When had she come over? How had he not noticed her at all?
It had only been a few days since he last saw her, yet something about her felt different now. She seemed more radiant, more composed, with a faint air of maturity that made her stand out from the crowd without trying.
Vanessa was also stunned for a moment, but she recovered faster than Andrew.
Seeing him standing there dumbly, doing nothing while the money was taken, anger flared in her chest. She struggled up and shouted sharply, "Andrew, what are you standing there for? Are you blind? Didn't you see her take the money?"
Her voice rose, shrill with panic. "Go after it! Get the money back! Hurry up, do you hear me? Go now!"
Andrew was jolted awake by Vanessa's sharp shout, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. His dazed thoughts scattered instantly. What was he spacing out for just now? The money was right there, about to be his, yet he had actually let someone snatch it away.
