Chapter 227
Haley had no desire to go. Every weekend, she made it a point to take her kids out, setting work aside.
"Mommy, I'll take good care of Angela. You can go with peace of mind," Todd said with a reassuring smile. "Just make sure you come back early."
Angela was diligently practicing piano, indeed giving Haley little cause for concern.
She patted both children on their heads, changed clothes, and departed with Ivan.
No sooner had the car vanished from sight than Todd bolted upstairs and dug out a hidden notebook from under his bed. Then, he opened his social media.
As soon as he logged in, messages poured in. It was all from K, and they were all pointless chatter.
Todd's fingers flew across the keyboard, and he shot off a message. "Dude, you talked about starting a hacker organization last year. How did it go?"
"It wouldn't have been the same without you. So, I dropped the idea."
"I'm in."
"Holy smokes! Have you finally seen the light? Didn't you say your mom was against your hacking ventures? I have to say, though, dude, you being such a mama's boy isn't exactly a chick magnet... Listen, women don't dig guys who always listen to their mother..."
"Cut the crap, or I'll start my own organization without you."
"All right, my bad. I misspoke..."
Todd hammered away at the keyboard, discussing various details with K. He had been dreaming of this for so long, but his mother had put her foot down, and he had been forced to suppress his ambition.
However, Keith taking charge of the family business had really gotten under his skin. If Keith could stand on his own two feet, Todd should be able to as well.
Once he got the organization up and running, he would grow stronger. Eventually, he would be able to stand tall in front of his mom, loud and proud. That way, he can even protect his mom.
...
When Haley and Ivan reached the dock, it was already 6 PM. Dusk was settling in, and lights flickered to life offshore, casting a glow on the water's surface like a galaxy of stars.
A massive cruise ship loomed at the dock, its decks ablaze with light where elegantly dressed men and women laughed and sipped champagne.
Haley furrowed her brow. "Didn't you say we were going to talk business?"
"Louis and Mark have already booked a private room. Come on, let's head up," Ivan said as he strode toward the cruise ship.
At an imposing set of steps, he turned back and reached his hand out to help Haley.
But the woman simply gathered her dress, lifted her knee high, and boarded the ship with ease.
Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Let me help you next time."
Haley curved her lips into a smile. "Well, you can't always count on having someone around, so it's better to do it on your own."
Ivan glanced at her and said no more. The two proceeded onto the deck, one after the other.
One was the young, dynamic CEO of the Winston Group, and the other was the most radiant beauty of Cuenca. Their arrival captured everyone's attention.
"Ms. Haley, you're the belle of the ball again tonight," Louis said, batting his eyes as he held a glass of wine. "Your purple dress matched Ivan's tie. You two look like a couple."
Haley gave a tight-lipped smile. "Is it that time again, Louis? Got an itch you can't scratch?"
She moved her fingers, causing a crackling sound as her joints popped.
Louis's smile twitched. "Ms. Haley, can we not resort to violence? There are people watching. Can you spare me some dignity?"
"Maybe you should watch what you're saying, then."
Haley's expression was cold, her complexion a striking tableau under the festive lights. Her beauty was uncontainable and chilling.
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