Chapter 4 The Arrival of the New Boss
Five days later, Edward finished the morning meeting and called Bart into his office.
"How is the investigation going on Lily's case?" Edward asked, staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows and admiring the magnificent view of Mugden. His imposing figure cast a shadow that felt oppressively intimidating.
"S-sorry, Mr. Wellington. There hasn't been any progress so far," Bart replied nervously, wiping off his sweat. "And after that night, Mrs. Wellington didn't return to the sanatorium where she used to work. I even went to her hometown, Edenbrook, to check. The address she provided was fake. There isn't a single Brown family living there."
"The address was fake?" Edward spun around abruptly, his gaze dark and ominous.
"Yes, I went to the local police station to check, and there's no record of her," Bart said, struggling to break the habit of calling Evelyn Mrs. Wellington after three years of working with her.
Edward's mind buzzed. He thought, 'What kind of person did I marry? Is she a female spy?'
"She left with Landon that night. Have you found any leads on him?" Edward asked.
"To be honest, Mr. Wellington, if Mr. Taylor wanted to hide her, then we probably won't find anything..." Bart trailed off.
Edward furrowed his handsome brows tightly, his anger flaring up. "Landon seemed like a person of good character. How could he stoop so low as to steal someone's wife?"
"Well... he didn't really 'steal' her. Technically, he got together with a divorced woman..." Bart stammered.
Edward gave him a sharp look. Bart was so startled that he couldn't catch his breath, coughing forcefully.
Edward vividly remembered that night when Landon protected Lily and the intense gaze he had given her.
For some reason, Edward felt a hint of frustration. He couldn't understand how his reserved wife had such charm that even Landon, known for his cruelty and lack of desire in the aristocratic circle, became her protector and pursuer.
"Edward, can't we reconsider the divorce?"
"Because I love you!"
"You liar!" Edward narrowed his eyes, emitting a chilling coldness from his entire being.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. However, he couldn't help but keep thinking.
Just then, his phone vibrated on the table.
Edward snapped out of his thoughts and quickly answered the call.
"Nicole, what's up?"
"Edward, I'm in the Wellington Group lobby. Can you come pick me up? I brought some desserts that I made myself. I want you to taste them as soon as possible." Nicole's soft and sweet voice sounded soft and sweet through the phone, causing Bart's bones to go numb upon hearing it.
"Are you downstairs at the office building now?" Edward furrowed his brows tightly.
"Yes, Edward, what's wrong? Don't you want to see me?" Nicole asked coquettishly.
"No, I asked Bart to come pick you up," Edward replied, his expression becoming sullen.
He and Lily had not finalized their divorce yet and had not publicly announced their split. Now, with Nicole directly coming to the company to find him, it would surely cause a lot of trouble.
He wasn't afraid of anything in particular. It was just...
His phone buzzed again at this moment.
Edward glanced down at the screen. His heart skipped a beat.
"Grandfather."
"You foolish idiot! Did you ignore everything I told you?" Byron angrily scolded him. "I told you that once you married Lily, you were not allowed to have any contact with Nicole! Not only did you break your word, but you also brought her into the company. It doesn't matter how you demean yourself, but you've embarrassed Lily. Come over here!"
The atmosphere in the meeting room was suffocatingly oppressive.
With his secretary and Patrick by his side, Byron leaned on a cane for support, his expression grim.
Edward stood tall in front of his elders, his posture straight. Nicole was barred outside the door. In Byron's words, a shameless mistress like her didn't deserve to see him.
"Out with it! What's the deal with that woman?" Byron slammed his cane on the ground.
"Dad, please don't get so angry..." Patrick hurriedly patted Byron's back, his eyes disappointed as he stared at Edward.
"Grandfather, the three-year period is up."
Edward's voice was hoarse as he spoke word by word, "You promised me that I would only be married to Lily for three years. After three years, I have the choice to continue the marriage or divorce, and I can decide for myself."
Byron's face turned pale as if thunderstruck.
For the past three years, he had been living happily every day with the obedient Lily. Over a thousand days had passed by quickly, and he hadn't realized that the deadline had already arrived!
"Now, I choose to end this marriage and be with the person I truly love. You shouldn't have any objections. Lily has also signed the divorce agreement, and we will arrange the proceedings soon," Edward said coldly and ruthlessly.
"What? You're already divorced?" Byron angrily shouted. When he stood up, he felt a bit dizzy and almost fell over.
Edward hurried forward to help him, but Byron pushed him away with resentment.
"Dad! They haven't finalized the divorce yet. They've only signed an agreement. You've had a stroke. It's important for you to stay calm," Patrick anxiously reassured him, worried about Byron's health deteriorating.
"What a tragedy! What a tragedy! I'm not happy with my daughter-in-law. Why can't I find a granddaughter-in-law that I approve of? Why?" Byron exclaimed.
Edward stood there, unsure of what to do, while Patrick found himself being blamed as well.
"I want Lily! Find Lily for me! I can't sleep or eat properly without her. I don't want anyone else; I want Lily to be the Wellington family's daughter-in-law!" As Byron aged, his behavior became more childlike, even throwing tantrums.
"Edward, quickly call Lily and bring her to meet your grandfather!" Patrick urged anxiously.
"Grandfather, what you're doing is meaningless. Even if I bring her back now to accompany you, our marriage has come to an end, with no possibility of continuing," Edward thought about ending this matter quickly. Instead of dragging it out, it was better to break Byron's hope directly. With time, he would eventually give up.
"Ah ah ah!" Byron trembled all over and leaned back stiffly.
This shocked Edward and Patrick. They called the doctor and searched for medicine, and they were in a state of chaos.
Helpless, Edward gritted his teeth and called Lily.
However...
"The number you have dialed is out of service."
Not only was Lily missing, but her phone number was also canceled!
"Damn it!" Edward's eyes turned red with anger, and he clenched his fists tightly.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the KS World Hotel, the top management was already waiting outside to welcome the arrival of the high-ranking leader.
"I heard that the new general manager coming today is a young woman!"
"I don't believe it. Four male managers came before, and they were kept from changing the hotel situation. They were all transferred or resigned. Can this woman make a difference? It's impossible!"
"I heard she is Mr. Taylor's illegitimate daughter..."
"Mr. Taylor has multiple wives. She's his disfavored illegitimate daughter. If she were his cherished daughter, why would he assign her to oversee this dreadful hotel?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
"She's here! The new boss is here!"
A top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce parked steadily in front of the entrance, followed by several high-end Maybachs. The scene was quite spectacular.
Everyone saw the license plate KST 9999, and suddenly, there was silence, as if holding their breath.
The car door opened, and the first thing they saw was a pair of black and red high-heeled shoes with an imposing presence.
The next second, an exceptionally beautiful and stunning woman stepped out of the car. She had a glamorous figure and lush hair flowing like a waterfall. Her eyes were sharp, and as she looked around, she exuded a threatening aura, making people dare not meet her gaze.
"Hello, everyone," Evelyn's lips were rosy, and her smile was astonishingly beautiful. "I’m your new general manager. But I'm not an illegitimate daughter, so I apologize for any disappointment."
As she concluded her statement, the few individuals who had been gossiping moments before were now visibly shaken, drenched in cold sweat.
Just minutes earlier, inside the car, Evelyn retrieved her laptop and swiftly hacked into the surveillance cameras at the hotel entrance.