Chapter 169 He's Back
Zaire's man called. "Mr. Jose, we followed Charlie to Pine Hill Residences like you said."
"Pine Hill Residences?" Zaire mused while driving. "What's he doing there?"
"Not sure. We got the house number. A woman opened the door for him," the subordinate hesitated. "Should we go in and check?"
Zaire pulled over. "Looks like Charlie's got some secrets. This woman might be his mistress, cheating on Nina. If he's meeting her, barging in would be illegal. Just keep an eye on him."
"Okay. One more thing, Mr. Jose. We noticed another group tailing Charlie too."
Zaire remembered the man in black from when he was looking for Nina. He frowned, worry creeping in. "Do you know who they are?"
"No idea."
"Alright. Keep watching and update me."
"Yes, Mr. Jose."
At Pine Hill Residences.
"What are you doing here?" Vanessa, in a nightgown, let Charlie in and quickly locked the door, drawing the curtains tight.
Still uneasy, she checked the balcony.
Charlie hugged her from behind, sniffing her. "Vanessa, you smell so good. Did you take a bath just for me?"
Vanessa frowned but didn't push him away. "How did you find this place?"
They'd been flirting for months, mostly through calls and texts. They met occasionally at bars or hotels, but she never gave him her address. She was shocked he showed up.
"What's wrong?" Charlie's hands roamed over her. "Aren't you happy I came?"
Vanessa finally pushed him away and went inside. Charlie quickly followed.
"You just got out of the police station, right?" Vanessa sat on the couch, eyeing him.
"Yeah," Charlie said. "I didn't even go home. I came straight to you. Vanessa, I've sacrificed a lot for you. My mom's in the hospital, my brother's in jail, and I'm pretty shaken up. You have to comfort me, right?"
Vanessa was furious. "You were being followed; did you know that?"
Charlie stiffened. "What? How is that possible?"
"Go look at the two cars parked downstairs. Pine Hill Residences is a poor neighborhood. Usually, there aren't any cars worth more than ten grand. Those two are worth over thirty grand each."
Charlie ran to check and saw it was true. He was instantly terrified. "Is it Zaire, Richard, or Seb?"
Vanessa sneered. "You've made quite a few enemies, haven't you?"
Charlie grabbed her hand. "Vanessa, what do we do? We're being watched! What do we do?"
"What else can we do?" Vanessa pulled her hand away, coldly saying, "Charlie, no matter who sent those people, we can't escape now!"
Charlie's legs went weak. "Vanessa, I did all this for you. You can't abandon me!"
"How could I?" Vanessa wrapped her arms around his neck, her body writhing in his embrace. "You've done so much for me. Am I that heartless?"
Charlie, holding Vanessa, felt a bit comforted. His desire surged, and he started undressing her.
Vanessa gently pushed him back. "Charlie, there's one way to turn this around. Are you willing to do it?"
Charlie, eyes closed, kissed her all over. "What way? Just tell me. I'll do it."
Vanessa's eyes showed a hint of disgust, but she had to endure it. She hugged him tightly and whispered something in his ear.
Charlie was shocked, his eyes wide open. "Doing that would be outrageous!"
"I know, but it's our only way out now. If we don't do it, we'll both die!" Vanessa looked at him affectionately, her fingers drawing circles on his chest. "I promise you, once this is over, we'll get married."
Charlie's eyes showed hesitation. He stared at Vanessa for a while, then suddenly grabbed her butt hard. "Then I want you now!"
Vanessa's eyes flashed, instinctively wanting to refuse. But seeing Charlie's expression, she knew she had teased him too long. If she wanted him to obey, she had to make some sacrifices.
So Vanessa willingly gave herself to Charlie.
From Maple Valley to Lakina, it was a five-hour drive.
Seb hadn't slept all night.
Jack placed a cup of coffee in front of him, his expression serious. "Mr. Landon, as soon as we left, Mr. Charles Landon took over the project."
Seb drank his coffee, frowning, silent.
Jack checked his phone. "I've looked into it, over the past month, we've lost several big deals. We're looking at losses of at least eight figures. Now, the Northhaven land has been put on hold, and we can't start construction for now."
Seb received an email. He opened it, and his face instantly turned cold.
They were photos. All of Isabella's nudes.
Seb glanced at them and closed the email. "Find out who sent this. I want answers by tomorrow!"
Jack nodded. "Got it. I'll arrange for someone to investigate right away."
In the morning, a thin mist covered the entire city.
Isabella felt the bed sink slightly. She opened her eyes suddenly and grabbed the person's arm. "Seb."
As her vision focused, she saw Nina's face.
Nina said, "Bella, it's me."
Isabella propped herself up on her arms, anxiously looking around, but there was no sign of Seb. However, she clearly felt Seb had been there, and his cool scent seemed to linger in the air.
Was it her imagination?
Seb said he'd be back by dawn, and now it was already bright outside. Hadn't he returned?
"Bella." Nina gently patted her hand. "Seb was here. He stayed with you for a while, saw you were sleeping soundly, and didn't wake you."
Isabella felt a bit relieved. "Where is he?"
Nina replied, "He got a call and went out."
As soon as she finished speaking, Isabella threw off the covers and got out of bed.
Nina reached out to support her. "Bella, don't rush."
"Okay." Isabella nodded. She said she wasn't rushing, but her anxiety was almost visible in her eyes.
Isabella said, "I'm going to find him."
Nina seemed to want to say something but ultimately didn't. She nodded. "Okay."
Watching Isabella leave, a trace of worry flashed in Nina's eyes. She wondered if this incident would drive a wedge between Isabella and Seb.
