You win.

Nora was even more scared.

But she is just a poor little girl. Could it be that they have found her and taken her away?" Nora asked worried.

I don't think they found her. If they did, they won't be sneaking around you but would come at you directly or even kill you for stressing them. I think they probably did not find her but suspect that she is with you so they want to confirm if she actually is with you." Ivy reasoned.

"They would have just taken the DNA and fingerprint around the house instead of following me around." Nora thought aloud.

Even though Nora did not notice anybody following her, since Ivy said that there were people following her then it was true.

Ivy thought about it too and saw that what Nora said made sense. They would have just taken the DNA around the house instead of following them around.

"Since you already took the girl, we would see what to do about it." Ivy said to end the conversation because they were already at their destination.

They finally got to the garage of the eatery. As they were trying to park well, two ladies came and stood behind a car. 

One was angry and the other was trying to console her.

"I never imagined this part of him. I wish I can strangle him alongside that lady" One of the ladies said to the other angrily.

"Since you have already broken up with him, you should not think much about it so that you won't be so depressed. Men are like that naturally.

You still remember the one that got disgraced at his wedding right?" the other one said.

The lady probably trying to say follow her advise and  not think about the break up cursed.

"That particular man is worse than the devil. Imagine using marriage to deceive two women at the same time. And who knows what was on the card that that lady threw? It may be something even worse than deceiving the women."

"Little wonder you said two, I was the one that picked the card when she threw it to the crowd. It was an invitation to his engagement with someone else a fortnight after the wedding." the lady said to the other.

The other lady was shocked.

"Is he trying to marry all the women in the world?" she asked no one in particular.

"That man is both stupid and wicked."

Ivy and Nora stopped looking at them and  got off the car. The both of them sighed in their hearts. They knew what they were here for, they had other things to take care about and did not have time for emotions. They found a round table and sat while waiting to be waited upon. They found topics to talk about and laughed at anything they said that was funny.

The waiter that was assigned to their table came for their orders. Ivy placed orders according to her taste while Nora ordered whatever was ordered by Ivy.

The young man with them ordered according to his preference as well. They waited for the food while still cracking jokes and laughing.

Ivy got a text and when she looked at it, she saw that it was a text notifying her that there were people watching them here. The text was sent by the young man seated with them but no one, not even Ivy noticed his actions.

He continued asking her questions as if they were just getting to know each other.  She complied, answering those questions and asking him questions too. Nora was not left out as she got involved in one way or the other in their talk. The atmosphere was lively.

The people watching them saw this scene and concluded that they were strangers who were trying to get to know each other. The deduced that the man was more interested in Ivy.

The waiter came with their orders and served them. Each of them ate their food quietly.

Only the sound of the cutleries making contact with the plates was heard.

When they were done eating, Ivy informed the young man that she would have to go back with Nora as they had relatives in the hospital who were waiting for them. They ordered take outs and the young man went ahead to pay for the food. They were finally heading back to the hospital. When they reached their destination, Ivy exchanged numbers with the young man.  He helped them to carry the take out they ordered into the hospital after which they parted ways.

Everything he did was done in a gentleman-like-manner.

Nora gave her father the food that was meant for him. When he looked at the way the food was packaged and what was written on the disposable plastic  bag, he looked at his daughter and then at Ivy before saying a little prayer and starting to eat. He knew that his daughter would not buy a meal that cost this much but it seems like the lady by her daughter's side didn't care about the cost. 

"I am going home to get fresh clothes for myself from home." Nora informed Ivy.

"Your house is quite far. Why not buy a dress from the store across the road?

Your mum can wake up anytime soon. Use my card." Ivy suggested.

"I won't take long and by the way, you have spent a lot of money on me and I can't  bring myself to ask any more favours." Nora rejected.

"Well then, use your money to buy clothes for yourself. Don't tell me you can't afford just one cloth"

Nora was about to say something when Ivy added.

"If you are not with your card, you can use mine and send the money back later."

Nora finally acquiesced.

"You win."

After buying clothes to change when she must have taken a bath in the evening, she still felt that she still needed to go home and confirm if Annabel has really been taken by those people, she escaped from.

As she was still thinking about what excuse she would use to go out. Her phone rang. It was their course rep who was calling to inform her about a test that has been fixed for over morrow.

She remembered that she still had some things she jotted down when the lecturer taught which she was going to do further research on and from the look of things, she was going to stay here until that day.

She needed the book to revise and also check those things so so she explained the situation to Ivy.

"You need to be here in case of many emergencies. I will send someone to help you get it. You will just have to explain where it is to the person except if you have any secrets hidden in your house then you can go on your own." Ivy still wanted her to stay.

As they were still debating on whether or not, she would go get the book herself, Nora's aunt came out and few nurses went in.

Nora told Ivy to give her aunt's food to her aunt so she would use the restroom.

Ivy knew immediately that Nora was trying to avoid her aunt.

"What's the main issue between you and your aunt?" she asked.

"I'm coming, I'm pressed." Nora said and scurried off.

"I can't continue...."

Ivy had to stop talking when Nora was out of sight.

Her aunt came onto the ward.

"Good day ma" Ivy greeted.

"You are..?" Cynthia asked.

"Ivy, Nora's friend" she introduced herself.

"So I guess, you are the one that financed everything" Cynthia guessed.

"Yea its nothing actually." she said.

"Thank you so much, you don't know the kind of burden you lifted from my heart." Cynthia was grateful .

"It's nothing to thank me for. I owe Nora a favour so I had to do it since I could, in other get even with her." Nora said.

Even though Ivy did not know about the issue Nora had with her aunt, she still said so to make Nora's aunt think better of Nora.

Cynthia was silent.

"Ma, we bought food to eat and also included yours. Do you mind having the food now?" Ivy said.

Cynthia wanted to reject but then, her stomach grumbled and she saw the bag containing the food from the corners of her eye.

"What about Nora, where is she?"

"Hmn, she went to use the restroom."

"Okay." Her aunt said and accepted the food.

It doesn't mean that she had forgiven Nora yet. She looked at the food she saw that the food in the plate was her best food and everything was ordered according to her preferences and the things she didn't eat was not added.

That was so considerate of Nora. she thought.

Wait, did Nora just bribe her now with food. she waived the thought and continued eating.

Nora who was at the door waiting suddenly came out. If she stayed for too long in the restroom, it would be suspicious so she came out and greeted her aunt.

Her aunt ignored her and continued eating not behaving as if the food was bought by herself.

Nora went to the bed and sat down with he conscience pricking at her.

Her dad had long gone out to the veranda where he just looked at the world around him.