CHAPTER 467: CHAPTER 280 COOPERATION_1

"She’s asleep."

Ross sat down on the hotel’s large balcony, his expression relaxed.

His fiancée’s rescue had allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

But the aftereffects of anesthesia, the shock, and other factors combined had left Gaia in poor condition. The doctor’s recommendation was restful recovery. So, for the next little while, Ross planned to settle down in Las Vegas with his fiancée temporarily.

Dean slid the glass on the table toward him. "You’ve been on edge these past few days. Want me to take you out to relax a bit?"

Speaking of which, Niel’s mother had given him a business card to help him relax, but he hadn’t used it even once. What a shame.

"Relax?"

Ross took a sip of his drink, smiling and shaking his head. "No thanks. I prefer a union of soul and body rather than just going through the motions. That would feel like desecrating love."

Dean curled his lip, pulling the business card Niel’s mother had given him from his pocket and tossing it over. "Then call a few for me, in your name!"

Ross picked up the business card, puzzled. It was very simple, containing only a name and a phone number.

"Paradise Island?" Ross tapped the table, sounding unsure. "I think I’ve heard that name before... Let me think..."

THWACK.

Suddenly, his hand holding the business card trembled. He looked at Dean in astonishment. "I remember now! This is one of my family’s hidden businesses. Dean, how did you get a Paradise Island business card?"

When he mentioned the business, Ross’s expression visibly darkened.

Where there is light, shadows are bound to exist. Paradise Island was one such place.

It was an island not found on any map, harboring boys and girls recruited from all over the world through various channels. They were meticulously ’cultivated,’ eventually forming a fallen Eden. The ’angels’ there would satisfy any desire of those who visited the island!

"Your family’s business?" Dean also looked slightly surprised. "Your family actually makes money this way?"

Ross shook his head. "It seems you don’t understand the weight of this card. It actually represents a spot—a quota.

"Paradise Island only serves three types of people.

"One type consists of those who have performed great services for my family.

"Another comprises the direct descendants of ancient noble families in the Commonwealth.

"The last type is our family’s business partners.

"The card you’re holding, Dean, is for the third type. The number on it is at the cardholder’s service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can even provide worldwide home delivery based on the request."

After speaking, Ross looked at Dean in shock. "Dean, I admit you’re impressive, but I truly can’t imagine how you obtained a Paradise Island card. This might not be a good thing!"

The entities his family partnered with were, at the very least, worth over a billion. Ross suspected Dean had accidentally acquired this card from somewhere.

After listening to Ross’s explanation, Dean was speechless.

Goodness. The contact number was for one-on-one service.

He rolled his eyes and said to Ross, "Are you saying that even if I use your name to call the number on the card, they’d still know who actually used the service?"

Ross nodded as if it were obvious. "Of course. Unless the card’s owner authorizes your use in advance, if an outsider gets this card and makes a call, they would most likely vanish from this world."

Dean: "..."

Niel’s mother couldn’t be trying to set me up, could she!

Ross leaned in. "Dean, how did you come by this card?"

Gazing at the dazzling city lights in the distance, Dean lit a cigarette, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, and said softly, "My girlfriend’s mother gave it to me. She doesn’t want me fooling around outside."

Ross wanted to say more. But when he caught sight of Dean’s sharply chiseled features and the powerful, defined muscles visible through the opening of his pajamas, he silently swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

With looks like that... living off a woman seemed perfectly reasonable.

It was just that Dean’s girlfriend’s mother was overly generous...

Looking somewhat crestfallen, Ross fiddled with the card and asked casually, "What’s your girlfriend’s name? Perhaps I know her. I could offer my thoughts."

Hearing this, Dean’s gaze settled on Ross, an idea suddenly surfacing in his mind.

He straightened up, flicked his cigarette ash, and said seriously, "Niel. Niel Lucius."

"What?" Ross thought he had misheard. "You mean, Niel? Is her mother Italian?"

He actually knew her! Dean’s lips curled into a smile as he nodded. "Yes. Niel’s mother owns a luxury women’s goods conglomerate in the Commonwealth. She’s the one who gave me the card."

"So it’s her..." Ross’s mouth twitched, and he looked at Dean with a touch of pity. "Well... um... in my memory, Niel is a very gentle and innocent girl, without many of the bad habits common among the wealthy. It’s just her mother..."

At this point, Ross hesitantly fell silent.

The pitying look in Ross’s eyes made Dean’s skin crawl.

He stubbed out his cigarette and grabbed Ross by the collar. "What about Niel’s mother?"

Ross raised his hands in surrender. "Dean, I don’t know much. I’ve only heard that her mother managed to build her business from scratch in such a highly competitive environment because she had backing from influential figures within the ’Smith Detective Agency.’

"I’m not deeply involved in my family’s affairs, but the ’Smith Detective Agency’ is one organization I was taught from a young age never to provoke."