Chapter 59: I Have to Make Her Famous

"Trouble in paradise? What about the wedding?" Ethan's tone shifted.

"Let's postpone it," Tyler said softly, his voice trembling a little. Grief etched lines in his expression. "Someone in her family passed away."

"Life comes first. Loss is hard; be understanding," Ethan said gently.

Tyler paused.

"But we had a huge fight. We almost broke up. We might already be over."

There was a long silence on the other end.

Ethan finally said, "Pretend you didn't break up."

"That's what I'm thinking, too," Tyler said. "But she doesn't have time for a relationship right now."

"Why did you two fight so badly?" Ethan asked. "Was it a misunderstanding? Is there something she hasn't told you?"

Tyler frowned. "I was too harsh. She didn't speak up."

He paused.

"She probably didn't plan to say anything anyway."

A low sigh came from the other line.

A low sigh came from the other line. "That's normal."

Tyler's disbelief cut through his sadness.

"Normal?" he repeated, searching for meaning.

Ethan's tone now carried a tinge of frustration, and even pain. "Your sister-in-law doesn't tell me anything, either!"

"Isabel? Isn't she usually pretty open?"

"She'll share trivial things, never the big stuff. It drives me crazy," Ethan said.

"Like what?"

"We were in love. She vanished into the Amazon for three months. I had no idea if she was alive. I was heartbroken."

Tyler perked up. "What happened next?"

"She came back, acted normal, stayed over, used my card, and crawled into my bed. I broke up with her."

"Did you break up?"

"No." Ethan paused, grinding his teeth. "She beat me up."

There was silence on the other end.

"You know how dangerous the Human Restricted Zone is," Ethan continued. "Many people die there."

He paused.

"Women who do big things are always calm."

"Why did she keep things bottled up?" Tyler asked, a note of insecurity creeping in. "Is it because they don't trust me or because she doesn't think I can help?"

"Both," Ethan said. "Ask her yourself."

"Got it."

The call ended.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Tyler turned around, watching her through the glass door.

She was wearing a robe, and her hair was dripping wet as she walked toward the corner to pick up the hair dryer.

She swept her hair up and began drying it.

Tyler watched her tilt her head slightly, captivated by the small patch of skin at the nape of her neck.

His breath caught, emotions swirling inside him.

The hair dryer stopped.

She lowered her hand and glanced toward the balcony.

Tyler pushed open the glass door.

He walked past her, took off his jacket, and stepped into the bathroom.

As the water poured down, he closed his eyes.

I must make her famous.

——

The Wetlands Lounge in Sunny City.

Afternoon light seeped through the blinds' slats.

Patrick opened the door a crack, stepped aside, and let her in.

"Good afternoon."

Addison walked in.

"You're really bold," she said. "Aren't you going to leave? Waiting for the Aristocratic Alliance to smash your place to pieces?"

Patrick raised an eyebrow. "My great-uncle's here. With family around, what's there to fear?"

Addison rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond.

She leaned against the bar and changed the subject.

"Strange things have been happening at the Ward house lately," she said. "They were robbed—the place was ransacked, but nothing was taken. The security cameras didn't catch a thing. It's baffling."

Patrick smiled. "Did they call the police?"

"No," Addison shook her head. "Three of them are in the hospital, and one has run off. They just can't figure out how the security cameras got disabled."

Patrick kept smiling. "There must be a ghost in the house."

Addison didn't press the issue.

"By the way," she said, suddenly remembering something. "Ellie's boyfriend—his name is Mason, right? He caused such a huge scene at the airport—assaulting people and causing a fender-bender on the highway—but he got off scot-free. Who pulled some strings for him?"

Patrick didn't respond; his gaze was fixed on the moon-silver supercar outside the door.

"My Ferrari got wrecked," he said. "But you've managed to get yourself a new one. Not bad, Addison."

Addison frowned. "Could you please stop calling me that?"

Patrick laughed. "Then what should I call you? Miss Addison?"

"So, Miss Addison, what's next on the agenda? Can I tag along?"

Addison waved her hand dismissively.

"That project with the Art Association was set in stone a long time ago. My goal was to establish myself independently of those two families," she said. "It was Ellie who inspired the concept. As for what's next..."

She paused, then asked, "Are you looking to invest?"

"Sure," Patrick said, fiddling with the lighter in his hand. "Mr. Torres is investing."

Addison leaned back in her barstool.

"Forget it. I've laid a lot of groundwork, and you guys aren't from Sunny City. If he leaves, the project will hang in the balance halfway through. Who am I supposed to turn to?"

"Except for holidays, I'll be in Sunny City for the next two years," Patrick said, setting down the lighter. "Maybe longer."

Addison looked up at him, making sure he wasn't joking.

"You're really going to bid on him?"

Patrick smiled.

"You found out his name is Mason. Didn't you look up the Torres family in West City?"

Addison froze.

"The Torres family?" Her voice rose. "That top-tier dynasty in West City?"

Patrick nodded.

"No wonder he dared to steal the bride." She looked at him.

"So, want to team up?" Patrick rested his elbows on the counter.

Addison's eyes flickered.

"How exactly?" She leaned forward slightly. "What's your plan?"

"First, open up the mainland market. Two, take down the Noble Alliance."

Addison's eyes lit up.

"Funny," she said. "I also have two plans. First, become the head of the Chamber of Commerce. Two, take down the Noble Alliance."

"See? Our plans overlap. Why don't we team up?"

"Draft a contract?" Addison looked at him.

"Of course," Patrick said. "And let's include a non-disclosure agreement."

Addison raised an eyebrow. "You're being so cautious. How much are you planning to invest? Nine figures?"

"Take a wild guess." Patrick leaned back in his chair.

Addison remained silent.