Iris was very nervous. Despite her trying to make herself appear calm and collected, her tightly-clenched fingers, as well as her dilated pupils, had exposed her emotions. Justin’s gaze landed on the unfamiliar number and he said, “Your phone is ringing.”
“Huh? Oh, it’s probably just a sales call.”
Iris said as she rejected the call again. Then, as if she was afraid that they would call again, she switched off her cell phone. She even tried to gloss over the topic and said with a smile, “They are so annoying. There are simply so many such sales calls these days. It wasn’t easy for us to have a meal together.”
Seeing her like this, Justin merely nodded.
Nora and Justin exchanged a look, neither of them exposing her lie.
Afterwards, even though Iris tried her best to pretend she was very excited and happy about the meal, the two of them could still tell that she was a little distracted.
After all, Nora and Justin were more insightful than most ordinary people and had astounding observation skills.
After the meal, the two bade goodbye to Iris.
Before leaving, Nora looked at Iris again and asked tentatively, “See you at the orchid exhibition tomorrow?”
Iris seemed a little hesitant. It must have been because of those phone calls.
However, she only stayed quiet for a second before she raised her head. “Yeah.”
Her voice was firm.
This showed that she would not be changing her mind again.
She was really taking a gamble. If Nora managed to cure the pot of Ghost Orchids, then she would tell them the truth. If she failed, then she would take the truth with her to the grave, and never cause the children any trouble.
Seeing her like this, Nora and Justin looked at each other again and left.
Nora and Justin were in the same car. Justin was driving. After they turned the corner ahead, he stopped the car.
By then, Nora had already set her cell phone number as an unknown caller. Then, she keyed in the string of numbers that had been displayed on Iris’s cell phone just now.
She had a photographic memory, so she had memorized the phone number with just a single glance.
Nora then handed her cell phone to Justin.
Justin dialed the number without hesitation.
The other party quickly picked up. A man’s voice came through the phone: “Hello?”
A prompt and decisive Justin asked, “Who are
you?”
The other party was silent for a while. Then, he let out a low chuckle and hung up without saying anything else.
Justin: !!
Inexplicably, what Herman had said about Iris cheating on him flashed past his mind.
He frowned.
Nora also frowned. “He kept the call time within fifteen seconds, I can’t trace his location.”
Justin took a deep breath. “Don’t bother anymore.”
Nora looked at him.
Justin said, “I won’t ask anymore. I’ll wait for her to tell me everything herself.”
He didn’t want to investigate anymore.
He had suddenly realized somethingbecause there were always people trying to sabotage his investigations, it would inevitably lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
Nora knew what he was thinking. She gave him a thumbs-up right away and said, “Yup, that’s the way. You’re family, so you shouldn’t harbor suspicions about each other. Besides, from what I saw just now, Iris… I mean, your mother didn’t change her mind just because of that call.”
Justin nodded.
Iris wasn’t a weakling or a pushover.
She had taught Justin to be strong and aggressive since he was a child. This was also why Justin hadn’t believed Herman’s nonsense.
How could Iris possibly be someone who easily accepted fate?
If she really had a lover, then she would definitely have tried to think of ways to spend the rest of her life with him instead of wasting her youth away here.
The next day.
Nora drove to the suburban villa early in the morning.
Iris had dressed up for the occasion and was wearing an elegant and beautiful white fitted dress. She got into the car after she left the house.
The woman didn’t look at all like she was nearly fifty years old. After dressing up, she was dazzling and graceful. Her figure was curvy, and coupled with her fair skin, it was only when one looked closely that one would see any wrinkles on her face. With the way she looked as she stood there, some people might believe it if one said that she was only twenty years old. Nora raised her eyebrows and formed a heart with her hands at Iris.
WS
Iris got into the car, and the two headed straight to the orchid exhibition.
Lauren’s orchid exhibition was held at a hotel in central New York. The orchids she borrowed from various families had all been placed on shelves.
At a glance, there were all kinds of orchids that one could ever think of.
In the most eye-catching position was Matthew’s Ghost Orchid.
The Ghost Orchids were very rare, so they had occupied the central position of the orchid exhibition.
After Nora and Iris got out of the car and entered the hall with the invitation, they immediately noticed the pot of Ghost Orchids.
When Iris saw the orchids, she exclaimed, “Lauren has really cured that pot of Ghost Orchids. They look so full of vigor.”
Only then did Nora reveal something: “There is a problem with her prescription.”
Iris, who was a little taken aback, looked at Nora.
Nora whispered, “Her prescription has one more ingredient than mine. That herb is too powerful. It can quickly allow orchids to look energetic and filled with vigor, but over time, even bigger problems will appear. It’s just like how humans suddenly become very energetic before they pass away. Going by how much time has passed since the medicine was given to the Ghost Orchids yesterday, the Ghost Orchids will wither after another half an hour. In the first place, there are a lot of restrictions when it comes to using drugs on plants. Those who are not proficient in it really shouldn’t do it.”
Iris was dumbfounded. She couldn’t help but say, “Orchidiance has also said that before, and told everyone not to imitate them. Aren’t you also imitating Orchidiance, though?”
Nora raised her eyebrows. Suddenly, her lips curled into a smile and she replied, “Who says I’m imitating Orchidiance?”
Iris: “???”
Then, as though she had realized something, she looked at Nora in astonishment.
Could it be… that Nora was none other than Orchidiance?!
Just as she was about to speak, Lauren entered the hall and said with a smile, “Iris, you’re here! Did you bring any orchids with you today?”
Iris immediately reined in the complicated look she was giving Nora. She looked at Lauren and replied, “No.”
“You didn’t?”
Lauren was shocked. “It is written on my invitation that everyone who comes to the orchid exhibition should bring a pot of flowers, so that everyone can appreciate and admire each other’s flowers.”
After she spoke, Lauren sighed silently and said, “Iris, surely it’s not because you can’t bear to show us your flowers, right? I have heard that you have gathered a lot of rare orchids in your private collection over the years! I am holding this orchid exhibition precisely because I hope that orchid lovers can gather and share their joy with each other. In fact, an orchid exhibition like this should have been held long ago. What’s the point of hiding and keeping all the good things to ourselves? Everyone here is an orchid lover, it’s not like they’ll spoil the flowers, right? Iris, you are being overly cautious.”
Although she said that she was being too cautious, she was instead implying that Iris was too stingy and petty, just so she could highlight how generous and capable she, Lauren, was instead.
A group of people from wealthy families gradually gathered around them. Everyone looked at Iris.
Iris, however, scoffed.
Was she trying to compete with her in terms of eloquence?
She wasn’t someone who would take sh*t from others!
