Chapter 365
They finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.
Edward opened the passenger door like a gentleman.
Rose hesitated for a moment. She looked at the driver’s seat and suggested. “Why don’t I drive?”
Her brother forbade her to drive since her last accident. Rose itched to get behind the wheel again.
Edward wanted to retuse when he met her gaze The shadow of the accident still haunted him to date. He cleared his throat and said. “Let me drive. Il send you wherever you want to go.”
Edward did not want to risk his life, fearing Rose would get into another mishap. Just because he fell out of love did not mean he wanted to commit suicide.
He went to the church to pray out of frustration; he had no intention of leaving the world behind just yet.
Rose looked somewhat disappointed, but it was Edward’s car, and he made the call. She understood a car was like a man’s wife and did not blame him for being protective of his. She was at fault for asking to drive in the first place. “All right, then Take me to Athana,” she said.
.
Edward understood Rose’s destination was not downtown Athana. He thought momentarily and said, “Tm going to the pier to look for your brother. Do you want to come along? I can take you there if you want”
Rose was glad Edward was headed in the same direction. She planned to go to the pier anyway and realized Atlana was far away from where they were. In any case, she had lied once and did not want to lose face further. Rose was not proud of herself for having a lousy sense of direction. She did not want others to know her brother had arranged a car and designated a driver for her.
In fact, Edward already knew about it that day at the pier when Frank’s car stopped before him. He was stunned
He had sat in the car for over seven hours and could recite the license plate with his eyes closed.
However, Rose came in a cab today. Therefore. Edward did not suspect anything
“Thanks for offering. It’s awkward to address you as Mr. Landor as if we’re from a different era. I think you are cool. Now that we have shared a few secrets, why don’t we be buddies instead? You can treat me like a hiro,” Rose suggested. Edward was taken aback.
He was at a loss for words and did not reply to Rose. He did not agree or reject her. Edward smiled, thinking that Rose was erratic. No one would believe she attempted suicide previously.
Nevertheless, Edward admired Rose’s straightforwardness. She had no qualms about speaking her mind.
Rose fought hard to stay awake in the car on their way to the pier. She nodded off, hit her head against the window, and woke up startled.
Rose looked around in a daze. “Don’t mind me,” she said quickly. “Carry on driving
Edward was about to say, “Why don’t you sleep for a while?” But he decided not to, knowing Rose would soon fall asleep at the rate she was nodding off
Edward drove quietly and kept his eyes on the road throughout the journey.
He glanced at Rose at the traffic light junction; the latter was fast asleep. He shook his head helplessly, thinking Rose was as ignorant as Sherri, living carelessly.
Edward thought she was unassuming and trusted others too easily. She fell asleep in his car soundly despite not knowing
him well.
Edward closed the windows thoughtfully, as no blanket was in the car. He had not driven it for a while and did not equip it with the usual necessities for road trips. Moreover, he usually drove alone and did not decorate the car with accessories. Edward then turned on the air conditioner and adjusted it to a suitable temperature to prevent Rose from catching a cold. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Edward picked it up immediately. He glanced at the traffic lights and then at Rose. He stepped on the accelerator and answered the call softly, “Hello,”
Knowing Edward was always punctual for work, Kyle was curious on the other end of the line. He wondered why his boss and good friend had not arrived at the office late in the morning. “Are you taking the day off?” he asked
Edward continued in a low voice. “Didn’t you tell me to baptize my soul? Have you forgotten what you said?”
Kyle was shocked. “You went to church this early in the morning?”
Edward’s voice was still low, “Yes.”
Kyle sensed that something was amiss. “Is there someone with you? A woman”” he speculated.
“Did God send for a woman to redeem you?” Kyle seeined to be inquisitive today, unlike his usual self
“Don’t you have work to do? I’m hanging up now”
Before Kyle could squeeze in another word, Edward hung up abruptly.
He finally arrived at the pier and stopped in the open spare front of Frank’s mobile office.
Rose was still in slumberland. Edward fch awkward to wake her up. He opened the door gently and tiptoed out of the car to look for Frank
Meanwhile, Frank was busy working in his office and drawing something with a stack of documents. Some of them were in Arillion,
He looked up when he heard Edward walk in. Then he lowered his head and took a pack of cigarettes from the corner of the table. Frank took one out and tossed it at Edward. The latter swiftly caught it.
