Brenda looked up at him, hope shining in her eyes. They might not have a future together, but she would always cherish the memory of their night of passion. And so, with a heavy heart, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She knew that the road ahead would be long and difficult, but she was ready to face it head-on, with the memory of Edward's touch still burning bright in her mind. When Brenda awoke hours later, her body ached and she struggled to move. She lay still, staring at Edward's handsome face as he slept beside her, equally exhausted from their intense encounter.Without thinking, Brenda traced a circle on Edward's chest with her index finger, wondering if their connection would extend beyond their one night together, if she would become Edward's woman. Suddenly, she was startled by his voice."Are you awake?" Edward's amusement was evident in his tone.Flustered, Brenda pulled the covers up to her chin, her face flushed with embarrassment. But before she could react, sh
Edward's frustration grew as he realized that he had no way to prove his identity. He pulled out his cell phone out of his pocket, hoping to call Lily and have her vouch for him, but alas, the battery was dead. He turned to Brenda, but she was equally helpless since she did not have Lily's number saved on her phone. They were stuck, standing before the skeptical security guards, who seemed to be enjoying their discomfort.Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Balmore building.The usual formal meeting room had been transformed into a banquet hall at Edward's request, as he had insisted on a more relaxed atmosphere for the gathering. The room was filled with the chatter and laughter of the invited guests, who were enjoying the lavish spread of food and drinks laid out before them. Edward's absence had not gone unnoticed, and many of the attendees were wondering where he was.All the invited guests were filled with joy by the presence of Lily as a representative of the Balmore family. She
As Lily urgently requested, Jack set out to find Edward's location. He knew that Edward was crucial to the Balmore family's business endeavors and that his absence could cause problems. So, he hurried to Hotel Arial, where he hoped to find Edward.But to his surprise, he found Edward being blocked by members of their own side, and the realization hit him hard. The Balmore family could not afford any negative publicity or misunderstandings with Edward. This could seriously harm their reputation and put the collaboration between the two parties at risk.On the other hand, the security guards fell silent and subconsciously turned to Edward who stood there with a flat expression. What if it was all true? As the silence dragged on, Jack stepped forward to break the tension. He looked at the guards and asked calmly, "Do you still want to expel him?"The guards looked up at Jack, unsure of what to say. It was at this moment that Jack revealed Edward's true identity. "He is Mr. Windsor," J
Everyone in the room turned their attention towards where Lily was pointing, and they saw Edward standing there, looking surprised but amused.By this time, the attendees were visibly divided into two distinct groups. While more than half of the crowd seemed to be clueless about Edward Windsor, as they had not attended Adele's birthday party, they had puzzled expressions on their faces. While the other half of the audience, they wore frowns on their foreheads, evidently taken aback by the news that Lily Balmore had developed romantic feelings for Edward Windsor.Richard, the CEO of Balmore Group, was just about to stand up when he was stopped by Charles Hurley, who spoke softly to him. "Let's stay seated and enjoy the show. This is young people's business, after all."Sitting at Richard's table were people who knew Edward. They nodded in agreement to Charles' suggestion. Richard responded, "Fine. I was just too surprised by my daughter's words." Charles smiled and said nothing.Desp
"What?" The news was unexpected and everyone around the table froze, stunned by what Edward had just said. His voice was barely audible, so only the people sitting close to him heard the shocking revelation.Richard Balmore, who had been listening intently to Edward's words, stood up from his seat and approached him. "Kidnapping in my building? That's impossible. We have top-notch security here. Let's check the CCTV footage and see what happened."Edward nodded and the group quickly made their way to the security room, but before leaving, he asked everyone who heard him to keep this a secret. Once in the security room, Richard instructed his staff to check the cameras on the floor where Brenda was last seen. Edward watched anxiously as they went through the footage. After a few minutes, one of the security personnel spoke up."We've found the footage, sir. Two men came into the building and took her away. We don't recognize them, but they were wearing symbols on their clothes that s
The guard examined Edward's black card carefully and reluctantly stepped aside, gesturing for him to follow. As they walked through the opulent mansion, Edward could not help but feel a sense of unease. The corridors were lined with armed guards, and he could hear faint whispers and murmurs echoing through the halls.Finally, they arrived at a massive oak door, guarded by two more men armed with submachine guns. The guard signaled to them, and the door creaked open, revealing a spacious room bathed in warm light. A tall, broad-shouldered man with slicked-back hair and a stern expression was seated behind a mahogany desk."Welcome, Mr. Windsor," he said in a deep, gravelly voice. "I am Josh Greed. What brings you to my humble abode?"Edward took a deep breath and tried to appear confident. "I'm here to inquire about a woman named Brenda. She was abducted a few hours ago, and I believe she might be in danger."Josh Greed raised an eyebrow, and a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
Edward returned to his room at Hotel Arial. He needed to shower and freshen up before continuing with his plans. Once he was cleaned up, Edward sat down at his desk and picked up the phone. He dialed the number of his contact, Richard Balmore. After a few rings, Richard picked up."Richard, it's Edward. I need some information.""Of course. What can I help you with?""I need to know who the police chief is in York City."There was a pause on the other end of the line. Richard did not know about Brenda's current situation, so he thought that Edward would violate the kidnapper's request by contacting the police. "Why do you need to know that?""I have my reasons. I need to get in touch with him. Oh, and one more thing. Can you give me his phone number, if you have it?"Another pause before Richard relented and gave Edward the number. "The current police chief is a man named Thomas Davis . But I don't recommend getting involved with the police, Edward. It's not worth the risk.""I'll ta
Brenda blushed and looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed. "It's nothing, Dad. Just a friend. He was supposed to come by and visit me, but I guess he's busy with work."Hank chuckled and patted his daughter's hand. "I'm just teasing you, honey.""I'm glad you're okay, sis. Don't scare us like that again, okay?"Brenda smiled weakly. "I won't, I promise."Sophie's curiosity got the best of her and she decided to speak up. "You know what? I was really surprised when we found out that you were put in the VVIP room. Dad even felt a bit dizzy thinking about the cost. But then, Doctor James said that the hospital was covering all the expenses. I just couldn't believe it. When did the VVIP room start taking in patients for free? Sister, did your boyfriend pay for the room? Is that why you looked disappointed when you didn't see him?"Brenda's face turned even redder as she tried to avoid her sister's questioning gaze. "No, it's not like that. It's a long story, and I'll tell you later, ok