The few men next to Cindy saw the white Land Rover parked nearby and knew something was wrong, so they didn’t dare advance. This wasn’t their turf, and they would be in trouble if they offended someone.They picked up the man that was down and left. Without her backers, Cindy was a lot less intimidating and ran away too.Elaine was still processing what happened when the man helped her up. “Ms. Xavier, are you alright?”She looked at him, stunned. “Aren’t you…”She was familiar with him. It was the manager of the cafe. He smiled and replied, “I was in the club with my boss, and we saw you when we came out.”The man in the Land Rover walked over in his casual suit with a black turtleneck top.The top was fitting, and the lines could clearly be seen. He was fit but not muscular. Muscular people wouldn’t look great in fitted clothes, and people who were too skinny would make it look hollow.He wore it nicely. He was a good-looking gentleman. “Are you alright?”Elaine finally
Since Nolan wouldn’t bring any benefits to the businesses in Hewston and Mr. Saldana had a bunch of spies there and knew enough people, it would be easier for him to take action on his own turf.His little tricks were all related to escorts, and a lot of businessmen fell for that. He just trapped the men for their lust and knew what they wanted.All he needed to do was to make some arrangements, and he would pounce when the men had their guards down.Nolan twirled the teacup around while he stared at the tea swirl. “He owns the big casino in Hewston?”Quincy replied, “He owns some shares there but doesn’t interfere so that he can get out of it easily if something happens.”Nolan laughed dryly. “I guess it’s time to make them do some work.”He put his hand above his head and wanted to get rid of him. Did he think that he would be powerless just because he wasn’t in Hewston?…The cafe was full as usual.Elaine went in and ordered a latte to go. The manager walked out of the e
“You shouldn’t drink with your clients too often. If you can’t get out of it, drink less.” Ian paused for a few seconds, then jokingly said, “Or you could pretend to drink.”She paused before sniggering. “Have you pretended to drink before?”Pretending to drink was just a way to avoid drinking, pouring the alcohol into another glass or just pouring it away when people weren’t paying attention. That would be possible to pull off at a party with friends, but it was not advisable with clients. They would think you were insincere if you got caught, and the deal might fall through. Ian chuckled. “I’m a man, so I wouldn’t be in danger if I got too drunk.”Elaine paused. When she was at Beyond Tech, she was the owner’s daughter when she went out drinking with the clients, so they were courteous to her.However, it was different now that she was just another employee. Women got taken advantage of because they had to drink for their bosses and make the clients happy.It was bad for hea
Mr. Saldana was cunning, and no one liked him. Nobody dared to do anything against him since they needed him to earn a profit, and he had something to blackmail them.However, if he was going to use the same tactic on Nolan, then he was terribly wrong.Nolan looked at Kevin and said, “Hydra Lake is a great location in Hewston. Since you have a dispute with the people over there, you should consider taking them for yourself, Mr. Washington.”Kevin fell silent.Their meeting ended half an hour later.Nolan came out of the restaurant, and Quincy was waiting for him in front of the door.After Nolan got into the car, he asked, “How is the Saldanas’ situation?”“They're pulling out of the business in Hewston. Mr. Saldana has gained a few million in profit there and is afraid of getting into trouble now.”After Quincy finished speaking, he asked, “Can we trust Mr. Washington, Mr. Goldmann?”Nolan loosened his tie and said, “It doesn't matter if he's trustworthy or not. The enemy's e
Ian closed both the doors and replied, “Build on interest?” He cocked his head and looked at Elaine. “There isn't a permanent interest in this world.”She did not say anything.He turned around to look at her and smiled. “Do you want to stay back and help me to clean up the mess, Ms. Xavier?”Elaine looked at the mess on the floor as well as the cups on the table that hadn’t been cleaned. She let out a chuckle suddenly and said, “I can’t believe that you’re asking your customer to help you clean your shop, Mr. Saldana.”He returned to the front desk and replied, “You’re not my customer now, and I’m not the boss.”In other words, since his shop was closed, she was not his "customer" anymore.Elaine then went forward and helped him clean the cups on the table. Although there were maids in her house, washing a cup or something was not difficult for her.She looked toward Ian, who was cleaning the sink, and asked, “Who were those two men? And did they just call you ‘Young Master Sal
Elaine moved the umbrella to his side a little bit more and said, “Your shoulder and arm are all wet.”Ian squinted and replied, “It’s fine.”Sitting in the car, Elaine watched as he ran over to the driving side and got into the car. “You should’ve waited for me at the restaurant since it’s raining.”She did not understand why he had gone to the extent of coming here to pick her up himself.“Well, I’m the one who wants to buy you dinner,” he replied as he buckled up. “So, I need to show some sincerity.”Elaine looked at him but did not say anything.Both of them walked into a restaurant. Although it was not an up-scaled restaurant, the ambiance was cozy and quiet.The waiter led them to their private room on the second floor and handed the menu to Elaine with a smile on his face.Elaine took the menu and looked at Ian. “Do you have any recommendations?”He looked at her and chuckled. “Well, it depends on what you want to eat, Ms. Xavier.”Elaine then ordered the dishes under
Elaine was shocked after listening to the man’s narration. She did not expect that Ian was used to being an undercover agent at all.Being an undercover agent indeed was a dangerous job. Once they were busted, their life would be in danger. When she first met Ian, he was gentle and exuded a scholarly aura. She thought he was just an ordinary owner of a coffee shop until she saw with her own eyes last night he used a bottle to crack the man's head without any hesitation.The man looked at Elaine and grinned. “Honestly, I really thought you were Ian’s girlfriend. After all, all the people he’s ever brought here were men.”“None of them were women?”“Nope, but I can understand why.” The man threw his arms up and shrugged. Then, he said worriedly, “When he was an undercover agent, he could barely keep himself alive, so he couldn't be bothered with other people. Once people like him fall in love, it's similar to having a weakness that the enemy can exploit.“Nobody could catch him for
Elaine was stunned. She jerked her head up and looked into his deep-set eyes in astonishment.She took a deep breath and asked, “You are messing with me, right, Mr. Saldana?”‘A marriage of convenience? With him? A man who I've only seen a few times and known for less than half a month?’ He fixed his gaze at her and continued in a calm voice. “I’ll give you all the freedom you want after our marriage. You can do whatever you want.” Elaine fell silent for a long while. “Are you talking about a deal? Like a fake marriage?”He lowered his head, and although he did not say anything, Elaine knew what he was trying to say.“Why me?” asked Elaine.Ian retracted his gaze and turned his eyes to look at the wine glass. “You don't want to be bound by marriage, and I don't like other people to tell me what to do in my life. If I have to make a choice, I think you're a very suitable person, Ms. Xavier.”Elaine did not say anything.A marriage of convenience... In other words, they would