Chapter 64
Chapter 64
RAVEL
PRESENT TIME
Hazel had to cancel our dinner ns that evening as she felt the need to be with David and his mother.
While it initially disappointed me, I respected her decision and embraced it wholeheartedly. The
following morning, I made an attempt to reach her by phone, hoping to catch a moment with her before
my departure to New York. Regrettably, my call remained unanswered.
With my keys in hand, I drove to her workce, only to be greeted by her secretary, Agatha. She
informed me that Hazel was still away in David’s hometown and wouldn’t be able to make it to the
office that day. Left with no other option, I opted for a text message, expressing that I would be out of
reach for a while as I was about to embark on a flight back home.
Back at the hotel, I found myself repeatedly ncing at my phone, eagerly awaiting a message from
her end. However, the wait turned out to be in vain as my phone screen remained devoid of any
notifications. As noon approached, Ipleted the check-out process and made my way back to the
bustling streets of New York.
Later that evening, she finally reached out to me, extending her apologies for the silence that had left
me hanging. Although she chose not to delve into the reasons behind the unanswered messages and
calls, I opted to release any frustration and forgive her. After all, my love for her didn’t preclude her from
having the autonomy to manage/hermunication.
The memories of my past mistakes loomed, the moments of mistreatment and the painful image of me
beside June in bed were indelible. Yet, in the face of all these undeniable facts, her genuine smiles in
my direction remained a precious gift- one that I vowed never to treat lightly.
Elenor reclined, propping her legs onto my desk, a tumbler of vodka cradled in her hand. “So, let me
get this straight,” she mused, her gaze fixed on me. “You’re suggesting a private party for her right here
in New York, and you expect me to coax her intoing?”
-I let out a sigh, feeling a twinge of frustration at having to repeat myself. “Elenor, I’ve gone over this
multiple times already.
What more can I possibly say to make you grasp the concept?”
She regarded me over the rim of her ss, her tone taking on a rasp. “There’s one aspect you’ve failed
to exin,” she rasped, her curiosity piqued. “What gives you the audacity to assume you can just
summon her down here?” A re exchanged between us, and at moments like these, I couldn’t help
but question whose allegiance she truly held. “She might have ns for her birthday, and you want me
to sweep in and disrupt them? Why?” A scoff escaped her lips, followed by a pointed remark, “because
you’ve got a little surprise party of your own nned?”
Why in the world did fate saddle me with this particr breed of human as my sister? Dealing with
anyone more infuriating than Elenor seems impossible. “Could you possibly be any more
exasperating?” I couldn’t help snapping. “Will you lend a hand, or should I just assume that’s far
beyond your capabilities?” I retorted, my patience wearing thin. “I’d much rather have her celebrate her
birthday with me rather than with David.”
A fleeting chortle escaped Elenor. “Fine, I’ll assist you, but there’s a condition,” she dered, her tone
laced with a note of negotiation. “You’ll need to make your private jet avable.”
My re intensified as a surge of frustration coursed through me. “There’s a reason it’s called a
surprise, Elenor. If she spots you using my jet, she’s going to sniff out that something’s afoot.”
She shot me a piercing re in return. “I’m not resorting to amercial airline just to do you a favor,”
she grumbled. “If you want me to head over to Seattle, you’ll have to release your jet for my use.”
“Why not use the Southwark family jet?” I suggested, my reluctance stemming from a desire to ensure
the surprise wasn’t inadvertently spoiled due to the use of my own jet. After all, I had no international
travel ns to hinder its avability.
–Elenor’s response was resolute. “I won’t be asking Mom for anything, so that’s off the table. I’m not
going to beg her for the
jet, and you shouldn’t either.”
Exasperation gnawed at me, mingling with a begrudging resignation. “Fine,” I huffed, finally yielding to
her stance. “You can
Chapter 64
have the jet, but please, just don’t mess things up for me.”
A self-satisfied smile yed on her lips, a clear indication of her triumph. Tilting her head back, she
polished off the contents of her ss. “Alright, spill the n,” she urged, curiosity glinting in her eyes.
“What’s the game n?”
I kept it straightforward. “I’ve rented a penthouse. Your task is simply to get her there. That’s all you
need to do.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, setting down her ss and intertwining her fingers thoughtfully. “What’s the
guest list looking like? I hope you’re not foolish enough to include David, right?”
