Chapter 75
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“What are you thinking?” Ethan asked Valerie and turned into the bed to face her. She was looking up at the ceiling too engrossed in her thoughts.
“We have been looking for him for the past few days and haven’t been able to find him. I don’t know why this location app is giving us the wrong address,” she expressed her concern in a harsh tone.
They were still in San Francisco, and she was feeling like she would
go crazy.
Instead of using this time to enjoy her time with Ethan, they were roaming around in the streets of San Francisco in the cabs trying to keep tabs on Rafael.
Nina had confirmed that he hadn’t reached Sangua, nor he was in Kanderton.
The location app always said he was in a restaurant or a mall or a local market and then the moment they used to reach there he would have moved somewhere else.
This cat–and–mouse game was going on and had started taking a toll on her mental health.
Last night Ethan wanted to make love to her, but she was so tense that she couldn’t even move her rigid body.
What was going on with her?
Didn’t she want physical intimacy anymore?
She did feel attracted to Ethan and he was handsome but not as
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gorgeous as Rafael.
“Oh, God!” she sat up and held her head in both hands, “why can’t he stay in one place? What is the location saying right now?”
She asked Ethan and thanked him with a kiss on his cheek. He had been so patient with her and never showed any tantrums in this wild goose chase.
In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it a lot.
“Right now?” he brought the phone to the bed and checked the
location.
“He just entered a restaurant,” he informed her. “Maybe for an official lunch or… it might be a date too.”
He said meaningfully and that gave her body an energy boost. As expected, she jumped out of bed in her little skimpy sleeping attire and scurried to the bathroom.
“I won’t take more than ten minutes!” she called out before closing
the door.
***
“Are you sure this is the place?” sitting in the back seat of the cab. she slipped down her dark shades to the bridge of her nose and looked above the frame.
“You can check here! See?” he showed her the phone screen. There was a distinctive blue teardrop on the screen at the same restaurant location where they were standing.
“Let’s go…” she got out of the car and waited for Ethan who was paying the fare to the driver. She smiled when he held her hand
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and started walking inside.
“Do you have a reservation, sire?” the manager asked Ethan who pinned him with an intimidating look.
“No, we haven’t. We are guests and need a fine dining experience here,” he then offered him his visiting card.
The manager looked at it then his eyes darted to the man standing.
before him.
“Mr. Ethan… Oh! Lockwood Industries? Please follow me,” Valerie had a proud grin on her face. She wished she could give a little shake to Marissa or Nina and tell them that see! I’m the one who
can effortlessly attract so many loaded handsome guys. It’s just my
looks.
And you, Marissa! You were indeed an ugly duckling of the family.
She wished she could show off Ethan to the world. He was taking care of her just like Rafael used to do when she was dating him.
“Sweetheart! Can you wait here? I need to use the lobby bathroom,” he asked kissing her cheek. She felt a little irritated but then didn’t say a word.
“Please. I’m right here,” She gave him a little playful push and started pacing around in the lobby. Shouldn’t Ethan wait for her to
take a seat at their table?
Maybe it was urgent.
She thought with a shrug and decided to approach the manager.
“Excuse me, Mister. I am accompanied by my … friend. Can you take me to our seat? He is using the bathroom.”
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The manager good–naturedly bent his head down with a cordial smile and guided her to their respective table.
She placed her purse on it and took her shades off. She didn’t want to forget that she wasn’t here to eat but to look for Rafael.
She was about to order some iced water when she saw someone as broad–shouldered as Rafael exit the dining hall.
“Goodness! It’s him! Where the hell is Ethan?”
She hurriedly picked up her purse and raced towards the exit.
She also got a glimpse of the girl who was accompanying him. A brunette!
My! My! Ethan was right. Rafael was having an affair indeed. The brunette looked so much like Marissa,
The same long black half–curls and her figure was also on the chubbier side.
Her heart pounded as she pushed through the doors and scanned
the area.
If she were lucky and would catch him red–handed, his
seventy–five percent would belong to her. She tried to remind herself she was here to get her share. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
This struggle was nothing but an effort for her fair share of the
property.
There was no sign of Rafael. Where should she go now? It meant that the location was showing the correct place.
For a moment she had sensed that maybe the location app was
plaving with her.
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She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize, she had crossed the exit main passage of the restaurant and now was standing on a sidewalk.
She was about to turn back casually when she spotted him again
across the street.
“Rafael!” with her full might, she shouted his name. The same woman was walking beside him holding his hand.
Unfortunately, her voice was lost in the noise of the vehicles and the crowd around her. She could now feel odd glances from the people around her.
She quickened her pace to cross the road, nearly jogging now, desperate to catch up. Just then a bus before her eyes blocked her view for a few seconds. When it finally moved on, there was no sign of Rafael or that woman.
“Damn it!” she cursed under her breath scanning the area
frantically.
Her phone which was inside her purse, buzzed. She pulled it out to see a message from Ethan, “Where are you? I’m at our table.”
She quickly typed back, “Just saw Rafael. Lost him. Come out.”
If Rafael is here, then we’ll be able to catch him. We have to! I might love him. But I love seventy–five percent share more!