Chapter 188
Chapter 188
The sudden situation left William completely stunned. The soft lips against his and the scent of her shampoo made him forget what he was supposed to do.
It wasn't until several seconds later that Zara finally pulled away, her face so red she couldn't get a single word out.
Even so, she took a deep breath, flashed William a bright, sunny smile, then turned and ran back to the car.
By the time William snapped out of it, Zara was already inside.
She didn't drive. She just sat there in silence with her head down, looking like something was weighing on her mind.
William smiled but didn't say anything. He simply turned and walked toward the airport.
In the car, Zara watched William walk away. She touched her burning cheek, her breath coming out warm.
"Zara, what on earth are you doing?"
She buried her face in her hands. She couldn't believe she had actually kissed William on her own.
---
Four hours later, Seattle Airport.
As William walked out of the airport, a middle-aged man in a suit was waiting for him some distance away, clearly having been there for a while.
William's expression turned puzzled when he saw the man.
Who was this guy?
"Mr. Brown, it's been so long."
The man walked up to William and greeted him warmly.
William studied the familiar face. He had some memory of it, but couldn't quite place where they'd met.
Noticing William's confused look, the man seemed to realize his oversight and said, "It's me — Domingo Cooley."
The name hit William immediately. He looked the man up and down, clearly caught off guard. "How is it you?"
Domingo had once been a prisoner, but he'd been released quite a while back.
After that, William hadn't really kept tabs on him. The guy's offense had been minor, and he never would have ended up in Celestial Prison if someone hadn't deliberately gone after him.
Domingo had always been a big, stocky guy — someone who never shied away from a fight.
But now here he was in a suit, with none of that old edge to him. If anything, he seemed downright friendly.
"Over the years I took your teachings to heart, Warden, so I took over the family business. Things are actually going pretty well now," Domingo said with a smile.
William glanced at the luxury car nearby. This didn't look like any ordinary family business.
"Looks like your family's operation is bigger than I thought," William said.
"It's all thanks to the family. I've taken over, but getting a firm grip on everything is still a challenge." Domingo smiled and gestured toward the car. "Anyway, enough of that — let me show you around Seattle."
Before he could finish, a woman nearby leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Sir, we came to pick up a client."
If Domingo left with this man, what would happen to that client?
"In that case, tell them something came up on my end and I can't make it. You handle it."
Without giving his secretary another chance to speak, Domingo led William to the car.
As far as he was concerned, no client mattered more than William. If he could keep William happy, everything else was worth it.
William settled into the back seat and looked at Domingo, who had taken the wheel himself. "Are you sure I'm not getting in the way?"
"Don't say that, Warden. No matter what, you're always the most important person," Domingo said plainly.
William didn't push it. He leaned back and gazed out at the scenery, lost in thought.
Domingo pulled out onto the road. "Warden, let me get you checked into a hotel first."
"Sure."
---
Before long, Domingo pulled up in front of a five-star hotel.
As soon as they stepped out, a valet came right over to take the keys.
As they walked in, Domingo asked, "Warden, if you don't mind me asking — what brings you to Seattle?"
He stopped mid-step, his breathing suddenly quickening.
Damn. He'd gotten too comfortable with easy living out here. He'd forgotten he wasn't supposed to ask William things like that.
Who was William? Asking questions like that was basically prying into classified matters.
Domingo quickly turned to him. "Warden, forget I said anything. Please don't be upset."
But William didn't seem the least bit bothered. He clapped Domingo on the shoulder. "It's fine. Actually, I might need your help with something while I'm here."
Domingo was surprised, but more than anything, he was thrilled.
"Warden, whatever you need, just say the word. I'll take care of it," he said eagerly.
William clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the front desk. "Do you know the Thorne family?"
"I do. A third-rate family here in Seattle. From what I know, they only got where they are today because they married a daughter into the Adams family." Domingo didn't know the details — the Thorne family simply wasn't worth his attention.
"I'm here to attend a birthday banquet the Thorne family is hosting. If you can get me an invitation, I'd really appreciate it."
William stepped up to the front desk and turned to the attendant. "I need a room."
The attendant nodded quickly. "Of course, I'll get that sorted for you right away."
"Give him the key card for the top floor," Domingo said.
The attendant didn't hesitate, pulling a card from the drawer and placing it respectfully in front of William.
"Didn't expect this hotel to be yours," William said, picking up the card.
"Just a small venture, nothing worth mentioning." Domingo smiled, then added, "But Warden, are you really planning to go to the Thorne family's banquet?"
The guest list couldn't be that big — mostly family members, most likely. There didn't seem to be much point in going.
The whole purpose of hosting a banquet like that was to do business with people at a similar level. Any major player would almost certainly skip an event like this.
"Of course. Is getting me an invitation really that hard?" William asked, glancing over at him.
Domingo shook his head quickly. "Not at all. I'll get it for you, just like you asked."
William nodded and headed toward the elevator.
"Then I'll leave it to you."