Nelissa didn't bring a fresh change of clothes. She undressed and placed her clothes neatly on the side. She couldn't afford to get them wet.
She stepped into the shower and had a refreshing bath. It wasn't just an ordinary bathtub; it even doubled as a jacuzzi.
As she dried her hair, she turned and looked at the bathtub with great desire. She wanted to take a dip in it but was hesitant.
After all, she was still in another man's abode.
She dried herself and exited the shower. There was a brand new dress and set of lingerie on the bed; the tags were still on them.
Nelissa was shocked. She was sure she locked the room door before showering. She ran to the door and twisted the doorknob; unlocked.
It was definitely Edward. He must have the keys to every room in the house. Well, at least he had the decency to let her shower in peace.
Nelissa locked the door again. It was futile but it was for the peace of mind.
She sat on the comfy bed and took a closer look at the clothes Edward prepared. It was very familiar…
Wait, that was the exact same dress that Edward tore apart back at the hotel!
He was making fun of her again!
Despite so, Nelissa's face started to boil with embarrassment.
She threw the dress to the corner. She couldn't look at it without thinking about what Edward did to her.
Back in Edward's room, he stood by the window with a cigar in his hand. He then withdrew the blinds with a push of a button.
He knew what Sophie was trying to do. Sophie had been dropping ambiguous innuendos multiple times and had also made several advancements to get into bed with him.
But he was never interested, at least not in her.
When he entered Nelissa's room earlier, the splashing sound of water painted the picture of flowing droplets across Nelissa's seductive body. He was turned on.
Edward lay in his bed and felt engulfed by Nelissa's aroma. He recalled how she trembled beneath him, how he ran his hands through every inch of her body and the subtle movements of her throat as she gasped for air...
He wanted her. All to himself!
The next morning, Nelissa got up early. She just wanted to go home because she missed the twins. The twins would be upset if they didn't get to see their mommy.
At eight o'clock sharp, Sophie came over to Edward's place again. She rang the doorbell and Eliza opened the door for her.
"Is Edward home?" Clad in her high heels, Sophie sauntered in.
"Master Hales was gone by the time I got here," Eliza answered.
"I see." The enthusiasm on Sophie eroded prominently.
"Would you like to have some breakfast?" Eliza asked. She had loads of work to do. There were dishes in the kitchen that needed washing.
"It's fine. I've had my breakfast." Sophie went into the kitchen to take a quick peek.
Wait a minute! If Edward left early in the morning and Eliza didn't meet Edward too, why were there dishes in the sink?
Eliza began working on the dishes. Sophie stood beside her and tried to initiate small talk, "What dishes did you make Edward last night?"
Eliza was a very truthful and sincere person. She told Sophie, "I didn't make him anything. Master Hales said that he wasn't coming home for dinner."
"I see."
Sophie forced out a fake smile. She looked into the sink and discovered that there were two sets of cutleries!
Edward didn't know how to cook so the only logical explanation was someone else cooked for him the night before.
And Sophie's intuition told her that person was a woman.
Now, Edward's usual group of friends were also rich and wealthy elitists of the city. All of them had personal chefs or butlers who would provide meals for them, so it definitely wasn't one of them.
Sophie originally wanted to visit Edward and ask him about the night before. He didn't even answer Sean's call! It was such an important call!
Eliza finished cleaning the dishes and began to take out the trash.
"What's that?" Sophie noticed something in the trash and pointed it out.
"Oh, it is just a band aid." Eliza suddenly recalled Edward's call the night before.
"Is that so?" Sophie responded. She covered her nose in disgust when Eliza wrapped up the bag. It was incredibly smelly.
Nelissa and Edward were nearing her condominium when she caught a glimpse of Jolene and the twins from afar. They were waiting for the school bus.
Nelissa began to panic. She didn't want Edward to meet the twins yet they were beelining towards them.
Jolene stood at the sidewalk and kept pacing back and forth. The bus was running late that day.
"Your mommy is having fun outside and abandoned us at home. She is trying to have all the fun for herself! Tonight we must teach her a lesson, got it?" Jolene told the twins.
