Chapter 159
The commercial street teemed with crowds.
Neon lights flashed incessantly.
Their colorful glow illuminated the faces of passersby.
Adrian Sinclair drove at high speed.
The night etched his profile in sharp relief.
Light and shadow interplayed, defining his features.
He jerked the steering wheel.
The car turned sharply in the opposite direction.
It quickly left the bustling district behind.
The vehicle gradually merged into the darkness.
A screech of brakes pierced the silence.
The car came to a smooth stop by the river.
A cool breeze brushed against his face.
His gaze fell on the pack of cigarettes in the passenger seat.
He finally grabbed them and got out.
The river surface was calm and still.
The lighter flared to life.
The scent of tobacco quickly filled the air.
It made his eyes water and squint.
Yet his mind was unusually clear.
Images of Anna Ross's pleading face flooded his thoughts.
It was a level of humility he had never seen from her.
"Anna Ross."
"For someone insignificant."
"You'd throw away your dignity?"
He leaned against the railing, murmuring to himself.
A lighthouse beam swept across the water.
A sudden realization struck him.
This wasn't like her.
Unless she was truly desperate.
He immediately pulled out his phone.
He dialed Noah Watson's number.
"Look into something."
"Make sure no one notices."
He hung up and stared into the distance.
The neon lights continued to flash.
His phone vibrated incessantly again.
He frowned at the caller ID.
With a flick of his finger.
He tossed the phone back into the car.
The ringing persisted.
Chloe Valentine gripped her phone tightly.
The unanswered call fueled her anger.
"He must be with Anna Ross!"
She hurled the phone across the room.
She vented her fury by smashing nearby objects.
But her rage only grew hotter.
The thought of their intimacy tormented her.
She nearly ground her teeth to dust.
"This cannot continue!"
She retrieved her phone and made a call.
Her voice trembled with fake tears the moment it connected.
"Mom, Adrian is being stolen from me!"
Lydia Valentine hurried to comfort her.
"Calm down, tell me what happened."
Chloe's sense of injustice doubled.
"He's with his Executive Assistant all day."
"He won't even answer my calls now!"
A sharp glint flashed in Lydia's eyes.
"Don't panic, silly child."
"Staying calm is how you win."