09
“How big was the mosquito? I’m coming back right now to beat it to death and feed it to the
dog.” Charles Gresham said, his voice brooking no argument.
He’s convinced something’s going on here.
I figured it would take Charles Gresham about forty minutes to drive back from the
company.
Plus the elevator and parking, call it fifty minutes.
“Ryan Gresham, are you crazy? Charles Gresham’s back!” I was terrified.
He was unconcerned. “What’s to be afraid of? He’s coming from the office; with traffic, it’ll be
an hour.”
An hour later, Charles Gresham rushed into the sky garden, looking disheveled.
I was pruning the roses when he saw me. He looked surprised. ‘Eva, are you the only one up here in the sky garden?‘
Who else would be?‘ I glanced at Charles Gresham with feigned indifference, secretly panicking.
Thankfully, Ryan Gresham had left five minutes earlier.
Charles Gresham didn’t believe me. He searched the sky garden and found an eye mask in
the sofa cushions.
He demanded, ‘Where did this eye mask come from?”
I smoothly replied, ‘I just took a nap on the sofa. It’s normal to wear an eye mask during the
day, isn’t it? What’s the problem?”
He sniffed the air, frowning. “Why is the fragrance so strong?”
I replied, “Oh, I just broke a bottle of flower dew, so the scent’s a bit overpowering.”
The greenhouse has flower dew extracted from fresh flowers. I deliberately smashed a bottle
about two minutes ago.
Charles Gresham’s face darkened. He took the pruning shears from my hand, set them aside, and hugged me. “You’re tired. Go back inside.”
I shivered. If he decided to punish me now, it would probably confirm his suspicions.
On the way downstairs, Charles Gresham asked me again, “What’s that red mark on your
neck?”
I reached up to touch it, and said without missing a beat, is there? Oh, isn’t that from you this
morning?”
A dark lie
flickered in his eyes.
Once in the bedroom, he tossed me onto the bed and ripped off his tie.
Looks like someone’s going to do a hands–on inspection.
I dodged him. “Charles Gresham, I want to take g shower. I attracted a ton of mosquitoes in the Garden just now.”
15:59 Tue, 22 Apr NO
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I reached up to touch it, and said without missing a beat, “Is there? Oh, Isn’t that from you this
morning?”
A dark glint flickered in his eyes.
Once in the bedroom, he tossed me onto the bed and ripped off his tie.
Looks like someone’s going to do a hands–on Inspection.
I dodged him. “Charles Gresham, I want to take a shower. I attracted a ton of mosquitoes in
the Garden just now.”
“Alright, I’ll run the water for you. Together.” Charles Gresham turned and headed to the
bathroom.
An hour later, we emerged from the bathroom.
Charles Gresham, wearing a bathrobe, sat on the sofa in front of the floor–to–ceiling window,
smoking.
Crap, I think he definitely knows.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Ryan Gresham’s number. “Are you sure you went to A City
today?”
Ryan Gresham’s voice came from the other end of the line: “I’ll be at the bidding site soon.
Want to video chat?”
Charles Gresham and Ryan Gresham started a video call. A City’s iconic building was visible behind Ryan Gresham.
Ryan Gresham said in the video, “Bro, you said that if I win this land this time, you’d agree to one condition. Don’t go back on your word.”
“I never break a promise.” Charles Gresham hung up.
This time I was the one who was stunned. If Ryan Gresham is in A City, then who was the man who blindfolded me in the sky garden?
Two days later, Ryan Gresham returned.
He successfully secured that crucial piece of land in A City. The Gresham Group will be developing residential and commercial properties there.
Ryan Gresham outbid numerous developers for that land. To celebrate, he opened a bottle of imported wine at dinner.
Ryan Gresham kept toasting me, glass after glass. I’ve always had a low tolerance; I’m a lightweight.
I
I barely finished half a glass before blacking out, face–planting on the table.
In a daze, I overheard Ryan Gresham saying to Charles Gresham, “Bro, you said if I secured that Land, you’d grant me a request.”