Chapter 13

“Yeah.” The next day, William dragged himself to the 33rd floor looking like a zombie, dark circles heavy under his eyes. Alice had just handed some reimbursement forms to Finance when she turned around and nearly jumped. “Secretary Brooks, did you rob a bank last night or something?” William looked dead inside. “Honestly? Robbing a bank might’ve been easier.” “What happened?” He raised the coffee cup in his hand and sighed miserably. “Been searching everywhere for someone and still can’t find them. Called a bunch of times—no answer.” Alice’s face fell. She was instantly reminded of the message she’d sent Alexander Blake. A soft sigh slipped out. “Wow… same here.” Not only hadn’t he replied to her texts or calls, but lately, she couldn’t even get through to his number anymore. William raised an eyebrow. “Who are you looking for?” “A friend.” She kept a straight face as if the story wasn’t made up on the spot. “She asked me to help find her husband.” William’s gossip radar instantly went off. Whoever said only women loved drama clearly hadn’t met a bored office guy. “Why’d she ask you to find him?” “Because she’s tried everything already—calls, texts, you name it—and he just isn’t responding.” Alice looked puzzled. “Why would a man ghost his own wife?” William didn’t even hesitate. “Isn’t it obvious?” Alice blinked. “Huh?” William nodded, dead serious. “Guaranteed he’s cheating.” “Cheating?” Alice hadn’t even considered that angle. But if he was really cheating, wouldn’t he try to push for a divorce sooner rather than later? “You know,” William continued, “the guy you’re looking for sounds a lot like the one I’m trying to find. They both vanish like Houdini—zero trace.” Alice thought about asking who he was looking for too, but she still had her own mess to sort out. No point getting tangled in his. Even though she stayed quiet, William wasn’t giving up. “You should try calling from an unknown number. Maybe he’d actually pick up.” He held out his own phone. “Use mine if you want.” Alice thought about all the times she’d called that number—she almost had it memorized by now. But after a couple of seconds, she shook her head. “Forget it. This kind of thing… they should handle it themselves.” She’d never really liked mixing personal stuff with work anyway. Her eyes flicked toward the CEO’s office. “Is Mr. Hawthorne not coming in today?” William looked surprised. “Why do you say that? He’s been here since early morning.” “What?” Alice was stunned. He was that sick yesterday and didn’t stay in the hospital? She leaned in and told William what happened—the whole emergency with Edward being rushed to the hospital for his stomach problem. William sighed and lowered his cup. “He looks fine on the surface, but truth is, he barely sleeps, and that stomach issue’s no joke. Food abroad didn’t suit him, and he’s got back-to-back business dinners—doesn’t even know when his next meal is half the time.” Alice was genuinely surprised. She never expected him to also struggle with insomnia on top of everything else. He always seemed so full of energy. “Doesn’t his wife care?” William shrugged. “Would’ve been nice if she did. They lived apart when he was overseas, and she basically ghosted him the entire time. Now he’s been back for a while, and they still haven’t seen each other once.” Alice was genuinely caught off guard. Her impression of Mr. Hawthorne and his wife had just done a 180—seemed like the Mrs. wasn’t even mildly interested in him. But somehow, the way they got along felt oddly familiar… William’s expression grew more gloomy, sighing heavily. “Anyway, I’m done talking. I’m heading out to grab Mr. Hawthorne some breakfast.” Alice quickly shelved her curiosity and silently reminded herself of the ultimate workplace survival mantra: don’t stick your nose in the boss's business, stay focused, clock out on time, get home and chill. —— That afternoon, Alice accompanied Edward to the Grant family’s Stardawn Lounge. This time, the stalled partnership talks were back on, now with James Grant taking point. Once they arrived, a staff member guided them straight to the VVIP suite. By the time they stepped in, the others were already there. As Alice followed behind Edward into the room, a familiar voice rang out. “Edward! You’re finally here!” Sophia’s eyes lit up when she saw him. But the moment she noticed Alice behind him, her smile froze and her expression went dark. Almost instantly, everyone’s gaze turned toward the entrance. Standing tall at the door, Edward exuded a calm, refined air. As he moved further in, the crowd instinctively cleared a spot next to James on the sofa for him. Once Edward took his seat, Alice finally had a clear view inside the suite. James lounged casually next to Edward, one arm on the backrest, his sharp black suit pants neatly pressed, paired with a flawless white shirt. His lips curved with an effortless smile. Unlike Edward’s distant and cool demeanor, James felt more chill on the surface, but there was a slyness in his smile, like someone who played nice but had a blade behind his back. Suddenly, James’s gaze swept