Marvel's Princess - Chapter 40
Shopping was naturally a way to celebrate Natasha’s stepfather and mother finalizing their divorce—a joyous occasion that warranted a shopping spree.
For women, the intensity of shopping could rival battling the Grim Reaper.
Even without makeup, Bella could easily outshine the average person, but she took extra care when competing with the lovely Natasha.
She spent an hour on her makeup and hair, and after rummaging through her old clothes, she chose a gray-purple T-shirt, ripping the collar to casually reveal her left shoulder, paired with patterned shorts and flatboat shoes to highlight her long legs.
Her height and long legs, as well as her perfect model figure, were her advantages.
Natasha wasn’t about to play second fiddle and was dressed with care. She opted for a look that accentuated her curves, wearing a slightly small knit top that stretched to reveal her cute belly button, fringed denim shorts, and high heels. She was shorter than Bella, but her seductive figure and eyes made up for it.
“You need to catch up. As a friend, I must say, you are just too petite,” Natasha pointedly, puffing her chest out.
That was a sharp jab! Bella responded with disdain, “You just lack taste and experience! This is the ideal figure. Look at those supermodels, then look at me. Don’t we look similar? There was a study by a British psychologist about it—”
She rambled on, not forgetting to rub salt in Natasha’s wound.
“And look at you, even with my flats on, you seem shorter than me today. Do you enjoy people looking down on you?”
Let the mutual hurt begin!
Bella ultimately declared, “I don’t need high heels! Look at me. How relaxed am I? I could even outrun you in a gunfight.”
Shopping was merely incidental. Natasha’s mother had used their pre-marital joint property to set up an educational fund for her, and now she needed to go to the bank to handle some formalities.
The two first examined the cloaking device Bella had acquired in their room. To say Bella was ignorant of science was slander, but her knowledge of physics remained at the level of her previous life’s high school senior year.
Natasha was much more knowledgeable, dabbling in all subjects, unlike super-scientists like Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards, who explored the mysteries of the universe, or Tony Stark, who wanted to change the world with technology.
Natasha was just playing around, a realm far behind, and given her young age, her understanding of optical invisibility was basic. Thinking of improving it on her own would take years.
The two studied until nine o’clock before heading to the bank.
“Wow! Is this your car?” Natasha was astonished by the transformed pickup.
She touched its silver-gray shell and measured the vehicle’s height, excitement sparkling in her eyes: “Can I try driving it?”
Bella refused without hesitation. Joking aside, what if, while driving, Natasha suddenly asked to ‘take me home’? Such remarks could easily be misunderstood, and what if she were mistaken for being irresponsible? Right now, only she could drive this car!
Both had cars, but Natasha insisted on taking her pickup truck and leaving her vehicle in Bella’s garage.
Once inside, Natasha quickly noticed something unusual about the pickup.
“Huh? What kind of air conditioning is this? The cool air is so strong! Is it a brand from the market? I feel instantly cooler, and it’s fantastic!”
Natasha appreciated the chilly breeze, especially considering that Arizona’s state flower is the cactus, which indicates the scorching climate there. As June approached, the soaring temperatures were almost unbelievable.
But as soon as Natasha entered the pickup, she was greeted by a refreshing cool breeze, which was incredibly comforting.
Bella chuckled dryly, considering how pleasant it was in summer, but wondered about winter—would she need to wrap herself in a heavy coat to drive then?
To deflect, she claimed that the car was modified by her Native American friend, Jacob. Bella figured Natasha was unlikely ever to meet Jacob.
Their destination was Bank of the West, a bank with a historical feel, as evident from its name.
The bank was busy with many people handling transactions without mobile payment options, so they sat aside, waiting and chatting.
Natasha seemed to complain but actually boasted that she seemed to have grown a bit bigger, and Bella immediately began earnestly seeking advice.
“Eat foods rich in collagen and vitamins, drink 1500ml to 2000ml of Longan water daily, swim often, and get plenty of rest,” Natasha shared her routine, and Bella frantically took notes. These were scientific methods to remember and master until she could manipulate body fat as she wished—no more being looked down upon!
Suddenly, gunfire erupted in the spacious bank hall, and the two women quickly turned to look.
“Ladies and gentlemen! We’re here to rob the bank!” Three men wearing masks and top hats entered in a line, shooting at the ceiling as screams echoed in the hall.
Some female employees turned pale, their legs gave way, and they collapsed dizzily.
Natasha gave Bella a strange look as if to say, ‘You jinxed it!’
Bella glared back at Natasha—it was your bad luck!
“In this situation, can you get away?” Natasha hinted at Bella’s previous claim about wearing high heels.
Hehe, she could still escape if she wanted to!
Forget invisibility; just on physical ability alone, Bella could sprint a hundred meters before the robbers could react, getting far enough away from the range of their guns.
However, she didn’t reveal her trump card; instead, she commented on her observations: “Look at these three guys; their knees are unnaturally bent, even as they try to stand straight. You can still see the hunch in their backs. They’re wearing gloves, but their movements are stiff, and the way they pull the trigger is very unnatural, the recoil of the handguns visibly affecting their hands.”
Natasha concluded, “They are old men, and they look to be quite elderly.”
The two whispered among themselves and sighed together, lamenting the sad reality. What kind of system drives three elderly men to risk their lives to rob a bank?
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