Chapter 412: You Want to Pursue Her?

Brandon Jacobs came to the apparel mart once again.

Although he arrived a little late today, he knew it was still far from closing time.

When he used to watch her here, she never took a day off, always arriving punctually. Brandon Jacobs had been certain he would see her, but he’d miscalculated.

He waited until closing time, until the crowds dispersed, but the person standing on the circular platform wasn’t her.

After a restless night, Brandon Jacobs went back to the apparel mart first thing the next morning, timing his arrival perfectly.

But the person who showed up for work still wasn’t her.

After watching the new model spin around on the platform for half an hour, Brandon Jacobs finally lost his patience and went into the clothing store behind her.

The shop had just opened, so customers hadn’t started picking out styles yet. The proprietress wasn’t busy. She was sitting behind the cash register, nestled in the arms of a bald man with a thick gold chain, the very picture of a gangster. The two were getting cozy.

Brandon Jacobs had no intention of interrupting their little moment, but...

He tapped on the counter.

"Hello, are you the owner?"

The woman looked up, sizing him up from head to toe before standing up.

"I am. Here to stock up? We only sell womenswear here."

"I’m not here to buy anything. I’m looking for someone."

Hearing this, the light in the proprietress’s eyes instantly dimmed. She carelessly sat back down on the man’s lap.

"I’m running a business, not a detective agency. Who are you asking me about?"

"She was your employee. The tall, thin model who used to be here, where did she go?"

The proprietress sized Brandon Jacobs up again.

’I have to admit, with his height and good looks, he’d be a good match for Donna Thorne. Could he be her boyfriend?’

’But if he were her boyfriend, why wouldn’t he know her name? Or her address?’

"Which tall, thin one? We get a lot of tall, thin, beautiful women in and out of here every day. How would I know who you’re talking about?"

Brandon Jacobs knew how to play the game.

With a calm expression, he took out his phone and scanned the QR code on her desk.

Soon, a notification sound came from the woman’s speaker: "Alipay, one thousand yuan received."

"The tall, thin woman who was working as a fit model here all last month. I don’t know her name or where she lives, so I was hoping you could trouble yourself to tell me."

A thousand yuan earned that easily... as the saying goes, "one can’t be tough after accepting a gift." The proprietress’s attitude softened considerably.

"Her? Oh, her name is Donna Thorne. I don’t know where she lives. We’re not like other companies where you sign an employment contract and fill out a bunch of forms. Here, it’s an on-the-spot interview. If we like you, you start working. If you want to quit, you get your final pay and leave. She was busy modeling outside all day, and I was busy selling clothes inside. We never had time to chat. I really don’t have the time to mind those things."

Then, her tone shifted.

"You’re a handsome guy, and you have a good air about you. You must be from a respectable family. I’ll give you a piece of advice: don’t chase after her. Besides being pretty, she’s got nothing going for her. Especially when it comes to men... she’s a total mess."

’Since I paid her and she still says she doesn’t know, there’s no reason to continue this conversation.’

Brandon Jacobs left the shop and stood in his usual spot, staring at the model on the platform. He waited for another whole day.

Their job was brutal. They didn’t even get time to eat or use the restroom. It was impossible to speak to the model before her shift ended.

When closing time finally arrived, this model, just like Donna Thorne, had long since noticed Brandon Jacobs.

Seeing his handsome face and excellent physique, and thinking that since he’d been watching her all day he must be interested in her, she walked straight over to Brandon Jacobs.

"Hi, do we know each other?"

Brandon Jacobs: "Hello. No, we don’t."

The girl looked at his handsome face. "Well, we do now. My name is Molly Lee. Wanna add me on WeChat?"

Brandon Jacobs didn’t move, his expression calm as he looked at her.

"Are you hungry? Let me treat you to dinner."

Soon, the two of them left the apparel mart together.

The look in Molly Lee’s eyes was one of pure delight; she couldn’t contain the excitement typical of someone her age.

"So, what are you treating me to?"

Brandon Jacobs hadn’t decided. He had no desire to treat her to dinner; he just wanted to ask about Donna Thorne.

His eyes flickered, and he spotted a jewelry store across from the apparel mart.

"Do you like jewelry?"

"What?"

Brandon Jacobs didn’t say anything, simply walking toward the jewelry store.

In less than ten minutes, the girl had a new gold bracelet on her wrist.

She had never witnessed such a blunt, yet impressively generous method of pursuit. She was absolutely falling for Brandon Jacobs.

"You noticed me a long time ago, didn’t you? You’ve been wanting to pursue me, right? What’s your name?"

Brandon Jacobs stopped walking and looked at her. "Do you know Donna Thorne?"

"Donna Thorne?"

"The person who had this job before you."

"Of course, I know her. There’s hardly anyone here who doesn’t. Why are you asking about her?"

"That’s none of your business. I came here today to find her. Do you know where she lives?"

"So, you waited here painstakingly for me all day, offered to buy me dinner, and bought me a gold bracelet, all just to find out where Donna Thorne is?"

Molly Lee’s bliss instantly vanished, replaced by a face full of fury.

"You’ve got some nerve!"

Brandon Jacobs’s expression didn’t change as he watched her calmly.

"So, do you know where she lives?"

Molly Lee was speechless.

’Fine,’ she thought. ’For the sake of the gold bracelet, I won’t hold it against him.’

"I do. Are you trying to pursue her? I’d advise you to give up. She has a bad reputation. She’s a flirt and loves to seduce men. Not just our boss’s husband—I heard she seduced the husbands of several other shop owners, which is why she got fired a while back. You could find anyone you want, so why go for her?"

’Seducing men? And more than one?’

Recalling her cold, constantly expressionless face, Brandon Jacobs simply couldn’t picture her seducing a man.

But he didn’t want to dwell on it.

The only reason he was interested in her was because of Elsa.

He just wanted to see his Elsa one more time.

"Please, just tell me the address. Thank you."

"Her reputation is shot. She can’t make it in this circle anymore. I ran into her a few days ago selling ’roujiamo’ on Food Street. I don’t know her home address, but you can go look for her there."

Brandon Jacobs drove, following the GPS all the way to Food Street.

He walked in, scrutinizing each stall one by one. After about five minutes, he stopped in front of a stall made from a three-wheeled cart. It had a lit sign and looked no different from the others.

On the stall was a deep aluminum pot, steaming. Next to the pot was a spotlessly clean griddle. In the corner of the griddle were several plastic containers, each displaying various ingredients he couldn’t name.

Donna Thorne was wearing a loose, oversized black t-shirt, her hair tied up in a bun. She wore a face mask and was sitting behind the aluminum pot, staring into space.

Although the mask obscured her face, and her current attire had absolutely nothing in common with Elsa, Brandon Jacobs could inexplicably see a shadow of Elsa in her.

That sense of satisfaction, of peace, returned in an instant.

The area was bustling with people coming and going, a lively scene, but her stall was deserted.

Brandon Jacobs stood in the middle of the path, staring at her for several minutes before walking over.