After a three-hour and forty-five-minute flight, Edward and Chloe arrived at Ataturk Airport at seven in the evening. It was the largest airport in Turkey. Upon disembarking, a special officer received and escorted them to the hotel.
Feeling cold due to the heavy rain in Istanbul, Chloe immediately lay on the bed without changing her clothes when they reached the room.
On the other hand, Edward hurried to freshen up. Afterward, he grabbed his laptop from his bag and reviewed the presentation materials for tomorrow’s internal meeting with major investors. He worked on it until late at night.
The next morning, as dawn approached, Edward prepared everything he needed by himself. He decided not to wake Chloe, realizing she must be exhausted from the long flight. Only when he was about to leave did he approach her to bid farewell, concerned that she might wake up and wonder where he had gone.
“Chloe…” he called, gently stroking her cheek and forehead. “I have to leave now.”
Chloe, who had been awakened, responded by blinking several times until she fully woke up from her slumber.
“Hmmm…” Chloe mumbled softly. She glanced briefly and replied, “Go ahead. I’m still tired and want to sleep.” She pulled the blanket up to her neck, intending to go back to sleep.
“Continue resting. Breakfast is already on the table. And remember! Tonight, you have to come with me to attend the dinner invitation with the business associates.”
“No worries. I’ll go wherever you take me,” Chloe replied.
Edward chuckled softly, then brought his right hand to touch her forehead, checking her body temperature to see if she was running a fever.
“I thought you might be sick.”
Chloe raised both eyebrows. “Sick? I feel perfectly fine. Why?”
“It’s just unusual for you not to object or refuse my commands or invitations. Usually, before I finish talking, you’ve already flatly rejected them.”
Chloe responded with a wry smile. “Hmph! Just consider this time as me being kind to you. So, whatever you command, I might do it now.”
This time, Edward smiled. In the next moment, he narrowed one eye playfully.
“Including the command to kiss me before I leave for work?”
Upon hearing Edward’s words, Chloe immediately gave him a sharp glare. She forgot to anticipate that her husband sometimes takes advantage of situations. What a sly guy!
“Ah! You’re really cunning,” she retorted.
Edward chuckled amusedly. It had been a long time since he teased Chloe like this.
“Why should it be cunning?” he teased. “You yourself told me a few minutes ago that you’d obey all my commands and invitations. So, what’s wrong with it? Besides, it’s normal to kiss one’s own husband, right?”
Chloe snorted, slightly reluctant to get out of bed. She moved closer to where Edward was sitting.
“Okay, I’ll kiss you this time. No repetition allowed.”
Edward nodded and offered his face, asking Chloe to kiss him. However, instead of kissing his lips, Chloe kissed both of Edward’s cheeks alternately. Of course, Edward was about to protest, but before he could say anything, the door to the room was knocked on repeatedly. It was Nicholas, who deliberately came to fetch Edward to head to the meeting place.
“I have to go now. Remember, don’t forget. We have the dinner event tonight,” Edward said while in the midst of talking with the guests.
After Edward left, instead of going back to sleep, Chloe reached for her phone from the nightstand. She looked for a contact and immediately dialed it.
“Sam, have you got any information about the major tender being held by Emaar Properties?”
“Yes, Madam,” Samuel replied over the phone. “This tender promises a fantastic profit. And there are many renowned contractors participating in this mega project.”
Chloe nodded, understanding that the huge profit was the reason why Edward was so focused on completing this job.
“What can I do to mess things up?” Chloe asked confidently.
“Many things. You can sabotage the construction process, manipulate data, or incite the developer to terminate their partnership with Quantum.”
“Ah, all your ideas are interesting. I’ll think about the most effective way to do it.”
“But, Madam.” Samuel interrupted. “If I may give advice again, it’s better not to play around. We still don’t know for sure whether Mr. Edward was involved in Mrs. Nathalie’s death or not.”
“Phew… No need to worry, Sam. I know exactly what needs to be done.”
****
Later, at the private hall where the dinner event was held, Edward walked hand in hand with Chloe. The hall was filled with many top-notch contractors who had been invited to celebrate the commencement of the world’s longest building project. Chloe could sense the classiness of the event from the high-profile guests and the well-organized program.
As Edward engaged with his colleagues, Chloe stayed mostly silent by his side, only responding briefly when one of his business associates addressed her.
“If you feel bored, don’t hesitate to ask me to go home,” Edward instructed between his conversations.
Chloe smiled dryly. Attending business events like this was not her hobby. If it weren’t for necessity, she wouldn’t have been willing to attend.
“Relax. I’m used to small talk in parties like this,” Chloe whispered casually. “Just enjoy your party. We’ll go home when everything’s done.”
Edward nodded, pleased that Chloe was cooperating. It wasn’t easy for her to be in a good mood like this, especially with a man she despised.
“Hopefully, you’ll continue to be like this. Then I won’t have to expend any energy to persuade you.”
Chloe clicked her tongue. It wasn’t an easy matter for her to behave kindly like she was now, especially with a man she truly disliked.
“You want too much! Do you think I—”
“Edward…”
A woman suddenly approached and called out Edward’s name. Without hesitation, she embraced him tightly, even daring to give him a brief kiss on the cheeks in front of Chloe.
