Chapter 283 Women, Such a Curious Thing
In the scuffle with Giorgio in the car, she had dropped her phone!
"Driver, I'm sorry, I don't have cash on me, and I've lost my phone too. Could you wait for me to go in and grab some cash? Or if you're not comfortable with that, feel free to come in with me?" she said nervously.
"Don't sweat it, sweetheart. Go ahead," the driver offered magnanimously. Besides, in this day and age, who doesn't pay their fare? And this neighborhood was too upscale for someone to stiff him.
He turned around with a warm smile, "Or you can give me your contact info, and you can Venmo me later. Saves you the hassle of running around in the middle of the night."
"Uh, sure! Thank you so much!" Anna gratefully looked up at him and took his card.
Without a mask tonight, her exquisite face was clearly illuminated under the bright cab lights.
The driver did a double-take, "Hey! Wait!"
"It's you, Anna! Katherine's twin sister!"
"Can't believe I'm actually meeting the buzz in the flesh. What a coincidence!"
Anna quickly covered her face, stammering, "...No, I... I'm not..."
"Ms. Stefanelli, come on, talk to me about yourself! Or how about a selfie or a video, and tonight's ride is on me? First time I've ever had a celebrity in my cab," he said, clearly excited and happy, clutching Anna's hand without letting go.
Anna struggled but couldn't free herself, so she warned him, "Sorry, I have nothing to talk about, and I don't want to take any photos. Let go of me, and I'll go get the money for you. Otherwise, I'll file a complaint with your company."
He was genuinely thrilled at first, but her response clearly annoyed him, "Just wanted to chat. What’s there to complain about? You are being rather stingy, miss!
Oh, you want to make a complaint? Fine, then I'll expose you first, and then I'll call the cops, claiming you're trying to skip out on the fare!"
As he spoke, the driver pulled out his phone and started recording, "Look, folks, I've got Anna here in my cab, decked out in what's probably designer gear, and she's telling me she can't pay the fare? Do people think we, the working folks, are pushovers? This is the first time I've encountered such a situation, and it’s truly frustrating and disappointing!"
Frustrating and disappointing? Who's really feeling that way here?
Anna was so furious that she felt like slapping him, but she didn't want to cause a scene on video. As he reached for his phone to call the police, her headache intensified, and she felt a growing sense of desperation. What if the cops got involved?
Knock, knock.
That's when, at her most helpless, the car window was tapped.
A long, elegant hand with distinctive knuckles could be seen through the window, along with the glint of a man's sophisticated suit and belt buckle.
The driver paused, rolled down the window, and was met with an enchantingly handsome face framed by gold-rimmed glasses that exuded a refined air.
"Hey, who are you? You look so familiar," the driver asked, taken aback.
Anna's eyelashes fluttered as she caught sight of the suave troublemaker's face.
‘Giuseppe, what was he doing here?’
Giuseppe glanced at her nonchalantly, his gaze falling on the driver's hand holding hers. Without answering her question, he remarked, "It doesn't seem right to be holding a girl's hand late at night, does it?"
His voice was courteous, yet it carried an assertive undertone that signaled he was no ordinary man.
The driver quickly let go, his voice shaky as he explained, "She didn't pay the fare. That's why I was holding her."
"Fare?" Giuseppe appeared to inquire casually while his attractive hand was already pulling out a wallet. He took out a hundred-dollar bill and handed it over, "Should this cover it?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's enough," the driver said, grinning as he accepted the money and unlocked the doors.
Anna didn't exit the car immediately. Instead, she took his phone, opened the gallery, and deleted the video he had just taken, tossing the phone back to him, "I didn't do anything tonight, and I expect you won't spread any rumors. Otherwise, I'll sue you."
Only after that did she step out of the car, and without a word, the driver quickly drove away, signaling that the danger had passed.
Anna turned to Giuseppe. She wasn't exactly friendly, but she felt compelled to thank him, "Thanks."
"You're welcome. If Miss Stefanelli really feels thankful, perhaps she could invite me in?" Giuseppe offered with impeccable manners.
Beneath his seemingly affable and gentle facade was a strategic mind.
Anna didn't want to get entangled with him, "Sorry, but it's late and I need to rest. I don't have time for small talk. If you have something important, just say it here."
Her tone was polite yet distant, like a cautious college student keeping strangers at bay.
Giuseppe was surprised by Anna's lack of eagerness to associate with him, especially since she grew up in a rural area and should be seizing opportunities to rise.
He smiled faintly, "That's fine. I just genuinely wanted to meet Miss Stefanelli, particularly since we're the lead characters in tonight's scandal."
He spoke with a nerve that defied guilt or shame, appearing downright righteous.
Anna couldn't help but scoff, "Mr. Vittorio dares to exchange pleasantries in front of someone who knows the truth. Your thick skin and resilience are indeed extraordinary."
"Of course," Giuseppe paused, then took a step forward, continuing with a deeper implication, "I also know about the matter of you standing in for Katherine and Giorgio."
She was shocked he knew!
"Did Katherine tell you?" Anna asked, surprised.
Giuseppe adjusted his glasses, raising a finger and shaking it, "No, I found out a while ago. Miss Stefanelli, it turns out we both share a secret, don't we?"
That was his reason for coming tonight!
He was covertly threatening her not to mention the video to anyone, or he would expose her secret as well!
As expected, no one from the Vittorio family was to be trifled with.
Anna said coolly, "Mr. Vittorio, there's no need for us to pretend to be friends. Let's just say we're like water from different sources, completely unrelated. Goodbye."
With those words, she turned and walked into the neighborhood.
Giuseppe watched her tall and attractive figure receding, squinting his eyes slightly from behind his glasses.
When she had been playing Katherine, he'd interacted with her a few times and hadn't noticed anything particularly distinctive.
Now he saw that she was a completely different character from Katherine—one was like a proud, beautiful plum blossom, the other like a rose among the brambles in a meadow, pretty but with thorns.
She had a certain allure.
...
Back in the villa.
"Anna, what on earth is going on? Why didn't you go back to Vista Heights? Why did you end up as the woman in the video? That's not really you, is it?"
As soon as they entered the living room, Sara bombarded Anna with a flurry of questions.
Sara's unwavering certainty in Anna's innocence stood in stark contrast to Giorgio's earlier anger and punishment. A mix of emotions welled up inside Anna's heart. Despite everyone else doubting her, he never questioned her for a moment.
But then again, she must be of so little consequence to him. Why would he bother to think about it?
"Yikes! Anna, your clothes are torn? Who was it? Who dared to rob you? Tell me, and I'll call the cops!"
"Eh, no!" Anna hurriedly pulled her back, embarrassed and uneasy, "It's not... It was Giorgio..."
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