toward Alice. Their eyes met for a second. Even though his face held a smile, soft and easy, Alice couldn’t help but feel a touch of pressure—as if he could see through her. She nodded slightly and gave him a polite smile before looking away, quietly thinking to herself—yup, none of the boss’s friends are easy to deal with. Just then, a clear, cheerful voice called out, “Alice! Over here!” Alice turned and her eyes widened. “Dr. Bennett? What are you doing here?” This was supposed to be a business meeting between their firm and James Grant—why was a doctor showing up? Charles wasn’t in his usual white coat today. Instead, he was dressed in an expensive-looking white loungewear set. Compared to his steady doctor self yesterday, he looked younger, even a bit dashing. Standing up, Charles grinned and said, “James asked a few of us to hang out. I happened to be off today, so I came by.” So basically, James had combined work and play all in one. Alice glanced at Edward—he didn’t seem to mind, so she sat down beside Charles. Better than ending up next to Sophia, especially after the way she came for her last time. Charles smiled reassuringly. “Relax, it’s all friends here.” James raised an eyebrow, a faintly amused look on his handsome face. Fixing his gaze on Alice, he said, “So, you’re Alice?” Alice met his eyes, calm and composed, and tilted her head slightly. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Grant. I’m Alice, Mr. Hawthorne’s secretary.” James Grant smirked and glanced sideways at Edward. “So you kicked my sister out of GrandVerse just for her?” Edward held the glass in his hand, long fingers loosely wrapped around it. Before he could speak, Sophia was already glaring daggers at Alice, as if she could burn a hole through her with her eyes. “Exactly, James! It was her! She poured coffee all over me and ruined my outfit!” Alice silently stared back—seriously, who splashed who last time? This young lady really had a talent for flipping the story. “You know your sister's personality better than anyone,” Edward said coolly, throwing Sophia a sidelong glance, the chill in that simple act making people instinctively tense. “Besides, do I need a reason to let someone go?” “Edward!” Sophia started to protest, but one look from him shut her up. That cold gaze killed her momentum in an instant. Swallowing her frustration, she shot Alice another glare. Alice met her look calmly, though in her mind she was cursing nonstop. Sophia might be obsessed with her perfect fantasy, but if she's got what it takes, she should just go ahead and win Edward’s heart the proper way—or at least shake up his fiancée for real. All she does is pick on employees who are just trying to earn a living. Talk about missing the point. James suddenly chuckled, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. “Edward, this is the first time I’ve seen you that protective over a woman. She wouldn’t happen to be that mysterious ‘first love’ you’ve been searching for all these years, huh?” Compared to Charles Bennett, it seemed James had a better knack for knowing just where Edward's sensitive spots were. Alice curved her lips into a polished smile, then lightly chimed in to defuse the tension for her boss. “Mr. Grant, this is still the warm-up round. We're not in the competition yet. Maybe save those questions for after Mr. Hawthorne loses?” James lazily lifted his gaze, eyes sharp and jet-black as they locked onto Alice. Edward shifted slightly—his tall, authoritative silhouette suddenly grounding the room with the weight of his presence. As Alice’s words echoed, everyone stared at Edward in stunned silence. Alice, too, was caught off guard. She peeked at Edward’s unreadable face—he was still flawless, mysterious, and intense. So not only does he have a wife somewhere out there, but also a so-called first love he's been looking for all this time?! Oddly enough, Sophia stayed shockingly composed. First love? What a joke. The woman just had good timing when she saved Edward once. He probably just felt he owed her a favor. He’s never been one to carry debts around for long. Under everyone's astonished gaze, Edward finally lifted his head. His eyes, sharp as blades, swept across the room, and the air turned icy in an instant. “Are we doing this deal or wasting my time?” The burst of cold energy from him didn’t discriminate—everyone tensed without realizing it. Only James remained relaxed, letting out a soft chuckle. “Of course, let’s talk.” Business-wise, both men were seasoned, ruthless sharks. After drilling into a few key details, they reached an agreement pretty quickly. This partnership was definitely shaping up to be a win-win. Ignoring Sophia’s death glares, Alice calmly gathered the signed contracts and slid them into the folder. Then she flashed Sophia a poised, polite smile—equal parts manners and silent retaliation. That finally pushed Sophia over the edge. She smacked the table and stood up. “How about a round of archery? Winner gets to make the loser do anything they want.” She pointed right at Alice, her tone superior and condescending: “Alice, you in or not?”