"Put the person in the car."
Looking at the young girl who drank white wine like water, and even gave him a provocative look while drinking, Amos Smith's eternally stoic face finally showed a hint of softness.
With that order, Manson, sitting in the front passenger seat, opened the door and got out of the car.
"Miss Norris, my apologies."
As Bertha Haines struggled desperately, she still clutched the wine in her arms. Once inside the car, her wine was taken away, leaving her a bit resentful, and she angrily gestured at the man beside her.
[That is the wine I bought with my money, how dare you not let me drink it! Give it back!]
Amos Smith calmly responded, "It covers the cab fare."
Bertha felt extremely aggrieved, her lips pursed, almost on the verge of tears.
Everyone bullies her!
Seeing him pull out two tissues from the tissue box and hand them to her, she refused to take them, instead wiping her tears with her hand, stubbornly refusing to use anything from him.
She doesn't even want the tissues!
Then, she heard a soft laugh; he was laughing at her!
"Little ones aren't allowed to drink alcohol."
What little ones!
She glared at him, angrily gesturing: [I'm not a little one; I'm already 18 years old!]
But he suddenly asked her, "Do you know the consequences for a girl getting drunk?"
She wasn't stupid; she had read many social news articles. A drunk girl could very likely lose her innocence, or even her life.
[I can hold my liquor; even another bottle won't make me drunk!]
She wasn't boasting; she had trained her drinking ability with her grandfather.
Their work involved retrieving corpses, even in the coldest winters, and drinking could warm the body, boost courage, and wash away all unpleasantness.
"Noted," Amos Smith reassessed the young girl beside him, noticing she had ingested half a bottle of red wine and a small half of white wine, yet her mind was still clear. Indeed, her tolerance was impressive, "Ever been to an amusement park?"
Bertha froze at his words, then shook her head.
She had wanted to go before but neither had the money nor the time. Now, although she had money, it wasn't really hers, and she did not want to spend it carelessly.
With just a glance from Amos, the driver immediately changed directions.
Bliss Paradise was a Smith Family asset.
Old Master Smith had built it for a young Amos Smith, but his childhood friends and two nephews enjoyed it the most.
Spanning thousands of square meters, the amusement park had dozens of attractions.
Bertha was not greedy; she only rode the Ferris wheel once and the carousel once.
She never expected that her first amusement park visit would be with a strange older brother.
And Amos Smith never expected that his first amusement park visit as an adult was neither with his two nephews nor his future children, but with a young girl he'd only met twice.
"Feeling better now?"
Bertha nodded; although her mood hadn't completely dissipated, she felt much better than before.
"In the future, when you're in a bad mood, don't drink alcohol. Marvin Howard knows this place too. You can ask him to bring you here or come on your own if you remember the way."
Bertha was a bit surprised at Amos Smith's permission, but also happy.
Although... but...
How could she have the face to come again?
However, she would definitely remember those who treated her well, and if given the chance, she would repay them in the future.
—
After leaving Bliss Paradise, Bertha was sent back to the Norris Family by Amos Smith's people. Upon her return, visitors were present at her home.
"Why is your phone off?"
Her birth mother was worried, hurriedly welcoming her as soon as she returned, but when she caught a whiff of the alcohol scent on her, her brows furrowed unconsciously.
"Have you been drinking?"
Bertha thought she had upset her birth mother, so she bowed her head silently, but her birth mother pulled her into the living room, smiling as she introduced the visitors.
"This is Mr. Page's family, who just returned from Salton Borough and will now settle in Fleur City."
Mr. Page? She had heard her birth mother mention him several times before.
Unable to speak, she could only give a slight nod toward them, but when her gaze landed on Sebastian Page, she couldn't help but pause for two seconds.
Short brown hair, a white T-shirt, and gray casual pants.
Wearing a black mechanical watch on his wrist.
His height was likely above 1.85 meters, with sharp, defined features—a standard handsome guy.
This young man was twenty years old and, reportedly, studying at the best university in Salton Borough. He had consistently ranked among the top in academics and could play instruments and compose music.
Such excellence, yet it couldn't change the fate of his arranged marriage.
Her birth mother had told her that she and Sebastian Page were childhood sweethearts.
He was supposed to be engaged to her when she turned eighteen. If the Norris Family hadn't discovered a year ago that Nancy Norris was not biologically related to them, perhaps Nancy would already be Sebastian Page's fiancée by now.
But... there are no ifs.