Chapter 200 Letting Andres Stay Over
Upon entering the living room, Rachel discovered both men were significantly impaired by alcohol. Surveying the scene, she concluded that getting their respective assistants to take them home was best.
She immediately contacted Ronald, Brian’s assistant, who answered promptly.
The real challenge, however, lay with Andres. Rachel was at an impasse because she lacked his assistant’s contact information and deemed it inappropriate to search his phone, which was also password–protected.
For a moment, she stood there, uncertain of her next
Andres. She shook him gently at first, then with more insistence, but he remained unresponsive, his heavy breathing a testament to how deeply the
aimed him.
- no step. After a brief pause, she resolved to try rousing
With no viable alternatives, Jeffrey suggested, “Rachel, since he’s your friend, perhaps we could let him stay over tonight?”
Rachel hesitated, her brows furrowing slightly. She and Andres weren’t particularly close, but with no better alternative at hand, she reluctantly agreed.
“He can stay,” Rachel said, her tone measured. “He’s a key business associate. Jeffrey, could you sleep in the living room tonight?”
“Of course,” Jeffrey responded without missing a beat. “He can have my room. I’ll be fine out here for the night.”
“Thank you,” Rachel replied, her voice warm with appreciation.
Jeffrey offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t mention it.”
Once they had agreed on the plan, they started preparing to move Andres to Jeffrey’s room. However, the task proved far more challenging than expected. Andres was much heavier than anticipated in his drunken state, making it nearly impossible for them to reposition him.
As they stood there, unsure of what to do next, the sound of the doorbell broke the silence.
It was Ronald, arriving to take care of Brian. He immediately assured Rachel, “Trust me, I’ll ensure that Mr. White is safely escorted home.”
“Thank you for coming so late,” Rachel acknowledged his effort.
“Attending to him is part of my job,” Ronald responded with a professional demeanor. With practiced ease, he slung Brian’s arm over his shoulder and guided him toward the door
Upon observing Ronald adeptly manage Brian, Rachel seized the opportunity to request his assistance further. “Ronald, could you possibly help us with another issue?”
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Chapter 200 Letting Andres Stay Over
“Of course. What can I do for you?” Ronald responded.
Rachel motioned towards Andres, who was heavily inebriated and slumped on the sofa. “He is quite burdened by his intoxication, and he’s proven too heavy for Jeffrey and me to relocate to the room. Would you be able to assist in moving him?”
Caught off guard by the request, Ronald paused, his eyes reflecting his sudden realization. “Are you suggesting he stay here tonight?” he inquired, his tone laced with a hint of concern.
“Yes,” Rachel confirmed succinctly, choosing not to elaborate further.
Despite his reluctance, Ronald had already committed to aiding them. “Very well, I’ll see to it,” he conceded, though internally he harbored reservations, hoping Brian would remain oblivious to the arrangements. The potential fallout of facilitating Andres’s stay while Brian was sent away could ignite Brian’s ire.
Ronald managed to move Andres to Jeffrey’s room with more ease than expected. Once assured that Andres was settled, he promptly escorted Brian out, eager to avoid any further complications.
As they approached the car, the lingering effects of alcohol seemed to cloud Brian’s judgment, causing him to misidentify Ronald as Rachel and cling to him relentlessly. Ronald’s initial plan to seat Brian in the back and drive him home himself was thwarted by Brian’s insistent grip.
Left with no alternative, Ronald was compelled to call a chauffeur service. Although only ten minutes, the ride was punctuated by the driver’s curious glances, heightening Ronald’s discomfort. This incident quickly topped his list of the most awkward situations he’d ever encountered.
In an attempt to alleviate the tension, Ronald addressed Brian, hoping to coax some lucidity into his boss. “Mr. White…”
However, his efforts were in vain, as they seemed only to worsen the situation.
Holding Ronald even tighter, Brian leaned into his chest, his voice a whisper laden with vulnerability, “Don’t be upset with me… don’t go. Please, come back to me.”
Ronald muttered softly, almost to himself, “If only you’d treated Rachel better earlier, none of this would’ve happened.” But his musings were cut short as the driver glanced back for the fourth time, a look of curiosity etched on his face. It was then that Ronald grasped the weight of Brian’s drunken ramblings.
Without hesitation, Ronald jumped to explain, “Please, don’t misunderstand! This is my boss. He’s going through a tough breakup, and he’s had too much to drink. He was talking to his ex–girlfriend. That’s all there is to it.”
Ronald hoped his words sounded convincing, but the driver simply nodded and replied, “Oh, I understand.”
“Thank you,” Ronald said politely, though a faint sense of unease lingered. As he replayed the driver’s tone and expression in his mind, a growing suspicion took root. That single, seemingly innocent word now felt loaded with unspoken meaning.
As they reached their destination, Ronald, mindful of the late hour and the driver’s efforts, handed him double the fare. “Thank you,” he said, his tone carrying a note of caution. “I hope you’ll maintain professional
discretion.”
The driver nodded immediately. “Don’t worry, sir. Client confidentiality is paramount. Nothing I’ve seen or
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Chapter 200 Letting Andres Stay Over
heard tonight will be shared.”
Ronald acknowledged this with a brief nod, but the driver’s next remark caught him off guard. “I get it. These kinds of situations can be tricky for people to understand. Using an ex–girlfriend as a cover is a smart move.”
Ronald froze, momentarily speechless. The driver’s misunderstanding was now glaringly clear, and any attempt to correct him would only deepen the awkwardness.
Walking away, Ronald muttered under his breath, “Mr. White, you’ve really put me in an impossible position. I’m not Rachel, for goodness‘ sake.”
After making sure Brian was comfortable, Ronald sent Rachel a quick update. “Mr. White is asleep now.”
“Okay,” Rachel replied simply.
She then checked on Andres, who was also sound asleep. Noticing the smelly coat he was wearing, she called Jeffrey to help change him into something more comfortable and freshen him up. Once everything was done, Rachel went to ed.
As Rachel had rested earlier, sleep didn’t come easily. Her thoughts drifted, and she was scrolling through her social media feed before she realized it.
A post shared by Elsa caught Rachel’s attention, a fundraiser for a charitable cause. Assuming Elsa was helping someone in need, she decided to contribute.
But as she read further, her heart skipped a beat. The beneficiary’s name was Myrna Ballard, a name she knew well. Myrna had been her college classmate and, more notably, Elsa’s longtime romantic rival. For Elsa to extend such help, Myrna’s situation must have been serious.
Rachel, caught in a storm of conflicting feelings, first contributed a donation before finally turning her attention to the unread message sent by Elsa. She had fallen ill shortly after it arrived and had been confined to a hospital bed ever since, the message buried and forgotten in the chaos.
If not for the chance encounter with a social media post, it might have remained lost to her memory entirely.
As Rachel absorbed the contents of Elsa’s document, a heavy silence enveloped her. The words struck her with such force that she was left momentarily paralyzed, a deep ache settling in her chest, mingled with an oppressive sense of unease.
Without delay, Rachel grabbed her phone, typed out the message, and sent it, “Elsa, I’m free the day after tomorrow. Let’s meet.”
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