sneaking peeks at her from time to time.
“What’s going on?”
Judging from how flustered the kids looked, Nicole sensed there was something fishy.
Juan, being as quick-witted as usual, giggled. “Mommy, we’re thinking of joining a talent class tomorrow since it’s a Saturday and we don’t have to go to school.”
“Talent class?”
“Yes, Mommy. We would like to learn some talents,” Maya chimed in in an adorable voice.
“Where are you kids going to learn it?”
Nicole was stressed out in an instance at the thought of taking some time off her hectic schedule to enroll the kids to the talent classes.
Knowing they were a bunch of bright kids, she believed they would be able to learn anything just as fine by watching videos online but even so, they would still need the respective musical instruments or equipment to practice their skills. But then again, she really couldn’t afford those with the meagre sum left in her bank account.
“Mommy, you may work at the clinic tomorrow because I’ll be teaching them tomorrow. I’ve already moved all my musical instruments and other stuffs here from Hillside Villa.”
Staring at Kyle with gratitude, Nicole reached out to caress his head. “Kyle is such a good big brother.”
Kyle’s cool face broke into a faint grin which appeared rather stiff. He felt rather embarrassed to receive the compliment from Nicole because they did not actually intend to pick up a talent.
“You’re right. Let’s learn from Kyle by the pond tomorrow then.” After Maya said that, she stuck out her tongue and held her head low to conceal her delight.
Nicole stared at the little girl with bewilderment. “By the pond?”
Nina nodded in confirmation.
That would be the place for that witch to fall into tomorrow.
“Why do you all have to do it by the pond?”
Nicole glanced at the kids inquisitively one by one.
Blinking her eyes in a daze for several seconds, Maya suddenly extended her chubby arms to cover her small mouth.
She needed to make sure she didn’t blurt out anything accidentally so that Nicole wouldn’t have a clue of their plan.
Something struck Juan at that moment as he provided Nicole a vague excuse by telling her that the air was clearer and the environment was nicer by the pond.
At the same time, Kyle and Nina chimed in with him.
For some reason Nicole thought there was something fishy with the kids but she couldn’t pinpoint it.
She reminded them to maintain some distance from the pond to avoid falling into the waters.
“Mommy, we’ve got it.” The four kids nodded at her obediently.
On the following day, Nicole rushed her way to her clinic after making sure her kids finished their breakfast.
As soon as she left, Juan broke into a sinister grin. “My brother and sisters, it’s time to execute our plan.”
Kyle nodded at him before instructing the maids to move the whole drum set as well as two tambourines over to the pondside.
“Maya and Nina, we’ll count on you both from now on.”
The two girls exchanged a glance before making their ways to the courtyard confidently.
Sylphiette just finished powdering her face at that time. The moment she spotted the girls, a trace of resentment emerged in her eyes.
At the same time, she wondered when would Nicole and her kids disappear from Rose Garden.
She felt sickened by the sight of them.
Having cast them a glimpse, she questioned them in a tone brimming with intense disgust, “Why’re the two of you here?”
