Chapter 46: Separate But Fondly Remember

Meanwhile, Flora was plagued with worry, tossing and turning well past midnight before succumbing to a troubled sleep. Unbeknownst to her, the storm was only just beginning to gather force outside.

Once Flora had drifted off to sleep, in the engulfing silence of the darkness, the man lying next to her abruptly opened his eyes. He looked at her in the dim light, his fingers delicately tracing the beautiful contours of her face, before heaving a heavy sigh.

He had desperately hoped for a genuine response from her, yearned for a love untainted by falsehood. However, perhaps such desires were too extravagant in this deceitful world.

Leaving the bed, he picked up his phone, its screen flickering sporadically, and made his way downstairs. In stark contrast to the darkness of the upper floor, the mansion's first floor was ablaze with light. Someone had been waiting there, and upon seeing Matthew, promptly stood to greet him:

"Boss, you've come down."

"Have you been waiting long?" Matthew acknowledged the greeting, then swiftly moved onto the main issue: "What's the status of the investigation I tasked you with?"

The man's expression turned grave: "It's true, Ethelbert has indeed procured the map."

Unperturbed, Matthew nodded his acknowledgment. Since Layla had mentioned that map earlier that day, he had been mentally braced for this outcome.

"But boss..." The man wasn't done: "We have received reports suggesting that Ethelbert might have been misdirected. Our people are beginning to suspect the map he acquired might be a fake."

Matthew was quiet for a moment before responding: "True or fake is not the issue. The problem is that he now possesses the map. With it, zeroing in on the correct location is just a matter of time."

Now, his men had been forced into a defensive position. They must be prepared for the worst possible scenario. He drummed his fingers on the table, his voice steady: "Ensure the merchandise is guarded diligently. Reinforcements may be called if necessary."

The most critical issue was not to let the valuable goods fall into Ethelbert's hands. The struggle between the two forces wasn't a matter of a day or two, nor would it be resolved in such a short span. Henceforth, each step must be taken with caution.

"Yes." the man nodded, instantly relaying the instructions to the people below.

The boss then commanded, his face cold: "Now, fetch the car from the garage. Take me to the largest nightclub in this city."

The man was taken aback, unable to believe his ears. The boss wanted to visit the city's largest nightclub at this hour? Truly, it was an odd request.

Regardless of the strange command, as a subordinate, it was his duty to comply with his superior's directive. After dropping Matthew off at the city's largest nightclub, he drove back to the mansion.

Matthew dismounted from his vehicle, proceeding straight inside. It had been a while since he last frequented these nocturnal haunts, places where revelry reigned supreme from dusk till dawn. More accurately, since the moment he discovered the feelings he harbored for his simple-minded secretary, his days of unrestrained merrymaking had come to a halt.

It seemed he had become a quintessential case of a prodigal son returning to righteousness.

Inside the club, the strobe lights flashed incessantly, casting the place in a riot of colors. Men and women, scantily clad, swayed fervently to the pulsating beats spun by the DJ. Matthew had barely stepped in before he found himself the object of attention, the plump prey sought after by both men and women.

With a casual gesture, he pulled in a fiery figure of a woman wearing a figure-hugging dress that accentuated her tempting curves. Together, they moved toward the private section of the club.

"Matthew... It's been so long since you've visited. I thought you'd forgotten about me." she cooed, slithering against him like a serpent, her delicate hand straying over his muscular physique through the layer of fabric.

This woman was no stranger to the hedonistic world, and naturally, she had heard some gossip. She pursed her lips, planning to bridge the distance with a juicy bit of news: "I heard Matthew has been keeping a country secretary at home. I thought you weren't going to come back..."

The mere mention of the words "secretary" turned Matthew's expression sour. His gaze hardened as he looked at her with a flicker of contempt. Realizing her blunder, she immediately produced a charming laugh to gloss over the awkwardness.

"I understand, I shouldn't have mentioned what I shouldn't have." She reached out to adjust his tie: "Come on, you're here to unwind, why ruin it with such a grim expression?"

True to her nature, she knew how to appease men. Even if she had blurted out inappropriate remarks, she was able to quickly gauge the mood and stop in time.

