Six hours before the party, when Chloe stepped out of the airport and the afternoon sun hit against her face, she drew her cap downward and lowered her head.
Even though the dark glasses on her face felt a bit uncomfortable, she refused to take it off as she stared around looking for a cab.
Then she suddenly saw a built guy with his hair wrapped in a bun waving at her.
'Wow, he would be a total catch if he was loaded and not a cab driver.' Chloe thought as she approached him.
After she reached him, he smiled and said, "Good day, miss. Where are you heading?"
"Can you take me to Stargate resort?" Chloe asked, gazing at the yellow taxi behind him.
Then she narrowed her eyes as she thought, 'Right now, I need to lay low until all this can die down. Who knows what Rome will do to me if I show my face now.'
After the cab driver had opened the door for her, Chloe got in the backseat. Then he gently shut door closed.
Staring at the tinted window, Chloe sighed and thought, 'Was it even worth it, giving up my freedom to split up Catherine and Rome?'
A look of hate suddenly clouded her eyes, and she mumbled, "It's a tiny price to pay as long as she is miserable!"
"Did you say something, miss?" Chloe heard the driver ask, and she stared away from the window.
Then she gazed at him and slightly shook her head as she said, "No."
After a brief pause, she looked into the v mirror and asked, "How much will be my fare?"
"Oh, I get paid every month for doing this, so I don't need your money." The driver said, glancing back at her for a second before focusing on the road.
"What is the meaning of that?"
"Well, I have already been paid to get you."
Goosebumps immediately covered Chloe's entire skin as her face grew pale, and she slowly and firmly asked, "Who the hell are you!?"
"I don't think my name will be useful in this situation, but you can call me, 'Taylor."
Fear ceased Chloe's entire being as she mumbled, "You are taking me to Stargate resort, right?"
"Actually, Nahh... You are needed somewhere else." Taylor casually said.
Feeling desperate and terrified, Chloe smiled spastically and hastily uttered, "What is your monthly pay? Tell me, and whatever it is, I promise to double it if you let me go."
"Okay," Taylor said with a smirk. "I make three hundred thousand dollars a month."
A look of shock crossed Chloe's face as she paused and thought, 'He's actually loaded!'
Eyeing her from the v mirror, Taylor smirked and asked, "Do you have six hundred thousand dollars to give me?"
"Well, my cousin-in-law is Rome Ford. If you let me go, I can get the money from him. I swear! Just give me your account details, an…"
"If I let you go, what am I going to tell his father then? Oh, and the last time I heard, you are trying to frame my boss by accusing him of sleeping with you even though he is married to your cousin."
Holding in his laugh, Taylor paused for a moment and then asked, "How are you going to get him to give you six hundred thousand dollars after your shameless lies on his name, huh?!"
Speechless, lines of stress form on Chloe's forehead as she dug her nails into her palm and thought, 'I'm doom!'
Five hours before the party, Catherine and Rome walked into Jerry's boutique, and when he saw them, he tried to smile, but their faces were way too serious, so he didn't.
"Good day, Jerry." Catherine gently said.
"A pleasant day to both of you." Jerry calmly uttered, finally giving Catherine a quick smile. "What can I do for you two?"
"My father is hosting some random party, and we would appreciate it if you could pick up something for us to wear," Rome said with his hand stuck in his pocket.
"I got you. You both can take a seat in the VIP room, and I will grab my daintiness and one-of-a-kind clothings that I have." Jerry said as his eyes lit up.
Then he left from behind the desk and rushed off, knowing that Catherine and Rome knew their way around the boutique.
Now that it was just the two of them, Rome looked at Catherine and said, "I didn't explain things in detail because it meant nothing to me, and I didn't want to hurt you with useless pieces of information. But I see now that it was selfish of me..."
Looking up at his eyes, Catherine faintly smiled with a look of adoration in her gaze and softly uttered, "Hon..."
"Please let me finish." Rome softly uttered. "Even though it meant nothing to me, I should have considered that it might have meant something to you and be totally honest about everything. You shouldn't have had to hear it from some edited video clip instead."
Keeping silent, Catherine stared intensely into Rome's eyes and then wholeheartedly cried, "I love you so freaking much, Rome Miller Ford!"
At that moment, the boutique door opened, and two stylishly dressed ladies walked inside.
The moment they set their eyes on Catherine and Rome, they slightly frowned, and Catherine noticed it as she gazed at them. But she brushed it off, took Rome's hand, and led him away.
"I am crazy in love with you, Catherine Barlow Miller Ford." Rome's voice flowed into the bathroom.
A cute smile crept on Catherine's lip as a look of pride glowed on her face.
Then her expression suddenly grew cold as she looked the ladies dead in their eyes and casually said, "Go ahead and try your luck."
Then she smirked before walking away, leaving them gazing speechlessly behind her as she walked out of the bathroom.
Two hours until the party, Mr. Ford gazed swayed towards the door when the sound of a knock echoed into his bedroom.
Then he calmly uttered, "Come inside."
The door opened, and Butler Hobson walked into the room, stopped a few distances away from the bed with a garment bag in his hand, and said, "Sir, your suit has arrived."
"Hang it on the rack." Mr. Ford said, staring at the black bag.
Then his attention suddenly got drawn to his phone when it rang, and he picked it up, seeing that Brook was the one calling."
"Big boss, we are in the country, and we have what you asked us to get," Brook said, gazing at Blaze behind the driver seat.
"Good. Do not let Rome know about it, and keep it safe until I give my next order."
"Yes, big boss."
One hour till the party, Chloe strived to slip her wrists out of the tight rope that bound them together. But her effort was a wasted one, and she was simply causing herself pain.
Finally, she stopped struggling when she heard the warehouse door open.
Immediately, she gazed to her right, and her sight rested on Taylor approaching her.
When he was only a foot away from Chloe, he stopped, removed the tape from her lip, and said, "It's time to free you."
"You are letting me go?" Chloe asked in doubt.
"Oh, no! You have a big night ahead of you."
"What!!"
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