Chapter 5

Giselle, Jonathan, and Charlotte were surprised by Chester's words. When had he ever been so enthusiastic to help someone?

As far as Jonathan remembered, Chester had always been cold and aloof. He'd migrated abroad after turning 18 to focus on scientific research; he'd never been close to anyone.

Now, however, he was offering to drop Giselle home?

Jonathan frowned, suddenly feeling wary. He said, "I can drop Giselle home myself, Uncle Chester."

"It's Mr. Lawson Senior's birthday celebration. You have plenty to do." Chester's pointed gaze traveled between Jonathan and Charlotte as he smiled a little icily.

Charlotte clenched her fists, feeling uneasy. He was so oppressive. Were he and Giselle on good terms? Her mind started running wild, but her thoughts were mostly still on her jealousy toward Giselle.

Chester ignored Jonathan and Charlotte. He opened the backseat door and said, "After you, Ms. Stone."

Since things had reached this stage, Giselle had no reason to turn him down. She got in.

Jonathan's expression was hideous as he watched Chester and Giselle leave together. His mood was the worst it had ever been. When had the two of them been on such good terms?

As he pondered this, Charlotte's voice rang out. "Giselle is really something—getting close to another man in front of her fiancé. She has no boundaries."

…

Chester and Giselle sat on opposite ends of the backseat. There was enough space between them to fit a couple more people.

She kept her gaze lowered as she gathered her thoughts and wondered what to say. He watched her delicate side profile, his gaze restrained and controlled.

He was the first to break the silence, but his tone was so cool it was hard to tell how he felt. "Did you and Jonathan get into a fight?"

She had no intention of hiding the truth from him and said truthfully, "We've already broken up."

She paused, then continued, "Also, thanks for the gown. I'll transfer the cost to you later."

"Nah, don't bother. I bought it as a gift for you."

Silence descended upon the car again. As the driver drove steadily, Giselle nervously turned to look at the scenery outside. Her mind was on Chester.

She and Jonathan had been together for seven years, so they'd already met each other's parents. Chester was the only member of Jonathan's family that she'd met after returning from the student exchange program abroad.

It was also then that she'd discovered he was Jonathan's uncle. To keep everyone from misunderstanding, she'd acted like they didn't know each other. He'd played along instead of revealing what had happened when they'd met abroad.

"You can always come to me for help if there's anything you can't resolve," Chester suddenly said, pulling Giselle out of her reverie.

"I can handle it myself." Her rejection wasn't too harsh.

He didn't push her. He waited until she'd entered the building before telling the driver to turn the car around. Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from a man. "How long will you stay there before returning here, Chet?"

"I'm staying here for good."

His tone was relaxed and light-hearted, but it shocked the person on the other end of the line. "Wait, what? Don't do this, Chet! The project is so close to completion! Hold up—you haven't gone to look for her, have you?"

He had put an emphasis on "her". Anyone close to Chester knew there was a woman in his heart. He'd been single for 29 years, so this sudden love interest was baffling to everyone.

Just as they thought he was going to make things official and introduce her to them, he told them she had a boyfriend. How had they reacted at the time? They'd been lost for words, even gobsmacked.

As the youngest son of the Fordham family and being born late in his parents' lives, Chester had basically been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Countless people were envious of him. There were enough women interested in him to form a circle around the world, yet he'd fallen for someone who was taken.

Because of that, Chester's friends had once thought the woman who held his heart didn't realize what she had. Later, however, they'd learned that she was his nephew's fiancée.

"She's broken up with him," Chester said. Just those words were enough to convey his delight. He was in a great mood now.

"You don't actually believe that, do you? Don't get mad at me for being blunt, but do you think a seven-year relationship can end just like that?

"They might've just gotten into a fight over something and temporarily called it quits. You'll be the fool here if they eventually kiss and make up," his friend said.

There was a long silence after that. Ultimately, Chester narrowed his eyes and said coolly, "She won't do that."

…

During the three days after Richard's birthday celebration, Giselle received a reluctant apology from Vivian and a barrage of calls from the Grants. She ignored them and blocked all of them.

It was a cloudy day when she met her client, Emma Jones, at a restaurant. The latter was a beautiful woman in her 20s. She was exquisitely dressed.

"You've seen all my details, right? Can you tell me the answer now?" Emma asked.

Giselle hesitated. The tarot reading had shown that Emma and her husband's future looked bleak. In fact, the relationship wasn't far from ending.

"Has he been acting abnormally lately? For instance, has he suddenly shown a renewed enthusiasm toward you?" Giselle decided to take the indirect approach. She observed Emma's expression as she spoke.

Emma thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, he has. He proactively shares his day with me now and picks me up from work daily."

"Do you find that normal?" Giselle asked.

Emma met her calm gaze, suddenly feeling hesitant. Was it normal? It probably was…

As she deliberated that, Giselle said truthfully, "I don't recommend mending this relationship, Ms. Jones."

Tarot cards were only a tool to provide assistance. When combined with what had happened in real life, there was only one answer—Emma's husband had already fallen for someone else.

Emma frowned. "Why?"

Giselle interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them, smiling faintly. "Do you have the time to go somewhere with me?"

…

Giselle brought Emma to a club. "I hope you'll forgive me for investigating your husband's whereabouts without your permission. He's in room 311. Do you need me to head inside with you?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Wait for me outside the room."

Giselle nodded. They headed inside, and she leaned against the wall while listening to the situation inside the room. She was unfazed by the chaos inside.

She'd been in this line for a few years now, so she'd seen more than she cared to. She didn't doubt a person's genuineness but knew it was something that could change in the blink of an eye. No one could escape that.

A surprised cry pulled Giselle out of her reverie. Worried that something had happened to Emma, she pushed open the door and headed inside.

The first thing she saw was Emma pulling Charlotte's hair.