Byran shrugged. âFine! Iâll just go wander around the neighborhood and come back at noon to scrounge a lunch off you.â
Ellinor cast him a disdainful glance as she set down her coffee mug. âI suspect thatâs your main objective.â
With a cheeky grin, Byran got up and sauntered off, leaving his sister to her work.
Ellinor sat alone for a while, her expression complex. After a few moments of deep thought, she got up and returned to her tasks.
After leaving the Blanchet Corporation, Byran went to hang out with a friend who ran an e-sports bar in the same district. Before he knew it, it was lunchtime.
His friends invited him to join them for a meal and a few drinks, but he declined, leaving the bar after heâd had his fill of gaming. He was ready to head back and find Ellinor.
During the gaming session, someone had handed him a low-alcohol drink, and now he was in no condition to drive himself.
He hailed a cab and directed it towards the Blanchet Corporation. As they passed by his familyâs business, the Howard Group, something occurred to Byran. He asked the driver to pull over and dialed Balfourâs number./
âHey bro, where are you? How about we grab lunch together? I was about to go find Ellinor and join her for lunch.â
Balfour responded in a deep voice. âI have some stuff to handle this afternoon. I wonât be able to make it. Just behave yourself and donât provoke Ellinor.â
Byran laughed heartily. âBro, you still think Iâm the same troublesome kid from ten years ago? Iâve matured a lot, and I wonât annoy Ellinor. Trust me.â
âI hope so.â
âBy the way, bro, whatâs up with you? Why are you skipping lunch today?â
*Adult matters. Stop being so nosy.â
Byran felt a bit miffed at being chastised while trying to show concern for his elder brother. âBro, I am an adult now. Fine, if you donât want to talk about it, I wonât ask. Iâm going to find Ellinor now. Gotta go.â
As he hung up and was about to tell the driver to get moving towards the Blanchet Corporation, he spotted Balfour walking out of the Howard Group, heading towards a black sedan parked at the gate.
Balfour dismissed the driver and got behind the wheel himself.
Was his brother heading to a private meeting?
Byran couldnât help but feel curious. Remembering Balfourâs comment about âadult matters; he began to speculate.
Was his brother seeing someone?
Was he sneaking off for a secret rendezvous during his lunch break?
After some thought, Byran decided that he was more interested in his brotherâs potential love life than joining Ellinor for lunch. âTurn around and follow that car.â
Balfour drove to the hotel he had checked into the previous day. He hadnât checked out and used his key card to enter the same suite he had occupied.
The hotel wasnât exactly close to the Howard Group, and due to a traffic accident, it took him over an hour to get there.
Quinton had been waiting in the suite the whole time, observing the activity across the hall.
But there hadnât been any movement from the other side, although it was clear they hadnât moved out.
As soon as he entered the suite, Balfour removed his jacket and sat on the couch, glancing at his wristwatch.
It was a little past one in the afternoon, and soon it would be two oâclock, the time he had agreed to meet with Theo. As soon as Quinton saw Sophia leave, he would head over to hear how that scumbag Theo explained his disappearance over the last three years.