Herbert Jones was driving his personal car back home, when suddenly he brought it to an abrupt halt at the side of the road.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, he rested his forehead on the wheel and massaged the space between his eyebrows, trying to soothe the throbbing headache.


    He couldn’t make sense of what was happening with his boss. The woman, Ariel Smith, who had addressed Nelson as the love of her life, was a stranger to him.


    He had never seen her before in all the years of working for Nelson Carter. And as if her presence wasn’t perplexing enough, she was apanied by a younger version of Nelson.


    What could this possibly mean? Did Nelson Carter have a secret family? Or did he leave Ariel Smith when she became pregnant with his child, and that’s why he was so surprised to see her now?


    Herbert quickly dismissed hisst thought, knowing that although his boss may be aloof and distant, he would never disregard his own family.


    “Jeez!” Herbert hit the wheel in frustration, his unhappiness palpable.


    Earlier, when he had nned to drive his boss home as usual, Nelson had taken the keys from him and sent him away. “I want to be alone,” were Nelson’sst words to Herbert.


    Groaning in annoyance, Herbert mmed the wheel again, realizing that if he had been allowed to drive his boss home, he would have all the answers to his questions now.


    Lost in his thoughts, Herbert’s gaze wandered out the window and a loud hiss escaped his lips when he saw a couple engaging in a public disy of affection.


    “Stupid people,” he muttered, quickly averting his gaze. But his curiosity got the better of him and he nced back at them, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    “Am I seeing things?” Herbert wondered to himself as he focused on the man kissing the woman on the sidewalk.


    “It’s really him. The brown hair, heart-shaped face, muscr body… and that annoying face,” Herbert thought to himself, acknowledging the person’s unmistakable features.


    Without hesitation, he reached for his phone and quickly dialed a number.


    “Herbert! You finally remember me today after all this time, don’t you?” Hannah’s sweet voice flowed into Herbert’s ears and he couldn’t help but smile involuntarily.


    He wasn’t sure why, but Hannah’s voice somehow managed to lift his sulky mood.


    “That’s not true, Hannah. I’ve been swamped with worktely and barely have time for myself. But that’s not why I called. Tell me, have you and your boyfriend broken up?” Herbert’s curiosity was piqued.


    “No, never. Why would you even think that?” Hannah sounded annoyed, but then remembered, “Oh, was it because of that incident with him when you came over? We’ve resolved it, Herbert. We’re good now,” she reassured him with a smile in her voice.


    As Herbert listened, he nced over at David, who was still giggling and yfully flirting with the woman beside him, as if it was his first time experiencing love.


    “I’m sorry, Hannah, but your boyfriend is cheating on you. I’m looking at him right now with another woman,” Herbert hesitantly revealed.


    There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone, and just when Herbert thought she hadn’t heard him, Hannah spoke up.


    “Herbert, are you joking? Why would my boyfriend cheat on me? That’s impossible. He loves me just as much as I love him, that’s a fact,” Hannah’s tone was firm and unwavering.


    At that moment, Herbert watched as David kissed the woman onest time before they got into a cab.


    “Alright then, I’ll talk to youter,” Herbert said, not waiting for Hannah’s response before ending the call and letting out a sigh.


    “Focus on your own business, Herbert,” he scolded himself beforeposing himself and dialing his boss’s number.


    His anxiety grew with each call he made, but Nelson Carter was too busy drinking alone in his usual five-star lounge.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    On his table sat more than five empty bottles of beer, and he showed no signs of stopping.


    As he gazed into the void, he poured a serving of beer and lifted the ss to his lips, downing it in one swift motion.


    The brokenness and helplessness in his demeanor were palpable, as if he had an overload of thoughts pent up within but no outlet to release them.


    It was clear that his current state was a result of Ariel Smith’s unexpected presence, conjuring up past traumas he was hesitant to confront.


    Meanwhile, Leni Hernandez paced anxiously in the vi, unable to find peace as she waited for Nelson to return.


    Initially, she assumed that he had been caught up with work and would be home soon, but he wasn’t.


    Thankfully, Susan’s medication made her retire to bed earlier than usual. Leni wondered how worried Susan would have be too.


    But now, three hours past Nelson’s expected arrival time, he had not answered any of her calls.


    All alone in the mansion, Leni’s worry continued to mount, rendering her unable to sit or stand still.


    Feeling restless, she went outside and paused at the garage, unable to drive herself anywhere.


    “Damn!” she eximed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.


    Swallowing hard, she searched for Nelson’s assistant’s contact information on the website, relieved when she found it.


    Without hesitation, she dialed the number, only to have the call connect after five attempts.


    “Hello, Herbert, it’s Leni. Where is Mr. Carter? Is everything alright? Why hasn’t he returned home or answered my calls?” she spoke with urgency and fear in her voice.


    “Miss Hernandez, I’m sorry, but I am no longer with Mr. Carter. It has been over five hours since we parted ways,” Herbert revealed, weighing heavily on Leni’s heart.


    “What?” she whispered, “Then where is he? Where is my husband?” she eximed, her heart racing in her chest.


    “I have no idea, Miss Hernandez. Don’t worry too much. Mr. Carter will surely return,” Herbert reassured.


    Out of the blue, Leni abruptly ended the call and resumed her speedy pacing.


    Just then, she heard the automatic gate opening, followed by the rapid revving of Nelson’s Mercedes Benz.


    Leni had to quickly move out of the way due to the car’s blindingly fast speed.


    She gathered herself, running her fingers through her hair and straightening her posture. She pushed away her worried expression as she awaited Nelson’s descent from the vehicle, but he did not emerge.


    Leni approached the car and knocked on the window, and was taken aback by the wide grin Nelson gave her in return.


    Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she felt slightly lightheaded.


    Why? Is he in a good mood? Leni pondered as she stepped back to allow him to exit the car.


    She lightly pped her face to prevent it from growing even redder when she detected the strong odor of beer emanating from Nelson.


    “Have you been drinking?” Leni inquired, displeased.


    In her view, Nelson was out drinking while she was here agonizing herself over his whereabouts.


    “What are you doing out here?” Nelson questioned gruffly, staring at her intently. “Were you worried about me?”


    The way he was looking at her made her brighten the more even as it made her feel shy.


    Leni parted her lips to speak, but no words came out. She nervously swallowed when Nelson took a step closer and then abruptly leaned his face towards hers.


    “I missed you,” he whispered in a husky voice, causing Leni to feel flustered as hot blood rushed through her veins.