Originally, Bella's old father wanted to accompany them to New York, but he couldn't leave Fox Town for long.
Fox Town needed someone steady to oversee things, and after both Angie and Bella's combined persuasion, the old man finally relented.
Before he left, though, he made sure to leave them with instructions:
If anything happens, call me immediately. I have a few trusted friends in New York who can lend a hand if needed.
His departure left a bittersweet atmosphere behind, but Bella and Angie quickly adapted.
Next came Angie's recovery days.
Bella had to admit — the nature of her magic power was a bit outrageous. When she infused magic into her own body, it not only strengthened her in all directions — combat ability, perception, agility — but also subtly transformed her magical essence.
Now, apparently, it even had a therapeutic effect.
Of course, it wasn't as miraculous as Deadman's ability to regrow flesh and bone overnight. But it significantly accelerated natural recovery — closer to what modern regenerative technology might achieve.
And that was more than enough.
Thanks to Bella's continuous input of magic power, Angie's body healed at a shocking speed.
Within just three days, Angie had regained the strength to eat, drink, and even sit up in bed to watch dramas on her laptop.
The attending physician, Dr. Steven, was visibly stunned after a follow-up examination. After carefully checking Angie's condition, he shook his head in disbelief and muttered,
"This young lady's physique is... truly beyond ordinary human standards."
And it was true.
Angie was eating heartily every day, binge-watching her favorite series from her hospital bed, and except for being temporarily barred from outdoor activities, she looked more like a spoiled patient enjoying a holiday.
A week passed like this — fast and uneventful.
Normally, the recovery period for such injuries would have taken at least a month, even with attentive care.
But thanks to Bella's diligent magical healing, Angie was discharged after only a week.
Under Dr. Steven's regretful gaze, Bella led Angie out of the hospital.
The doctor had even timidly proposed collecting blood samples for research purposes — his tone casual, but his eyes sparkling with the enthusiasm of a scientist facing the unknown.
Bella simply smiled without responding.
Angie, on the other hand, outright rejected the idea.
From the moment they met, she had found the handsome Dr. Steven a little suspicious — and the blood sample request was the final nail in the coffin.
"He's definitely up to no good," Angie muttered as they left. She was now thoroughly convinced that trusting this doctor any further would be pure foolishness.
As soon as they got home, Angie made a beeline for the large blue cat waiting inside.
After being separated for a week — hospitals not allowing pets, of course — Angie's longing had reached explosive levels.
Now, she practically tackled Nina to the floor, hugging her tightly.
The poor fat cat struggled pitifully, letting out distressed meows and occasionally shooting Bella desperate, pleading looks.
Bella, cold-hearted as always, simply tossed Angie's change of clothes into the washing machine and walked into the kitchen to start preparing lunch.
She left Nina completely at Angie's mercy.
If cats could cry, Nina would've been sobbing right then and there.
o(╥﹏╥)o
Angie was in no mood to show mercy. After all, a week without Nina felt like a year.
To celebrate Angie's return, Bella cooked up a real feast.
She even considered opening a bottle of wine — but ultimately decided against it.
Strictly speaking, according to the law in the United States, you had to be 21 years old to drink alcohol.
Bella and Angie were both just 20.
Not that Bella particularly enjoyed drinking, anyway.
A little red wine on rare occasions was fine, but she didn't crave it.
So instead, she focused her energy on the food.
Seafood pasta, a gorgeous cheese salad, a rich cheesecake, perfectly seared steaks, grilled lamb chops — the table was a mouthwatering display of culinary craftsmanship.
It took her an hour and a half to prepare everything, even with all the ingredients already washed and prepped beforehand.
Just looking at the dishes was enough to make anyone drool.
As for leftovers?
That was never a concern.
Between Bella's monstrous appetite and Angie's youthful energy, not a single bite would go to waste.
Even Nina benefited — Bella slipped her a little grilled fish, which the blue cat devoured eagerly after finally escaping Angie's bear hug.
The meal was a pure, joyful feast.
Afterward, Angie volunteered to wash the dishes.
Proper, light exercise was beneficial for her ongoing recovery, after all.
Plus, this was their usual arrangement — Bella cooked, Angie cleaned.
The rhythm was so natural between them that no words were needed.
Two days of comfortable, lazy rest followed.
But by the third morning, Angie was getting restless.
After breakfast, the two lounged on the living room sofa, half-watching the news.
Neither was particularly interested in the day's headlines — celebrity gossip, political scandals, stock market crashes.
Suddenly, Angie turned toward Bella, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
With a flattering grin, she said,
"Bella, let's go out and play!"
Bella raised an eyebrow lazily, crossing one long leg over the other while cuddling the content, purring Nina.
"Go out and play? Hmm... depends. Where do you want to go?" she asked absentmindedly.
At that moment, a news segment caught Bella's eye — footage of some rich kid's racing accident at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Angie was practically bouncing in place.
"The Stark Expo is happening tonight! Let's go check it out!" she said eagerly.
Bella blinked.
"Stark Expo?"
"Yeah! It's supposed to be amazing. Hammer Industries is unveiling something big, and Iron Man himself — Tony Stark — will make an appearance!" Angie explained, her face glowing with anticipation.
Bella stared at her blankly.
There it was again — this girl's uncanny curse.
Wherever danger was brewing, Angie would somehow sniff it out and volunteer to dive right in.
Bella sighed and leaned back against the sofa.
"Angie, you do realize that you need an invitation to get into the Expo, right?" she said calmly.
Angie froze, her excitement faltering.
After hurriedly checking her phone, her face crumpled in disappointment.
"Ugh... you're right. It says you need an invitation letter," she muttered, deflating like a balloon.
Bella reached out and rubbed Nina's furry head, offering her some comfort.
"This isn't just a public event," she explained.
"It's aimed at the arms industry. Hammer Industries probably sent invites to military officials, corporate partners, and tech industry elites. Ordinary civilians aren't exactly welcome."
"How do you know all that?" Angie asked, tilting her head curiously.
Bella lazily pointed at the TV screen.
Angie turned to look.
A middle-aged man with heavily gelled hair and an obnoxiously smug smile was holding court in front of dozens of microphones, talking animatedly.
The name displayed under him read:
Justin Hammer
Chairman, Hammer Industries
"There's your answer," Bella said dryly.
As if on cue, the broadcast switched to clips of military vehicles, drone demonstrations, and promotional teasers for Hammer's new line of weapons.
Angie slumped back on the couch.
"So disappointing," she pouted.
Bella smiled faintly.
She wasn't entirely opposed to adventure — but she had learned to recognize the ominous signs when Angie got too excited.
Wherever Angie pointed and said "let's go!", trouble was almost guaranteed to follow.
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