Belinda looked around but didnât spot Chase. All she saw was her phone charging on the bedside table. She picked it up, and the first unread message was from Chase.
âThe only thing I did last night was bring you to my room and crash on the couch. Donât think too much into itâ
Her heart raced, and her cheeks flushed. What the hell was he playing at? She was all kinds of confused!
Then there were the 99+ unread messages from her boyfriend, Jacob.
Belinda cringed. Sheâd been so out of it yesterday that sheâd forgotten to reply to Jacob.
She opened their chat to find a bunch of messages from him, asking where she was, what she was doing, and if sheâd gone to bed.
The last one was from this morning. âBelinda, why arenât you answering me? Reply when you see this!â
Feeling guilty, she quickly replied. âSorry, I got caught up with something yesterday and forgot to reply to your messages.â
Jacob replied instantly. âNo worries! I was just worried about you. Are you okay? Where are you?â
She replied honestly. âIâm still at my auntâs place. Iâm okay; donât worry.â
Jacob asked, âCan I pick you up for lunch? Itâll be just us two.â
For some reason, Belinda hesitated before replying. âUm⦠sure. Donât bother picking me up: 111 come to you.â
âLooking forward to it!â
After ending the chat with Jacob, Belinda got out of bed and cleaned herself up in the bathroom.
When she came out of Chaseâs room, she saw Ellinor sitting alone at the kitchen counter, eating breakfast and working on her laptop.
Belinda approached her. âAunt⦠I mean, Ellinor, what are you up to?â
Ellinor held a finger to her lips, then pointed at her laptop. Belinda got the hint and shut up.
She took a peek at the laptop, only to see her own messy hair on the screen. She jumped back, like sheâd seen a ghost.
Turned out that Ellinor was on a video call. She was probably having a meeting.
Not knowing what was going on and not daring to disturb her, Belinda quietly picked up her jacket and bag and left.
Sheâd go home to change and freshen up, then meet Jacob. Afterward, sheâd bring lunch back for Ellinor.
Ellinor noticed Belinda leave but didnât look up. She finished her video meeting and closed her laptop.
Ida called right then. She took a sip of milk and picked up.
Ida reported. âBoss, the Blanchet Corporation has bought the Southside Haven property. They plan to turn it into a shopping center and want us to handle the project. What do you think?â
Ellinor sipped her warm milk and squinted. âItâs a good project. If the conditions are right, we can consider taking it. But we need to watch out for any potential traps in their contractâ
âGot it. Iâll bring our legal team to negotiate with them.â
After hanging up. Ellinor rubbed her tired eyes. Even though sheâd just woken up, she felt utterly drained.
The Blanchet Corporation seemed eager to work with Crescent Society, and she couldnât help but suspect it was Theoâs doing.
Something was off, and it made her uneasy.
But if they refused, the Blanchet Corporation would just propose another project. They might as well face It head-on.
The doorbell rang.