Feeling her fingers unbuttoning his shirt one by one, Matthew suddenly thought...

Yes, this should be his life. Money, good liquor, beautiful women, and endless glamour surrounding him. Not a simple, serene life by the side of an ordinary woman.

For a few moments, he was distracted. The woman before him took the initiative, straddled him, her pouting lips parting to utter seductive words.

"Matthew... Tonight, I am all yours... Whatever you desire, I can cater to. As long... as you are pleased."

With a practiced hand, she picked up a glass of liquor from the table, taking a small sip. Then, pressing her ruby-red lips onto his icy ones, she initiated a sensual exchange of the fluid in their mouths.

Matthew's eyes darkened. Yes, he was a man. He was supposed to prefer women like these - ones who could ignite his desires without being shy or timid. Not women who approached him with affection just for deceit.

For another man.

"Matthew... I love you..."

As he pinned the woman onto the sofa, he stared at her meticulously made-up face, his mind unwillingly drifting to another face. Unbearably beautiful, naturally radiant even without much makeup.

That was Flora's face - the only woman he had ever given his heart to and the same woman who had betrayed him.

Damn it, his enthusiasm had abruptly faded. Clenching his fist, he slammed it onto the sofa, swiftly distancing himself from the woman beneath him.

The seasoned seductress was taken aback by his sudden outburst. Though his violence wasn't directed at her, the force of it was enough to freeze her in place for a few moments.

"Matthew..." Her voice quivered: "Did I do something wrong?"

"Take this." Without counting, Matthew drew a wad of bills from his wallet, threw them into her lap, and then headed straight for the exit.

As his subordinate looped back to pick him up, a look of utter surprise was etched on his face. He had assumed that the boss had plans to stay out all night and was returning home. He could hardly have imagined that halfway through the journey he would receive a call from the boss asking him to return and pick someone up.

"Boss, where are we heading now?" The boss's behavior today was beyond puzzling, he found it impossible to decipher.

Matthew stared out the car window, lost in thought, oblivious to his surroundings. It was only after his subordinate repeated the question for the third time that he jerked back to reality and responded: "To the ROYAL INVITE Hotel, I'm staying there tonight."

The ROYAL INVITE Hotel was home to one of his suites and was also the place where he first met Flora. It was the beginning of their intertwined fate.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom on the second floor of the mansion, Flora jolted awake. The other half of the bed was cold as ice, as though it had never been slept in. She sat up on the bed, her gaze fixed intently on the bedroom door.

Time steadily passed, as the rhythmic ticking of the clock flowed unceasingly, tracking the unhurried pace of life.

Outside, the dawn tentatively painted the horizon with the first blush of light.

The night had been exceptionally long, yet the awaited figure still hadn't returned.

Not a hint of his return.

Flora bit her lip, holding back a sob that threatened to break free.

In her hand, the phone seemed unusually heavy. She descended to the ground floor, choosing the living room as her watchtower, awaiting Matthew's return.

Yet, all she received was the sigh of her Aunt Laura: "Miss Flora, you shouldn't wait any longer, the master won't be returning tonight."

"Why do you say that?" Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her anxiety: "He has never been this late before..." Deep down, she clung to the hope of witnessing the tall silhouette of the man she awaited, standing at the entrance of their shared abode.

She never realized how chilly this place could be without Matthew.

"Why indeed, you are usually the most insightful. Your closest friend has exposed you." Laura echoed the words she had spoken hours before.

Only then did Flora truly grasp Laura's words and hurriedly asked what had happened today.

Aunt Laura did not hold back, revealing all that she knew.

The news was so shocking, Flora found it difficult to believe.

The person who had badmouthed her in front of Matthew was the one she had always considered her closest friend.

No, she must call Layla, she must directly ask her why she had done so.

She had missed the appointment today, but that didn't justify such an act.

She dialed Layla's number, anxiously waiting.

On the other side of the line, the phone was quickly picked up.

"Hello, Layla, I think we need to talk..."

"Flora?" The voice that came was not Layla's but another familiar one, soft and warm.