THE SCHEME

Bella Halty was going on a blind date today, her 12th time this month.

She was painting a landscape when her mother Bobby Hice called to remind her of the date. Only then did she remember that she had an appointment at 19:30.

The clock told her that it was almost time.

She grabbed a cloak and hurried downstairs.

According to Bobby's description on the phone, the man was a success in the finance industry and was just back from the UK to find a lifelong partner.

"You must behave well this time. He's the last good man I know. If you miss him, you can find no one better than him," the old woman said over the phone. Afraid that Bella would be offhand with the date, she threatened, "If you mess it up, wait and see how I'll punish you!"

"Please don't worry. I promise I'll bring a son-in-law to you this time," Bella smirked flatteringly.

She raced all the way to the rendezvous.

Clack! While she was running like a gust, her heel was caught in a crack. With a stumble, she almost kissed the ground.

She regained her footing and lifted her shoe, trying to get the heel out of the crack. But the heel didn't move a bit as if it was rooted to the ground.

This made her rather anxious. Why was she so unlucky today?

She exhaled deeply and peered around. Thankfully, the passers-by were all in a hurry and didn't bother to look at her.

Taking off her shoe, she stood on one foot and wobbled uncontrollably. Angry, she put her bare tiptoes on the ground, squatted down, and tried to pull the shoe out with one hand. But however she tried, the heel was still firmly stuck in the crack.

She huffed irritably, "Are you going against me on purpose?"

While she was anxious and helpless, she heard a magnetic, deep voice, "Watch out!"

A pretty hand reached over to protect her from teetering.

She was astonished by the moist warmth from that hand.

As the man squatted, Bellia could only see his short black hair and tan neck.

He did not use much strength, afraid to break the heel. With a few attempts, he finally got the heel out of the crack.

"Thank you." Bella took the shoe hurriedly and patted her toes. With her head lowered, she put on the shoe.

A white tissue appeared in front of her.

Bella hesitated for a moment and landed her gaze on his well-shaped hand. Who could own such a hand except for a pianist?

When she wanted to say "thank you" again, he had turned around.

She lifted her head and glanced at his side face that sent her heart pit-a-pat. Never had she felt fascinated like this before!

Stunned, she watched him leave until that cream-colored windbreaker became a spot in the distance.

The door of the club was pushed open.

The baroque style of decoration was rather dazzling. Bella drew her attention from the gorgeous colors and pulled out a note from her pocket. Then, she dialed the number.

Finally, she saw that "good" man. He had short hair, a medium figure, and an ordinary square face. Basically, he was the type that was inconspicuous among the crowd, which meant he would have a more brilliant career if he chose to be an agent.

"I'm sorry to be late. I was stuck in traffic." Bella said apologetically as she folded her cloak and placed it on the backrest. Then, she sat down opposite him.

"Miss Halty, you're 21 minutes late. If you were my business partner, I would doubt your sincerity. Within 21 minutes, the stock market can go up or down by a few percentage points, which is enough to bankrupt many people," the man said seriously.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to be late." Being severely preached, Bella could only apologize again.

Softly, she brushed her wet hair. She had been in such a hurry when going out that she hadn't taken an umbrella. Afraid to be late, she could only run ahead against the rain.

After running a long distance, she looked a little pale. Her rain-soaked hair stuck to her forehead, making her a bit awkward.

With a frown, the man handed a tissue over. "Wipe your hair."

Bella forced a smile and took the tissue. "Thank you."