Noelle handed her bag to Nathan and peered up at Jolene. "Does Mommy have a boyfriend?"
"Maybe." Jolene rubbed her chin. She had her suspicions too.
Nathan was dismayed. He pouted and wondered which jerk was trying to steal his mommy away from him!
Jolene extended her neck out to watch for the bus and to her surprise, she saw Edward's sedan driving towards them. At once, she was reminded of the precarious situation the company was in.
After much consideration, she decided to grab this chance to speak to Edward. Maybe she could gain his favor.
The school bus wasn't here yet as well, so what was stopping them? She was going to bring the twins with her as well. They might be able to warm that icy heart of his.
Nelissa watched in horror as Jolene walked towards them with the twins. Her eyes took on a haunted look as spasm crossed her face.
Edward stopped the car and unlocked the door. Nelissa immediately jumped off the car and pulled the twins into her embrace.
Edward saw that and was slightly vexed. He didn't get a good glimpse of the twins before. Now that he did, he had to admit, the twins had really good genes.
Furthermore, the thought of them being Zayden's offspring brought a sense of pure jealousy into his heart. Ridges of his neck became dangerously pronounced instantly.
He got down from the car, handed a bag to Nelissa and said, "Don't forget your clothes."
Nelissa stood in front of Nathan intentionally as she bid goodbye to Edward.
Jolene's jaw was on the ground as she watched all this unfold.
Edward tucked his hands into his pockets, leaned on his car and asked, "What are their names?"
"Noelle and Nathan," Nelissa answered.
"Alright." Jealousy simmered within Edward. Unconsciously, he chewed on his bottom lips.
He really hated the two devils. He couldn't be bothered with them as he turned around and got in his car.
"Are you Edward Hales?" Nathan suddenly popped out from the back and yelled out.
Edward gave him a cold stare and responded, "Yes, I am."
"You're a hooligan!" Nathan remembered that name vividly. He wasn't intimidated one bit!
Nelissa almost passed out.
"They are watching a drama series lately and they must have picked something up. Don't mind them."
Edward wouldn't hold it personal with a kid but he did find it interesting that Nathan knew his name. That meant that Nelissa mentioned his name at home quite frequently.
Did Nelissa really think of him as a hooligan?
Edward was captivated even more. This time, his lips unconsciously quirked up into a smirk. Every cell in his body was cheering.
The bus finally arrived. Nelissa rushed the twins up the bus before they could cause anymore havoc. She really didn't expect the twins would have their reunion with their father under such circumstances.
Fortunately, Edward didn't suspect anything.
After Edward left, Jolene grabbed her arm and began interrogating Nelissa.
"What happened? What did you do? Are you his woman now?"
Nelissa didn't know for sure. In fact, she didn't even know what she was in Edward's eyes too.
"For the time being, he can help us. We are going to the Hales Group at ten to meet him."
Jolene was sceptical. That sounded all too good to be true.
"And what then? Are you going to dump him after that? I have to remind you that you are in Haleston City. You can't get rid of him here."
"We will leave after I earn enough money."
Nelissa tried to comfort herself. She knew that was out of the picture too for Mary was still in St. Richard Medical Center. She had to quickly figure out a way to sustain the expensive medical fee.
They entered the elevator before Jolene continued, "Stop dreaming. Do you think money grows on trees? You are better off hoping that he dumps you first."
That gave Nelissa an idea. Maybe Edward would get tired of her and dump her?
After all, that was what his group of friends did on a daily basis. Not a single one of them treated women seriously.
Especially Edward, she couldn't imagine him being head over heels for any woman!
That morning at ten, Nelissa and Jolene arrived at the Hales Group. They were immediately escorted to meet Edward without the usual hassle.
The entire negotiation was very smooth. They signed the initial contract and secured the project. There were still many details to be finalized but that was a problem for later.
Edward appointed Nelissa as the supervisor for the project. He didn't want anyone else to interfere.
Nelissa knew what he was trying to do...
He was going to make her his toy, by chaining her down like a bird in a cage!