Chapter 18
Thanks to Laurel’s trist in George, Miles stopped caring about George and focused solely on selling the goods.
But nobody anticipated George’s audacity—he secretly solid fakes under the name of Fortune Gallery, pocketing huge profits.
When the scandal broke, he pinned all the blame on Miles and walked away scot–free.
Fortune Callery got shut down, and everyone in the shop, including Miles, was detained by the police for investigation.
At the time, Laurel was overseas. If not for the police summons from back home, she wouldn’t have known about it at all.
When she returned. George sweet–talked her, claiming he had no idea what he was buying and got scammed.
She bought it.
with him.
Even when bailing Miles out, she was defending George in front of him, completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.
Miles tried to warn her about George’s true nature, but she wouldn’t listen and even got into a huge argument
Disappointed to the core. Miles severed ties with her on the spot and walked away without a second glance.
Fortune Gallery fell apart as a result.
Miles was her most trusted partner in the business world, a comrade in arms.
Yet in the end, all due to a jerk, the two ended up estranged for life. That was one of her regrets from before she time–traveled.
Back from hell, she absolutely wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Miles was still howling away, totally lost in his own world.
Laurel walked toward him, chuckling. “Stop singing; it’s killing me.”
“You just don’t get it…” he retorted, but then suddenly realized, snapping back to his senses. He opened his eyes and saw Laurel sitting across from him at the table, pouring herself coffee from the kettle.
He jumped up abruptly, exclaiming. “You’re finally here!”
“Are you waiting for me? Laurel raised an eyebrow, questioning back.
“Damn right!” Miles yanked the chair closer to the table, sitting down and removing the kettle from the stove. “The coffee’s been boiling forever. Let me get you a fresh pot.”
Laurel raised the coffee cup to her lips, taking a delicate sip before saying. “No trouble. Ill just grab what I need and be on my w
Miles’s actions halted, his brow furrowing. “Why the hurry!”
“Got some stuff to handle. Laurel’s tone shifted. “Where’s Jasper? Why isn’t he around?”
Miles placed the small pot on the table. “He heard about some hot merchandise in the neighboring city and left early in the morning. I wonder if that brat can actually seal the deal.”
Laurel was surprised. “He can handle merchandise deals himself now?”
“Barely, just let him get some practice out there.” Miles shook his head, obviously not in the mood to talk more about it. “I get a headache just hearing his name. Let’s talk about you instead.”
“What’s there to talk about me?” Laurel smiled.
Miles looked all ears. “The buzz about the engagement party between the Lambert and Lynch families yesterday–the whole town is abuzz. Don’t you wanna spill the beans to me?”
“Miles, I remember you’re not this nosy.”
Chapter is
“Vosuemember wrong. Tam
left speechless, downing the coffer in one go “Wellscuss it another day I’m really in a hurry today Where’s the stuff I want?”
“Bovy ber like you, another day could be an eternity! Forget it. Martin already filled me in, your info’s not that important he grumbled as he stood up palling out a black squaste sultane
The suitcase was made of top–grade ebony, with gold–plated handles and clasps, exquisitely crafted with intricate hidden patterns engraved
Its surface featured a gold–plated design of two eagles circling a perfectly polished emerald head of superior quality,
penny, so one could agine low previous the contents inside were
The case alone could fetch a pretty pen
Right after receiving your message yesterday. Jasper got everything teadly Before leaving, he reminded me to hand it over to you personally Miles shruggest and passed the case over. “That brat never shows me mich de
“That’s because you’re always pulling silly stunts, bossing him around,” Laurel chuckled.
“Bossing him around I was training hint Miles protested
“Serving coffee, doing laundry and cooking–is that training?
Miles was momentarily speechless. “That’s to murture his life skills, so he’s ready to marry
there to say that
“He’s only eighteen, still got plenty of time. But you, a thirty–year–old bachelor, have the nerve to say
“Nonsense” Tim twenty–eight, not thirty Miles glared at her.
Twenty–eight, thirty—what’s the difference?” Laurel opened the box to check, confirmed that it was what she needed, and then glanced at the time.
1 gotta go she said.
Miles lounged back into his chair, looking all kinds of lazy. “Be my guest,” he said dismissively. “You don’t need my permission.”
Laurel arched an eyebrow. “When customers come in, be a bit more enthusiastic, and don’t scare them off”
“Didn’t you say we need to play hard to get and make people think we are exclusive to push up the prices! Miles retorted through gritted teeth.
Laurel chuckled “Miles, there’s a difference between hard to get and just looking sour.”
Miles choked on that, waving her off irritably. “Just scram already, Just seeing you gets on my nerves!”
Shaking her head and laughing. Laurel grabbed her suitcase and headed out. Before stepping out of Fortune Gallery, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Pulling it out, she saw a notification from a chutting app.
It had been ages since she used this app–why would someone message her now!
d saw the message was from a friend named Stryker: Help me check on someone. The eldest heiress of the Lambert family
She opened the app and saw in Oslonia, Laurel]
Laurel knitted her eyebrows in surprise, instinctively looking toward the Koenigsegg parked outside the shop.
From afar, she saw the man sitting by the car window, presumably checking something on his phone.
Sering
eing the message on her phone, Laurel found it a bit amusing.
Roderick wanted to investigate her but ended up trusting her for the job. Interesting!
Stryker was a net friend she made seven years ago through a a forum while studying in Y
Yalaria
Sharing similar viewpoints and hitting it off well in chats, they added each other as friends and frequently discussed various topics on this platform. extending help to each other when needed.
However, living in different cities and separated by a considerable distance, they’d never met in person.
#21 PM c d
Chapter 18
Laurel had no interest in meeting online friends, nor had she ever exchanged photos with him.
Upon graduating and returning home two years later, she met George, poured all her attention into him, and never touched the chatting app again. Stryker did message her twice, but receiving no response, disappeared tactfully.
To her surprise, five years later, the first message he sent her was actually a request to investigate herself.
Stryker knew she was skilled in computers and a member of the top international hacking group Anonymity, so it was only natural for him to seek her help with investigating someone.
Sue had reviewed Roderick’s resume, which did not include any experience studying in Yalaria.
Moreover, Stryker, in their communication, displayed refined speech and unique insights, completely different from what she had gathered about Roderick over the past two days.
Thus, she immediately ruled out the possibility of Roderick being Stryker but assumed Stryker might be a friend of Roderick’s, entrusted by him to
handle the matICE.
Initially, she intended to decline, but something crossed her mind, prompting her to reply with a simple “Okay”
Subsequently, she sent another message to Martin Fabricate a fake document for me
