Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"It's no trouble at all, Nola. I've really enjoyed our shopping trip."

Roseanne herself had found quite a few treasures.

"Oh, there's a little favor I might need from you," Nola said, her face the picture of adorable pleading.

"What's that?"

"Well, I've been organizing a tea tasting event. It's just a casual get-together where we sip on some tea, chat, and maybe discuss a bit about the art of tea brewing..."

The original instructor was from the renowned Quinlan Tea House, and they had everything set, but last night, the instructor fell ill suddenly and had to be rushed to the hospital. He's still in critical condition.

"...The tasting is tomorrow, and given his condition, he obviously can't make it. I've been scrambling to find a replacement and remembered Leda mentioning that you know your teas and are quite the brewer, so..." Nola paused for effect before continuing, "I was hoping, rather boldly, that you might step in for him. Maybe share some insights on tea culture and show off your brewing skills." This event was her baby, and if it flopped, she'd never hear the end of it from everyone.

Roseanne hadn't seen her tea skills first-hand, only going off what Leda had mentioned. As long as she could hold a conversation about tea and brew a decent cup, it would suffice. Nola wasn't expecting any master-level performance.

"Is that so..." Roseanne pondered for a brief moment, then, seeing the hopeful look in Nola's eyes, she softened, "Alright, then. Send me the address."

"Ah! Thank you, Anne! You're a lifesaver!"

That evening, Roseanne asked for time off from Owen.

Owen inquired about the reason, and she didn't hold back, sharing the details of the tea tasting event.

He even asked for the address.

Roseanne forwarded it to him immediately.

Upon seeing it was at the Bulgari Hotel, about 3 miles from the lab, Owen asked about the end time, 5 pm.

"Traffic's a nightmare during rush

hour. I've got a conference nearbetContent property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

that ends around the same time. I can swing by and give you a dift."

"Thanks, that'd be great."

...

The day of the tea tasting arrived as scheduled.

swne

The who's who of the local elite turned out, largely out of respect for Nola.

As the second lady of the Reynolds family and a notable figure in their social circle, her influence was undeniable. Though billed as a tea class, it was more a social gathering for them, another arena for networking and showing off.

Before it even started, groups

formed, gossiping about the latest circle drama or who managed to snag what from the newest luxury collection.

As the host, Nola was everywhere at once.

"Ah? Mrs. Reynolds, you made it?!"

A voice rang out in pleasant surprise.

Nola instinctively looked towards the entrance and immediately smiled in greeting, "Silver, you're here. Please, come in..."

Silver, the wife of Ferdinand Reynolds, was the de facto matriarch of the Reynolds family.

Nola's husband, Desmond Reynolds, was Ferdinand's younger brother. So Silver was Nola's sister-in-law.

Their relationship, however, was... complicated.

Upon entering, Silver surveyed the scene and couldn't hide her disapproval, "Why choose this place?"

Nola, aware of her sister-in-law's exacting standards, replied with a smile, "The area behind here has hot springs. I thought it would be nice to relax there after our tea. That's why I picked this place."

Silver snorted, "Always trying to play the sophisticate, aren't you?"