The next day, under the scorching sun of Haleston City, Nelissa and Jolene found themselves at the entrance of Mozalynne Hotel with files and documents in their hands.
They were escorted by the hotel manager to a private room, situated at the top of this skyscraper. Nelissa spotted Edward at a glance. Beside him were the people in the villa the previous day, and also the three men who played jokers with him.
Pointing at the seat beside Edward, one of the three men spoke, "Oh Nelly, we've been waiting for you. Come on, here's your seat." The man was Joshua Allen who was famous for his philandering behavior.
Jolene's seat was beside Nelissa's; that was the only empty chair in this room.
Jolene turned and darted a glower at Nelissa, her gaze shouting her frustration. How were they going to discuss business with all these people around?
Nelissa was equally clueless. Never did she expect that Edward would bring along those friends of his here, all of whom were from the affluent families in Haleston City. Meanwhile, Edward was definitely the one who held the most influence among them, for everyone was surrounding and buttering up to him.
"We will talk about business once we finish lunch," whispered Nelissa to Jolene, with her forever polite smile remained on her face.
But she couldn't help but wonder who she was to deserve this seat beside Edward.
Soon, lunch was served. Nelissa estimated the price for each dish secretly, which was definitely over five hundred.
But Nelissa didn't have much of an appetite. Her mind had been busied to generate lines to reply to Edward's guests, lest he be embarrassed by her senseless remarks, if she did make any.
"They probably see me as a dumb," Nelissa mumbled under her breath. She peeked at Edward and studied his side profile. He seemed pretty familiar with all these for there wasn't a trace of unease in his eyes.
Suddenly, he turned and noticed Nelissa's gaze. Unfazed, he raised his glass, the corners of his lips slid upward. Nelissa reckoned that he must be taking his revenge on her, for breaking his table lamp and biting him the previous night.
RING!
Nelissa immediately fished out her phone, and her eyes widened just so slightly when she saw the caller ID. On the screen read the words 'My Love'.
"Excuse me for a moment." She rose from her seat and made a slight bow.
It was from Noelle and Nathan. Ever since the twins attended kindergarten, Nelissa had given them a phone.
Concerned about the twins, Nelissa strode out of the room at once under Edward's scorching stare.
She went to the emergency exit before she picked up the call, her voice quivering slightly. "What's wrong, my dears?"
Nathan's voice was heard from the other end of the phone. "Mommy, a boy in school was teasing Noey. I pushed him and he fell."
Nelissa's heart missed a beat. She could hear Noelle's faint cries from the side. "What happened? Did any of you get hurt?"
"No," answered Nathan almost instantly.
"But the teacher wants to meet you." Nathan's voice was barely audible while he said this.
Nathan then passed the phone to Noelle who pleaded for her brother so Nelissa would not punish him.
"I will not, Noey," promised Nelissa. "I love you both. I'll be there shortly." They then ended the call.
Nelissa was jolted out of her thoughts when she saw Edward going down the stairs in her direction.
Given her current position, he was seen towering over her while exuding a compelling aura around him. His anthracite eyes were fixed on hers, paralyzed her brain and muscles.
While she was in a daze, he had already come to her. He stretched out his arms and cornered her, as he voiced, "Found yourself another man, huh?"
What did he just say?
Before she could answer him, his hand encircled her waist. With a tug, she knocked onto his chiseled chest. His fingers snaked around her spine.
A flush crept onto her face at once. Never was she molested by a man so boldly in her lifetime! Although he was indeed dashing, it still did not give him the right to trifle with her.
Leaning forward, he whispered in her ears, "I have been wondering, why did you leave me five years ago? We had a lovely night, hadn't we?"
Silence-
Her long, fine eyelashes flickered. A timebomb seemed to have exploded in her mind, throwing her into a daze.
"I've been searching you high and low. I've almost given up. You were the one who came to me five years ago, weren't you? Why disappear?"
He cupped her face, studying every feature and expression on it. He must admit that her skin had become much glossier. The passage of time seemed to have crafted her into a fairer angel.
Feeling her soft bosom against his chest, and her curvy waist, a familiar fire was ignited in him.
"Now that you've reappeared in my life, ditch that man and come with me," he drawled, his voice dangerously magnetic. "We suit each other, don't we? Our bodies, I mean."
No words could tumble out of Nelissa's trembling lips no matter how hard she tried. All her strength had seeped away from her veins.
It was him! The man she slept with five years ago!
Nelissa turned on her heels instantly and returned to the room with a drooping head. Despite everyone's curious gaze, she grabbed her bag and pulled Jolene out of the seat.
When she was about to reach the door, she saw Edward standing there. Quickly avoiding his eyes, she marched out of the room with Jolene. Little did she know her frightened expression had sparkled a series of reactions in his crotch.
After they stepped out of the hotel, Nelissa's face continued to blush.
"What's wrong with you, Nelly?" asked Jolene.
Nelissa shook her head as she stabilized her erratic breathing. She immediately hailed a cab and headed towards the kindergarten.
Her mind was in chaos. She never thought to meet this man again. He was supposedly a stranger, a passer-by in her life.
She still could not believe that the man she slept with five years ago was Edward Hales! Goodness gracious, wasn't he a big shot in Haleston City?
Worst of all, he remembered her!
Fear began to engulf her. What if… he learned about the twins' existence? He would come snatch them away from her, wouldn't he?
No, she couldn't let that happen!
The kindergarten Noelle and Nathan attended was one of its best in the city. Its students could also join its very own primary and secondary schools once graduated.
Nelissa was its alumnus. Despite its exorbitant school fee, Nelissa insisted on sending the twins to study here; she swore to give the best and only the best to the twins.
As their mother, she was going to protect them. No one could take them away from her. Not over her dead body!