Gareth hade specifically to see her, but not wanting to pressure her, he lied: “Just finished some business nearby and ran into you.”

    “How’s business?”

    Maureen asked.

    “Very sessful.”

    Gareth smiled gently.

    “To celebrate, let me take you to dinner?”

    Maureen quickly shook her head: “Geoffrey sent bodyguards to tail me. If he finds out we dined together, he’ll be furious.”

    Gareth felt a bitter taste in his throat.

    “Reenie, don’t you trust me?”

    Maureen looked at him, puzzled, as he continued: “I’m not afraid of Geoffrey. Your n’s done now. We can leave. You don’t need to keep kowtowing to him.”

    Maureen wasn’t sure how to respond.

    It wasn’t that she distrusted Gareth, nor that she thought him inferior to Geoffrey.

    She just felt their friendship had already burdened him too much.

    Gareth understood her silence.

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    Except for that one time five years ago when she’d begged him to help her flee abroad, she never took the initiative to seek his help through any hardship overseas.

    Even when harassed by foreign men, she’d only called the police without telling a soul.

    Had Zoe not reported her missing, he’d never have known she’d nearly been assaulted at work.

    That day, Zoe the housekeeper found him alone and said: “Our Reenie has been stubborn since she was little. Besides her father, whenever something happens, she only turns to Geoffrey for help.”

    “She told me it’s because Geoffrey is her husband, one of the few family she has left.”

    “I believe only when you be her boyfriend and marry her will she feel secure enough to rely on you.”

    Gareth recalled Zoe’s words as he started to pull out the item he’d carried since returning.

    Just then Maureen said: “Alright, let’s go eat.”

    She forced a smile and added: “Besides, I’ve been wanting to talk with you,”

    After all these years together, plus their childhood bond, Maureen saw him as an older brother.

    Gareth could only return the item to his pocket.

    Truth was, he didn’t dare. Afraid that speaking his mind might cost him even their friendship.

    He knew Maureen too well, knew she felt no romantic love for him.

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    Because when she loved someone, she loved openly–never hiding it.

    They walked to a nearby restaurant to cat.

    Maureen wasn’t afraid the stalkers would tell Geoffrey, she and Gareth werepletely innocent, so what was there to fear?

    On the other side, Geoffrey had already received photos from the stalkers.

    He clenched his phone, the fire in his eyes impossible to suppress.

    No wonder she went out; it was for a date.

    Geoffrey felt stifled inside, not knowing why.

    At that moment, a call came in; it was Heather.

    She cried tears of joy: “Geoff, there’s news from Los Angeles; they say he might wake up.”

    Geoffrey instantly tightened his grip on the phone.

    “I know.”

    He hung up the phone.

    At the restaurant.

    Maureen looked at the exquisite dishes but had little appetite, her stomach churning with acid.

    She didn’t know if it was because of Geoffrey or if she was pregnant.

    It wasn’t good to check at the local hospital or buy a pregnancy test herself, it was safer to wait until after going abroad.

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    “I looked into Alex: he’s Geoffrey’s twin brother, and there’s very little information.”

    Gareth said.

    “Nothing else?

    Like where he is now?”

    Maureen asked.

    Gareth shook his head: “Definitely can’t find out in a short time.”

    The Sutton Family’s secrecy about this Alex is tighter than Maureen’s identity abroad.

    “Why did you ask me to investigate him?”

    Maureen clenched her chopsticks: “I feel like I might’ve gotten something wrong.”

    Gareth didn’t understand.

    “It’s nothing serious. We’re leaving anyway, so let’s drop it.”

    The more she said that, the more Gareth felt Alex meant something special to Maureen.

    Maureen quickly changed the subject, telling him she’d seen Ethan recently and how clever he was.

    She chatted andughed, but Gareth sensed she wasn’t happy at all.

    Getting back to the point, Maureen had decided when to leave: “TIL take Ethan away in five days.”

    “Why five days?”

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    “I made a deal with Geoffrey–spend a month with him, and he lets us leave.”

    Maureen exined briefly, “There are still eleven days left. Even after the full month, I doubt he’ll let Ethan and me go easily,”

    “You mean trick him into thinking you’ll leave in eleven days?

    We leave early?”

    Gareth instantly grasped her n.

    “Yeah.”

    Maureen added: “Also, Andrea’s new show has its film premiere in five days.”

    “If we ruin her new show, she’ll definitely go to Geoffrey. Then Geoffrey won’t have time to look for us.”

    Maureen believed Geoffrey would look for Andrea because she not only wanted to expose Andrea’s ugly nature but also to let Geoffrey know the truth.