Chapter 386: Chapter 386: The Margaret of Their Hearts
Daisy Bell turned to look at him, a trace of melancholy passing through her eyes, "Hmm, this shop has been open for many years now..."
As they spoke, a gentle, slender middle-aged woman walked up to serve the tea.
"Ms. Bell, the usual jasmine tea. And what would Mr. Monroe like to drink?"
"This is Boss Warner’s wife, Miss Wenworth," Daisy Bell quietly introduced to Jasper Monroe.
Jasper Monroe nodded towards Miss Wenworth in greeting, "I’ll have the same as her."
Miss Wenworth smiled and said, "Alright."
Her face showed the marks of time, with fine lines at the corners of her eyes when she smiled, but she didn’t appear old. The lines added a hint of age to her face.
"You sit here first. I’ll go to the kitchen to help, and the dishes will be out shortly." With that, Miss Wenworth headed to the kitchen.
Daisy Bell watched Miss Wenworth’s back with some emotion, "Miss Wenworth really doesn’t age, Boss Warner takes good care of her."
Jasper Monroe subtly steered the topic back.
"Did you come here often as a child?"
"Hmm... My parents brought me," Daisy Bell gently stroked the teacup with her fingers. Jasper Monroe glanced lightly at it, the green porcelain cup made her fingers look even more beautiful and clean.
He shifted his gaze, raised the teacup, and took a small sip.
"Mr. Monroe, you are the largest creditor of the Bell Family, you should know that the Bell Family was quite prestigious for a time back then." Daisy Bell tried to make her tone sound relaxed, but the smile at her lips was evidently a bit forced, "My parents had a great relationship, very loving. My mom loved delicious food, so my dad searched for gourmet shops around the world, taking my mom and me to try them. Here, is where they came every year for their anniversary. Outside of anniversary days, whenever they could reserve a spot, they would come often to eat."
"As for me, I was just their biggest third wheel..." Daisy Bell chuckled, looking out at the moonlight as if returning to years ago, when her parents were still around, "Jasmine tea is what my mom loved to drink."
Jasper Monroe was a good listener, his expression focused without excessive curiosity, calmly watching her without any judgment.
Daisy Bell relaxed in front of the man.
Actually, she had no reason to hide anything from Jasper Monroe, he was her largest creditor, the one she paid off debt for ten years.
No one understood better than Jasper Monroe how much trouble her father caused back then.
"Mr. Monroe, let me tell you a secret." Daisy Bell leaned slightly closer.
Jasper Monroe remained still, just lowering his eyes slightly, "Go ahead."
In that instant, an inappropriate phrase flashed in Daisy Bell’s mind: The Saint Lowered His Eyes.
Jasper Monroe seemed like a saint.
She amused herself with this thought, smiling briefly, before saying, "I wasn’t originally named Daisy Bell. My parents named me Margaret Bell, as in the ’Gem of My Palm.’"
She was born and raised embodying endless love.
"The day after my dad jumped off the roof, I went and changed my name to Daisy Bell... a pun on ’debt.’ I want to always remember my father’s debt, the Bell Family’s debt, every penny, I will pay it back personally!"
Daisy Bell slowly stopped, her eyes showing a stubborn and proud refusal to give in to fate, "I succeeded. I paid off the Bell Family’s debt. In the afterlife, my father can be a clear and honest ghost."
To be able to confidently say these words, she had worked for ten years.
Jasper Monroe quietly watched her, his eyes deeper and steadier than mountains, faint ripples in their depths like mist.
"Congratulations." He raised his cup and spoke, his voice low and gentle, "Miss Margaret Bell."
Daisy Bell couldn’t help but feel a sour nose.
She clinked her glass with Jasper Monroe, "Thank you."
Jasper Monroe didn’t know he was the first to call her Margaret Bell again in ten years.
Ten years had truly been a long time...
Long enough that she nearly forgot she was Margaret Bell, her parent’s beloved "Gem."
Soon, Miss Wenworth served the delicious dishes on the table, each ingredient carefully prepared, appearing ordinary but tasting extraordinary.
Jasper Monroe was accustomed to gourmet food, seeming undemanding but possessing a taste far above average.
Not a single dish could be faulted.
"How is it, Mr. Monroe?" Daisy Bell awaited his review.
Jasper Monroe: "It’s delicious."
Daisy Bell beamed with joy, "Of course, I’m a seasoned regular. Mr. Monroe, now that you’ve enjoyed the meal, can I ask you something? It’s about your friend..."
Jasper Monroe elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin, "You want to ask about Declan Pierce?"