“Fela…” Edward greeted the woman warmly as she let go of the embrace.
“Oh, my goodness, I thought you’d forgotten about me, Darling. Just so you know, I missed you so much.”
Edward smiled politely, while Chloe’s facial expression showed signs of dislike. She thought, who is this woman boldly hugging her husband in front of her?
“How could I forget you,” Edward replied. He then turned to Chloe, who was standing by his side. “Sweetheart, meet Fela. She’s an old friend of mine.”
Chloe nodded and looked at Fela. She smiled and extended her hand for a handshake, introducing herself, “Chloe Arley… Nice to meet you.”
Fela took Chloe’s hand with a friendly gesture. “Nice to meet you too. I’m Fela Smith. I used to be Edward’s most beloved ex-girlfriend.” She confidently introduced herself, catching Chloe’s attention.
Oh my God.
Why are there so many of Edward’s ex-girlfriends?
But… why do I have to meet all of them?
“Ah… Edward’s ex-girlfriend?” Chloe immediately glanced at her husband. “So, you had a lot of exes, huh?”
Edward chuckled awkwardly. He was well aware that Chloe’s question was leaning towards a teasing tone. Women, right? They always bring up the past. “That was in the past, Darling. Before I met and married you.”
Chloe remained silent, choosing not to respond. Even when Edward and Fela continued their conversation, she stayed quiet, trying to ignore what her husband and his ex-girlfriend were talking about. It didn’t matter, she thought.
Actually, she was quite reluctant to be in this situation. But what else could she do? She had to maintain her composure in front of a large crowd.
“Ed…” Chloe interrupted their conversation. “I’m thirsty and want to get a drink.”
Edward nodded and allowed his wife to leave. But as soon as Chloe left, she lost track of her husband and his ex-girlfriend. She scanned the area, but her eyes failed to catch sight of the two.
Frustrated, Chloe returned to the drink station. She grabbed a few glasses of alcohol and downed them all at once.
I’ve lost count of how many glasses she has consumed. What Chloe remembers is that as soon as she finished her last drink, her vision blurred instantly. She completely forgot what happened afterward.
****
Edward focused his gaze in search of Chloe, who knows where she is now. It was his fault that while she was getting a drink, he went to the restroom.
Edward believed that Chloe must be confused trying to find him, not realizing that he was not around when she returned from getting her drink.
With the help of some waiters, Edward finally found Chloe leaning on one of the tables, clearly intoxicated. Concerned about potential chaos and unwanted situations, Edward decided to take his wife home immediately.
Once they reached the hotel room, Edward carefully tried to change Chloe’s party dress into pajamas. Interestingly, she mumbled a few times, which reluctantly made Edward laugh.
“Who dares to hug my husband and kiss him as they please! Who do you think you are? You shameless woman!”
The smell of alcohol wafted strongly from Chloe’s mouth. Her eyes occasionally closed, but her lips didn’t stop rambling.
“You are just an ex. While I am his wife.” Not long after, Chloe laughed. Then continued speaking. “A few days ago, at the office, I saw you hugging another woman. And now? Not only hugged, but you were also kissed! So, what will I see tomorrow? You despicable man! Edward, why are you so reckless, huh?”
Edward shook his head. From Chloe’s ramblings, he finally understood that she was very upset with him.
“Chloe…” While stroking his wife’s hair, Edward murmured softly. “You should rest. I apologize for making you like this. Truly, I never meant to upset you.”
Chloe shook her head. Her hands gently touched Edward’s cheeks.
“You know, it’s not easy to resist falling in love with you.” Once again, she shook her head as if emphasizing what she said. “It’s not easy to resist your charm, Edward Martin. Just so you know, I even stopped you from being sweet to me because I was afraid of falling in love with you.” Chloe grimaced. But not long after, she mumbled softly again. “No… I must not fall in love with a killer!”
“A killer?”
Edward froze. The last sentence Chloe uttered caught his attention. Was it just drunken rambling, or was there something more behind it?
“Chloe… you really need to rest. Your words are going all over the place.”
“No!” Chloe firmly refused. She attempted to remove the pajamas clinging to her body. “Don’t you want to spend a hot night with me first? Damn it, you had the audacity to play with me in the past. You did it on purpose, right?”
“Oh, Chloe…” Edward restrained her hands from removing her clothes. “You are truly dangerous when you’re drunk.” Unconsciously, Edward sighed in frustration. His wife could be quite troublesome when alcohol was involved.
“Why?” Chloe asked while Edward was still holding her hands. “Don’t you want to enjoy my body? You said I was the only woman you’ve ever slept with. So why do you refuse to do it again?”
Edward was puzzled by Chloe’s behavior. If he were only considering desire, he might have readily accepted her request for intimacy.
However, unfortunately, Edward was not a wicked man who would take advantage of the situation. He only wanted to engage in a physical relationship based on the mutual desire of both parties, without any coercion.
“Of course, I do want to…” Edward replied. “But not in this drunken state. So now, it’s better if you sleep.”
Edward crawled onto the bed, embraced Chloe, and held her tightly. He wouldn’t let her move around or ramble again.