“Where is everyone? Has the banquet started already? Isn’t it scheduled for eleven? It’s only ten-thirty…” Rose stood outside the Peninsula Hotel, staring at the deserted entrance, momentarily stunned.
She had imagined a glamorous scene of guests walking the red carpet into the hotel, but it was nowhere to be seen. Even the few people who stepped out of their cars hurried straight into the lobby without pausing, as if money were being handed out inside.
Flynn glanced toward the lobby, where a crowd had already gathered. Calmly, he said, “General Cruz must have arrived.”
“You go in first. I’ll park the car,” he added, climbing back into his Koenigsegg and steering it toward the depths of the parking lot.
He hadn’t expected the event to be so highly anticipated, with guests arriving early and leaving no parking spaces available.
“Is General Cruz really that popular?” Flynn muttered to himself, curling his lips. Finally, he found an empty spot, carefully parked the car, and adjusted his tie in the rearview mirror.
Just then, a Volkswagen pulled into the adjacent space. A towering man with strikingly handsome features stepped out and approached Flynn in a few quick strides.
“Master, we have a problem!” the man said urgently.
Flynn, who had been about to leave the parking lot, halted and frowned. “What happened, Yves Yancey?”
Yves Yancey’s face was filled with anxiety. “Lyra Whitaker applied for five days of family leave from me last night, and I approved it. But this morning, she messaged me saying she’s coming to Niarak for a day to hang out with me and General Cruz. She’ll be landing at Niarak Airport in an hour!”
“What?” Flynn’s expression darkened.
Lyra Whitaker? In an hour?
“I told her not to come to Niarak!” Flynn growled, his tone icy. “Now look what’s happened. You and Cruz brought this troublesome woman here!”
His frustration bubbled over. “I have important matters to attend to. Handle this, or neither of you will be able to get out of bed this month.”
With that, Flynn strode away, leaving Yves Yancey standing dumbfounded. If this weren’t a public setting, Flynn might have kicked him several times for good measure.
Yves Yancey’s face turned sour. “I couldn’t have predicted this! She was supposed to go home. Why did she suddenly decide to come here?”
The thought of Lyra Whitaker’s unexpected arrival only irritated him further. He had planned to enjoy his ten-day leave with General Cruz, relaxing and exploring, but now everything was ruined.
—
Inside the grand hall of the Peninsula Hotel, distinguished guests surrounded General Cruz, raising glasses and toasting endlessly. It seemed the crowd had no intention of dispersing.
General Cruz, weary of the attention, finally spoke. “I appreciate everyone’s kindness, but let’s stop here for today. General Yancey will be arriving shortly. Perhaps you can select a representative from each table to toast him.”
The room buzzed with excitement at the announcement. Toasting General Yancey was considered the highest honor, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even billionaires who could afford anything in the world rarely had a chance to meet him.
The guests quickly seated themselves, eagerly discussing their plans. Many trembled with anticipation, as if they were about to meet royalty.
Lilia, seated at the same table as General Cruz, let out a relieved sigh. The earlier chaos had nearly driven her mad. Guests had clustered around their table, three or four rows deep, suffocating her with their overwhelming presence. A few of them even had bad breath, spitting flattery at General Cruz, which nearly made her sick.
Kendal Roy, the event organizer, was equally frustrated. Despite her efforts in hosting, all the attention was on General Cruz and Layla. It was as if she didn’t exist, even though she was the Niarak branch leader and someone of considerable standing.
Still, she had to suppress her irritation. Keeping General Cruz satisfied was the top priority.
General Cruz glanced at the time, frowning. “General Yancey said he’d arrive by ten-thirty. It’s already ten-forty. Why isn’t he here yet?”
He was growing impatient. He had only two reasons for attending this banquet-one, to put some pressure on the Eight Extremities School, and two, to catch a glimpse of Mr. Clark’s woman. Once those tasks were done, he intended to leave.
But now, after half an hour of listening to endless flattery, Yves Yancey was still nowhere in sight.
“Perhaps General Yancey is having dinner with Penelope,” Kendal Roy suggested nervously. “Everyone is eagerly waiting to meet him. Please, make sure he comes by.”
“He’ll be here,” General Cruz replied curtly, though irritation was evident in his tone.
Kendal Roy refilled his wine glass and smiled. “General Cruz, I’m sure General Yancey wouldn’t come to Niarak just for leisure. Does he have a friend here?”
General Cruz nodded slightly. “Yes, General Yancey and I came to Niarak for a friend.”
Layla and Lilia froze, their expressions shifting subtly. Even Kendal Roy was stunned, her smile faltering.
This wasn’t the response they had expected. Lilia, in particular, had been waiting for General Cruz to deny the possibility of Yves Yancey having a friend in Niarak. Born and raised in the Northern Territory, Yves Yancey had joined the military at eighteen. How could someone like him have a friend in a small place like Niarak?
The plan was to use his denial as an opportunity to discredit Flynn. They would claim that Flynn had been falsely boasting about being General Yancey’s master, a claim so absurd it would surely infuriate General Cruz into taking action.
But now, General Cruz had confirmed it.
Kendal Roy and Lilia exchanged stunned glances. Finally, Kendal Roy couldn’t resist asking, “Who is this friend of General Yancey?”