No Strings Attached

Chapter 504

Back in the day, when his vision failed him, and she lost her voice, they communicated through a unique chat ID. The phone was designed for the visually impaired, with every message being read out loud. And through this number, he only contacted with No. 11. He never used it to contact anyone else. Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.

Ian stared at the message on his phone, lost in thought.

[No. 99, can you see me? I’m waving at you.]

So, this girl in front of him was the No. 11 he had been searching for. Ian looked in her direction again, and the girl gestured in sign language. [No. 99, long time no see.]

At this, Ian’s gaze faltered. That was the only piece of sign language No. 11 had taught him.

She had said, if they ever met outside again, they would use this to reach out to each other.

Seeing this, he’d recognize it was her.

Ian stood rooted to the spot. His dark eyes fixed on the girl by the window. All the clues indeed pointed to what only he and No. 11 would know. He shouldn’t doubt who she was anymore.

However, the timing of this girl’s appearance made him question everything. He had just had a fallout with Clara, and then No. 11 suddenly showed up.

Was it a coincidence, or someone’s deliberate arrangement? If it was orchestrated, then who was this girl? And where was the real No. 11?

With these thoughts, Ian nodded slightly at the girl, then walked into the café.

Joy that she couldn’t hide spread across the girl’s face. “No. 99, how are you?” Her voice was soft and enchanting, intoxicating to listen to.

Ian smiled. “Why did it take you so long to find me?”

When she heared this, the girl’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She looked at Ian for a long time before speaking, “After I got discharged, my family faced a crisis. My dad’s company faced a financial meltdown. My stepmother took the money and ran away with another man. Overwhelmed by stress, my dad took his own life. I had to take over the company’s affairs, but years later, unable to sustain it, I sold the company.”

Ian’s eyes flickered. “You sold the company and then donated the money to the hospice?”

The girl nodded gently. “When my dad was running the company, he engaged in illegal businesses. I didn’t want to use that money, so I donated it.”

Ian looked at her calmly. “Then why did you leave a message saying there’s no more No. 99 and No. 11?”

When she heared this, the girl’s gaze turned sorrowful. “Because I accidentally saw a news piece about you. I realized you are the CEO of Hayes Corporation, a person of high stature. At that time, my dad’s company was under investigation, and I was worried it would negatively impact you, so I decided to cut ties with you. Later, I wasn’t implicated, and after donating all the money, I secured a stable job. I had to be truly self-reliant before daring to meet you.”

As she spoke, tears sparkled in her eyes. Her gaze was pure and sincere, devoid of any scheming, just like No. 11 from the past.

Even knowing he was a corporate CEO, she never asked him for anything. Their relationship was purely about mutual redemption and comfort, untainted by any self-interest.

Ian took a sip of his coffee. His expression was serene as he looked at the girl. “What’s your name, and where do you work?”

“I’m Zora, working as a secretary at a multinational corporation.”

Ian pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Zora. His voice was deep. “If you need anything, you can call this number. I have to go now.”

Then, he turned and left the café.

When she watched his departing figure, Zora’s eyes, which had been filled with a smile, gradually dimmed.