Chapter 18
She smiled, no longer saying anything. Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the tallest building in Seaville with the words “The Padilla Group” on its rooftop.
In the CEO’s office of the Padilla Group.
Standing by the window, Johnny held an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
He furrowed his brows tightly, his mind drifting back to that question that had been haunting him.
Marlon was a business tycoon from Fruyca, the man in charge of the Sowle Group.
Of all places, he chose to host the Global Medical Summit here in Seaville. Why?
And he announced Ms. R’s comeback in such a high-profile way, which was even more baffling.
What exactly was Marlon up to?
Just then, Milton knocked on the door and stepped inside.
“Is Marlon still preying on your mind?”
Johnny nodded and placed the cigarette on the desk.
“The Sowle Group’s main business isn’t even here. His presence here makes no sense.”
Milton walked over to him and looked out while following his gaze.
“You know what? I just remembered something.” Milton mused. “He let it slip before that he has an old acquaintance in Seaville.”
Hearing this, Johnny turned to look at him abruptly.
“An old acquaintance?” His heartbeat quickened. “Who? Someone who knows Ms. R?”
Milton’s expression turned serious. “I don’t know. But… It’s too much of a coincidence, don’t you think? After being off the grid for so long, Ms. R happens to resurface the moment Marlon comes here and an- nounces the summit in such a high-profile way?”
An absurd yet entirely possible idea struck Johnny.
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Chapter 18
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His pupils shrank slightly.
Could it be…
Was Ms. R in Seaville?
The idea was so staggering that it turned his limbs to stone.
At 10 p.m. sharp.
A black Maybach glided silently to a stop outside the apartment building of Meteor Vista downtown.
The dim streetlight filtered through the window, carving out the lines of Marlon’s profile.
He didn’t kill the engine at once. Instead, he tilted his head and looked at Roxanne in the passenger seat.
She leaned against the seat and breathed evenly, her head tilting to the side. It seemed she was asleep.
Her long lashes cast a hint of a shadow beneath her eyelids.
The car’s heater was running high, turning her fair cheeks into a subtle pink.
Gripping the steering wheel, Marlon clenched his fingers.
He wanted to touch her-even her hair would be enough.
But he suppressed the idea almost the same time it surfaced in his mind.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
The atmosphere in the car was so quiet, the only sound was their breathing, mingled with the occasional honk of a car.
Roxanne moved a little.
She wasn’t exactly asleep. Instead, she was just resting her eyes.
Sensing the car had come to a stop, she opened her eyes slowly, the fatigue in them palpable.
“Are we here?”
Her voice was husky after the long-time silence, tinged with a studied coolness to keep him firmly at ar- m’s length.
Marlon’s heart skipped a beat.
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Chapter 18
“I’m off. Thanks for the ride.” She pushed open the door without a pause.
“Roxy.” He stepped out of the car, his voice deep and penetrating.
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She turned around. “What’s
up,
Marlon?”
He extended his hand.
She froze and almost instinctively wanted to dodge.
But all he did was brush away a speck of dust that didn’t exist from her shoulder.
His movement was so quick that she almost thought it was her illusion.
Yet the heat of his body through the thin fabric was undeniable.
It almost numbed the spot on her shoulder where he had touched.
A peculiar feeling stirred within her, tugging at her heartstrings.
Marlon slowly withdrew his hand and put it back into his pocket.
He fought to keep his voice steady, the very picture of a proper senior to his junior.
“Get some rest early.”
He deliberately said this slowly and gently.
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