Chapter 60
“I get it,” Edison said, giving Claire a curious once-over.
There was no denying the resemblance between Claire and Pandora. It wasn’t just in their features the way they clicked made them seem even more alike. It was no wonder that the moment Pandora finally found her, she whisked her straight to VIA Metropolis for a shopping spree.
Edison was nobody’s fool. If he wasn’t sharp, he wouldn’t be running the entire VIA Group for Pandora. It was obvious he could tell just how much Pandora already adored her granddaughter.
“Hi, Edison,” Claire greeted.
Edison grinned. “What a sweet kid. So, today’s all about shopping for Claire, right? Go ahead, pick whatever you like. My treat p>
Pandora looked pretty pleased when she heard that. “Don’t try to save Edison’s money,” she said with a little smile.
From then on, Claire just went with the flow. They shopped for everything-clothes, shoes, socks, bags. By the time they were done, she’d ended up with four or five full sets of everything.
Honestly, if Pandora hadn’t run out of hands to carry all the shopping bags, Claire had no doubt she would’ve kept going. Even the most energetic person would be wiped out after a shopping trip like this. It felt like Pandora had saved up twenty years’ worth of shopping energy for this one day.
Pandora didn’t just buy things for Claire. She picked out a couple of outfits for herself, too.
The truth was, Cindy’s old clothes hadn’t been cheap, either. Most had been custom-made at a shop run by one of Pandora’s old friends. Since Cindy was still a student, Pandora always chose comfortable styles for her. Cindy’s looks were a bit more understated than Claire’s, so the clothes Pandora picked were usually simple and classic.
But Cindy eventually decided she didn’t like the clothes Pandora bought. She preferred to shop for herself, and her wardrobe just got worse over time. That couldn’t really be blamed on Pandora. Cindy just had her own sense of style, and Pandora let her do her thing. She gave Cindy plenty of money, but most of it ended up going to charity. Cindy was always helping other people, so she barely spent anything on herself. That was probably why she’d always felt broke, no matter what.
After the marathon shopping, Claire pulled out her phone to call Darwin for a ride, but Edison waved her off.
“No need. I’ll drive you two home p>
Edison had a driver, so he didn’t have to get behind the wheel himself. He sat up front while Claire and Pandora practically melted into the back seat, totally exhausted.
“Pandora, should we drop things off at my place first?” Edison asked.
He had a place in the city, and Pandora always stayed there when she came into town.
“We can leave so
some of the bags at
your place,” Randora agreed, thinking it over. She started
wondering if she should get Hearth & Kettle ready for Claire. Claire seemed to really like that place, and if she wanted to stay there it wouldn’t be a problem. With separate entrances for the front and back yards, it wouldn’t interfere with the White family’s business at all.
“Sounds good.” Edison told the driver to head home.
His house was spacious, so it didn’t take long for him to have a room set up just for Claire.
“Is it really okay to leave my stuff here?” Claire asked, a little uncertain. She didn’t like the idea of relying on someone else’s hospitality. If she was going to stay somewhere she preferred having her own space.
“Don’t worry,” Pandora reassured her, clearly picking up on Claire’s hesitation. “Edison lives alone. He’s so busy with work always out early. and back late. You probably won’t even run into each other p>
“And besides, you’re starting school soon. Are you planning to live on campus, or commute p>
Claire frowned, thinking it over. She’d always commuted before, but this place wasn’t exactly close to the school. It would mean getting up earlier than she was used to.
She figured she’d put in a request for a dorm room at school and see if she could get it approved.