I couldn’t help but react to that notion. “Do I appear idiotic to you?” I retorted, incredulous. Her
nonchnt shrug seemed to suggest that she considered the idea usible. The urge to strangle her
was strong at that moment.
“Just you, me, Raymond, and Adam, fresh from his military service,” I informed her, wanting to keep the
gathering small and intimate.
She offered a slypliment. “That’s a tight-knit group. Can I talk you into adding male strippers to the
mix?”
My eyebrow arched at her suggestion. “I thought you and Raymond were back together?” I inquired
pointedly, recalling his pursuit of her that day in Seattle. It seemed like they were willing to disregard
public opinion.
“Raymond’s nothing but a coward,” Elenor spat out vehemently, her tone dripping with frustration that
revealed her growing weariness of chasing after him. “Can you even believe that he carried me to my
hotel room, locked us both inside, and pocketed the key? I was stark naked right in front of him and the
guy didn’t even bat an eye.”
My frown deepened, feeling a bit ufortable with the level of detail she was sharing. “I think you’re
oversharing, Elenor,” I interjected, wishing that perhaps my sister could maintain a bit more of a filter on
certain subjects. Normal siblings tend to keep their sexual lives separate, but I suppose our dynamic is
anything but normal.
She rolled her eyes dismissively. “Whatever.” Pushing herself to her feet, she stretchednguidly.
“We’ve got three days till her birthday, so I’ll head to Seattle a day in advance. That way, she won’t
grow suspicious of anything.”
I shrugged casually and opened myptop, focusing on my work. “Do as you wish,” I said nonchntly.
Her response was swift andden with implications. “Oh, it’s not about what I wish. It’s about what’s
happening, and since I’m flying out tomorrow, you better have that jet prepped.” She swung her purse
over her shoulder, moving gracefully toward the exit.
“Elenor,” I called after her, prompting her to pause just short of the door. “Remember, keep it hush-
hush. I don’t want anyone, not even David, catching wind that she’ll be here in New York.” We don’t
know who the ba stard is, and it could just be anyone. Until we find him or her, we have to be extremely
careful.
She nodded in agreement and turned to leave. Just as her hand was about to grasp the doorknob, the
door swung open, revealing Raymond on the other side. Their gazes locked, freezing them in a tense
moment. Time seemed to stretch as they stared at each other, until Elenor finally broke eye contact
and walked away, leaving Raymond standing in the doorway.
Raymond entered my office, taking a seat on the sofa as he settled in. “Our suspicion seems to be off
the mark,” he mused, setting his tablet aside. I did some digging on Kelvin, and he’s still very much
where he should be. It’s practically impossible for him to have orchestrated that.”
I cursed under my breath. I had secretly hoped that the me could be ced on Kelvin, allowing me
to bring this issue to a close. “Keep surveince on him regardless, and let’s not halt our investigation,”
I instructed, my frustration evident.
“Understood, boss.” He picked up his tablet and woke the screen. “I’ve been delving into the world of
professional hackers and trackers, and I think I’ve found a potential lead.” He pointed to an image on
the screen. “This individual right here. He’s currently in Italy working on a job and is expected to return
to New York next month.”
Sh it. “Next month is a long time. Triple his payment and have hime down here tomorrow.” N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.
Raymond shook his head. “Hyde is principled. He doesn’t only do his job for money. He’s not going to
leave Italy until he is done with his job, and if you pi ss him off, he’ll reject your job offer no matter the
price.”
Chapter 64
“So what do you suggest we do?”
He rxed back. “We wait. That’s the only thing we can do at the moment.”
Waiting. I seem to be doing a lot of thattely. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blinked at Raymond.
“What’s your deal
with Elenor?”
His face tightened instantly. “I don’t understand what you mean by that boss.”
I red hard. “I think you do Raymond. I honestly do not like butting into people’s private affairs, but
she’s my sister, and I happen to care quite a lot.”
“Boss_”
I lifted a hand, shutting him up. “I am going to talk, and you’re going to listen,” I stated factly and he
nodded. “If you’re not going to stop being a coward and take her seriously, let her go. Stop ying with
her emotions.”
“Ravel, I really_”
“I do not want to hear your excuse, Raymond,” I interjected. I’ve listened to that long enough. “If you’re
not going to take her seriously, then let her go.” Or I’ll be forced to act.