Startled by the sudden tight embrace, Cecilia Vaughn was taken aback.
She was about to speak, but the other person caught her off guard by covering her eyes.
"My dearest little Cecilia, guess who I am?"
"There will be a penalty if you can't guess it!"
A sweet and sprightly voice echoed in her ears, like a nightingale, whimsical and uplifting.
Cecilia felt a sense of relief, her pretty eyes blinked slightly.
"Who else but our most beautiful Queen?"
"Alright, Queen Summers, can you let go now?"
Hearing Cecilia's teasing, Mona Summers finally removed her hand from Cecilia's eyes.
"Smart, you barely passed!"
...
As her eyes readjusted to the light, Cecilia had a second of discomfort.
Soon, a familiar and stunning face came into view.
Compared to Cecilia's classical and delicate features, Mona had a face that exuded bold beauty.
An oval face, large eyes, long eyelashes, the epitome of a striking beauty at first sight, complemented by trendy and professional short hair, paired with a white blouse and black trousers, personifying a city lady.
Staring at Mona's shoulder-length tidy short hair, Cecilia spoke up with some surprise.
"I haven't seen you with short hair in years, it looks great!"
Mona curved her lips as she wrapped her arm around Cecilia's waist, her smile blooming like a flower.
"One should change styles occasionally, sticking to the same one is boring. To be honest, Isaac didn't agree at first, but after I cut it, he praised it."
Mona is a year older than Cecilia, and Isaac is her boyfriend whom she met in their junior year of college. Unfortunately, Cecilia had been in prison and had only heard of him, never met him.
Cecilia chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Mona with curiosity.
"You're not married yet, how come Isaac is already part of 'your family'? When will you bring him out so I can have a look?"
Mona, teasingly wrapping her arm around Cecilia's waist, spoke with a carefree tone.
"He's been mine all along, how is he not part of my family?"
"I came today to celebrate your release, to cleanse the misfortune of the past three years. Let's worry about him later."
"Come on! Let's eat!"
...
As promised, Mona had already made a reservation to welcome Cecilia back.
The place called Cinderella's Restaurant, is a French restaurant located in the bustling downtown of Stellerton.
In a developed city like Stellerton, downtown land is incredibly expensive, but Cinderella's Restaurant has a spacious area and a luxurious, costly decor.
Specializing in French cuisine, its style is Borealis-themed, and despite the jaw-dropping prices on the menu, it remains a preferred venue for gatherings of elites and dignitaries.
...
As the eldest daughter of Radiant Group, Cecilia had naturally been here before and knew the prices were exorbitant.
She teased Mona with a smile.
"Are you sure you want to treat me at such an expensive French restaurant? I'm afraid you'd go broke."
Mona pointed confidently at the painted dishes displayed on the restaurant's exterior wall.
"I said I'll celebrate your return, order whatever you want. Though I'm just a salaried worker, I've been working for a year, don't underestimate me."
"Look at your thin arms and legs, so pale and almost sickly from not seeing the sun for so long, it makes me want to…"
It started as a joke, but as Mona looked at Cecilia's thin wrists, tears welled up in her eyes.
The three years in prison had made Cecilia lose so much weight, she was nearly unrecognizable. How did she get through it?
A beautiful, kind-hearted girl like her, Mona just wishes to protect her, how could she go through such an ordeal?
...
Seeing her friend's unconcealed heartache, Cecilia felt both warm and bittersweet.
She quickly hugged Mona and spoke lightheartedly.
"Alright, enough of that, let's go eat, I'm hungry."
Mona sniffed, choked up for a moment, then broke into a broad smile.
"Okay, let's eat, you can have whatever you want today! It's on me!"
...
"Just the two of you? Could you give me your reservation number?"
"A076."
Guided by the attendant, the two sat by the window in the restaurant's hall.
Though dining at Cinderella's Restaurant is expensive, it teems with well-known patrons, making the private dining rooms reservations a must well in advance.
Mona only learned of Cecilia's release at the last minute, so she couldn't book a private room.
Of course, both she and Cecilia didn't mind these minor details.
...
Mona picked up the menu from the marble table and handed it to Cecilia.
"Here, Cecilia, see what you'd like to eat."
Cecilia was about to take it when she saw two graceful figures approaching.
Instantly, they struck her eyes sharply.
"What's wrong?"
Mona, seeing her friend hesitated to take the menu, was puzzled, then followed Cecilia's gaze.
At the entrance of the restaurant, the hostess and floor manager were enthusiastically welcoming two guests.
With nods and bows, the extent of their flattery was astounding.
There were two girls, both in their blossoming years.
The girl on the left wore a waist-revealing red camisole, her cleavage pronounced, and a short black skirt, exposing her pale legs.
Though she looked good, the more eye-catching was the girl she intimately linked arms with.
The girl on the right wore a light blue sleeveless dress, the latest Chanel, with slender, unpainted long eyebrows, pearl earrings, lips red as flowers, slender in figure.
Although she wore oversized sunglasses that hid most facial features, her aura was enveloped in a soft, noble elegance like a shimmering veil.
To be fair, the left girl was also quite pretty, but standing next to the right girl, even if the latter's features were unseen, made the former seem like she belonged to the sordid side of life, never to grace the stage.
...
It was them!
Fiona Vaughn and her haughty sidekick Chloe Alden!
Mona had never approved of Fiona, the feigned innocent flower. If not for her scheming, Cecilia wouldn't have been imprisoned!
As for Chloe, the mayor's daughter of Stellerton, persistently trailing Fiona for years, the two up to no good together, being absolutely appalling!
Mona anxiously glanced at Cecilia, noticing her friend's gloomy demeanor, clearly soured her mood for dining.
"Cecilia, we were supposed to celebrate, who would've thought we'd run into them!"
"Now instead of clearing bad vibes, it's totally smothered!"
...
Cecilia and Mona were seated close to the entrance, and Fiona, seemingly hearing a familiar voice, suddenly cast her gaze in their direction.
At a glance, Fiona was so shocked she nearly stumbled backward.
Was she seeing things?
That woman, Cecilia Vaughn, was released from prison early?!