Frank put a cigarette between his lips, lit it up, and asked, “Do you need a light?”
Edward took out a lighter from his pocket. “I brought mine.”
He then in his cigarette and took a puff. “Miss Roberts is in the car.”
Frank pursed his lips and stared at him for a few seconds as if looking for an explanation.
Edward understood what he mean “Don’t misunderstand; it was just a comcidence. I gave her a ride” he explained.
Frank wondered what happened to Rose’s bodyguard cum driver, Tom Why would she catch a ride from Edward when she had her own transport? Frank thought his sister must be up to no good again.
Did Rose try to repay Edward’s kindness? Taking a ride in someone else’s car was not the appropriate gesture.
Frank remained expressionless and did not get up immediately to get his sister out of the car. Instead, he sat calmly on the chair and chatted with Edward about the arrival of the goods.
The two continued talking for a while; there was still no trace of Rose Frank thought his sister must still be asleep in the car.
Meanwhile, Frank reminded Edward gently, “Mr. Landor, Rose is erratic and unpredictable. She may even puzzle you with her behavior at times. Please don’t give her a ride the next time you see her without a car”
His words were polite with a warning undertone. Edward was no fool, he understood Frank did not want him to get close to his sister. Perhaps he feared that there was something between Rose and hirm.
Rose knew Edward fancied Natalie. Trevon knew it, too. Frank was also aware of it; he intended to remind Edward gently.
Edward smiled. He took a drag on his rigarette, exhaled the smoke, and extinguished it in an ashtray on Frank’s table. “Don’t worry, Mr. Roberts. I’m not interested in your sister. I’m sure you know there’s only room for one in a person’s heart.”
Frank leaned back in his chair casually as he studied Edward. He gazed at the latter with sincere gratitude. I’ll take good care of Rose. My apology to have troubled you today, Mr. Landor”
Edward suddenly thought of how that man stared at Rose in the church, his sly gaze filled with malice. Since Sherri was Rose’s friend, Edward thought it was his duty to give Frank a heads-up. He told Frank as the latter walked out of his office to fetch his sister.
“I suggest you keep an eye on Miss Roberts’s safety in the future. We bumped into her ex-boyfriend by chance today. That guy did not look decent and kept bothering Miss Roberts intentionally. Thought I will bring the incident to your attention
for her sake.”
Frank’s eyes darkened and turned cold. He thanked Edward politely. Thanks for your advice, Mr. Landor. I’ll take the first delivery as a test run and waive the shipping fees,” he offered.
Frank was a clear-cut inan who differentiated gratitude from grudges distinctively. He did not like to owe favors and preferred to keep matters above board in all his dealings. Therefore, he managed to keep the Roberts family from unnecessary hassles for years.
Edward understood his intention. It was Frank’s gesture of repaying his kindness so he would not expect any other gains. from the Roberts family in the future.
Aware that Frank wanted to draw the line, Edward accepted his offer graciously. “Thank you for your generosity. Mr. Roberts,” he said sincerely.
“You’re most welcome,” said Frank
Then he strode toward Edward’s car. Frank pinched between his eyebrows and leaned against the car door. He knocked on the window, there was no reply. Then he knocked again.
Frank swiftly opened the door and carried his sister out of the car. The sudden movement startled Rose and woke her from her slumber.
She hugged her brother’s neck and exclaimed, “Oh my god, I’m flying!”
Frank gritted his teeth m disappointment. “I want to blast you to the moon if I could.”
Rose was fully awake at this point, aware of the surroundings. She realized she was in her brother’s territory. She smiled obsequiously. “Hey, don’t you dare! I woke up too early in the morning and was exhausted. By the way, I said a prayer for you and Ava in church,”
Frank lightened up when he heard that. He put Rose down unceremoniously. “Where’s the car I gave you?”
Just then, Tom hurried over from afar. “Frank, I’m here! Tm here!”
Frank glared at Tom and understood what happened. Edward did not offer Rose a drive deliberately. Rose was the one who did not want others to know she had a driver in the first place.
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