Chapter 349

Lina hadn't experienced much darkness, unlike Grace, who had seen so much in prison she sometimes lacked the strength to cry.

"Poof!" Lina Sweeney spat out her unfinished pudding, quickly wiping it with a tissue. "At least joke when I'm not eating, Grace. You're taking it too far," she said.

"I mean it," Grace replied.

They stared at each other. Finally, Lina laughed. "We're not meant to be, even if he still loves me. The Stephensons? My life would be one big family feud! With my skills, I'd be beaten to a pulp."

She shrugged. Once she repaid her debt to Hadwin Stephenson, she'd be free.

Changing the subject, Lina asked, "Let's not talk about that. You got a new job. How is it?"

"Not bad," Grace said. "It's a small restaurant. The salary is $4,000 a month. It's not much, but the owner is nice, and I get along with the coworkers."

"That's great, but it's not sustainable," Lina said. "You're brilliant. Have you considered getting another certificate for better job prospects?"

Grace gave a wry smile. "I can't even get a receptionist job. A certificate wouldn't help."

Lina was taken aback. Her best friend's criminal record was the problem. The solution was to overturn her conviction.

"I'll keep an eye on the witness I mentioned," Lina said. "The private investigator thinks he can find substantial evidence soon. Once we have it, we'll go to S City to resolve this."

"All right," Grace said gratefully. Only Lina still believed in her innocence.

"What's there to thank me for? It's my pleasure!" Lina quipped. "I'm waiting for you to get rich and take care of me after your case is overturned. Then I can just enjoy life."

Grace smirked. "All right, I'll take care of you and make you fat."

Lina propped her chin in her hands, gazing at her friend's smile. "You look great when you smile, Grace. You should smile more."

Grace sighed. Since when had laughter become a luxury?

They ate and talked. Lina's phone rang. After the call, she looked at Grace helplessly. "My mom called. I have to go on my blind date. Let's get together again soon."

"Sure," Grace replied, watching her friend leave. She envied Lina's worries; she didn't even have a mother to pressure her into blind dates.

Lina hurried to the supermarket her mother had specified. She saw a man resembling the photo her mother had shown her, waiting at the entrance. She called his number; his phone rang.