Shawn, seated across from them, raised an eyebrow at Michael. âYeah, whatâs going on?â
Michaelâs face flickered with unease, but he kept his tone neutral. âItâs nothing.â
Bobby, clearly uninterested in the deeper issues between Michael and Dulce, waved a dismissive hand. âI donât care about your drama, but if youâve got a moment, have a word with Dulce. Tell her to stop dragging Fifi to those places. Donât let her lead Fifi down the wrong path!â
Shawn scoffed, shaking his head. âBobby, youâre overthinking it. Dulce and Fannie are adultsâthey can go wherever they want. Besides, arenât you the same guy whoâs blown tens of millions at Flex Club? Now youâre worried about someone elseâs nightlife?â
Bobby clicked his tongue in irritation but didnât argue the point. Michael turned to Bobby, his expression hardening. âWhere exactly are you saying they went?â
âTo nightclubs. The ones with the pretty waiters and male escorts.â Bobby smirked mischievously. âYou didnât know? Dulceâs practically a regular there!â
Shawn shot Bobby a sharp look. âWill you stop making things worse?â
âIâm not lying!â Bobby protested, throwing his hands up.
âShut up,â Shawn growled, his glare cutting.
Bobby fell silent, leaning back in his chair.
Michael didnât press further, his jaw tightening as he stared off, his thoughts tangled.
That evening, Michael decided to take a swim. He carefully slipped off his wedding ring, placing it securely on a towel by the poolside. After completing a lap, he returned to find the towel floating in the water and the ring nowhere in sight.
The pool manager hurried over after an initial search, his tone filled with apology.
âIâm so sorry, Mr. Frye. Weâve combed through the area thoroughly but havenât found anything yet. Weâll drain the pool right away and make sure to retrieve your ring!â
âAlright.â
Michael sat at the edge of the pool in his swim trunks, his legs stretched out as he briskly towel-dried his hair.
The few remaining guests at the pool were ushered away to give the staff space to search.
Michael watched silently as the pool was drained and a team of a dozen staff members scoured the area meticulously. Two hours passed, and their search yielded nothing.
The manager returned, bowing deeply in an attempt to placate Michael, his voice trembling with worry. âWe sincerely apologize, sir. We will keep searching until we find it!â
The staff were on edge, knowing full well the significance of the lost itemâit was Michaelâs wedding ring. If it wasnât recovered, they feared the consequences.
But to their surprise, Michael remained calm, unmoving, his gaze fixed on the now-empty pool.
âForget it. Itâs gone. Itâs been swept away, searching for it is pointless.â Michaelâs demeanor was impossible to decipher, leaving the manager hesitant and uneasy. He decided to tread carefully.
âCould you tell us the approximate value of the ring, sir? We know it was your wedding ring, and while we canât replace its sentimental value, weâd like to do what we can to compensate for your loss.â
âNever mind. Even selling this place wouldnât cover its worth. I wonât hold it against you. Maybe this is how it was meant to be.â
Michael stood, brushing himself off, and walked away without a backward glance.
Later that evening, he found himself at the nightclub Bobby had mentioned. The clientele consisted entirely of women, so his presence drew immediate attention.
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