The Billionaire Who Saved Me

Ariel’s eyes widened. The worry came back. Exactly the same as yesterday.

Ariel could not ignore it. He suddenly stood up from his seat. An action so sudden that it immediately stopped Wijono’s presentation.

Everyone looked confused as they saw Ariel leave the meeting room without saying a word, causing whispers and panic among them.

And as the secretary, Nikita could not say anything either. She could only reassure the meeting participants that everything was fine.

Of course, it was not. Everything was far from okay. When Ariel returned to his room, he quickly turned on his laptop. He quickly put on his headphones and listened to another recording.

A recording that Ariel had almost forgotten due to the euphoria of relief he had felt. Something he deeply regretted when he heard Farrah’s words.

“Ariel tapped me?”

Ariel dramatically closed his eyes. Farrah knew he was tapping on his mother. And Ariel knew for sure that it was a bad thing.

Ariel’s worries intensified. With every word Farrah said, the worries quickly turned into fears. Creating a sense of dread that made his hair stand on end. Shivering in the frightening shadows.

“We don’t know how long Mr. Ariel has been bugging your office, Madam. But if Mr. Ariel has been tapping for a long time, there’s only one answer.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that Mr. Ariel knows your plan to get rid of Mrs. Elice.”

This time it was not just fear that enveloped Ariel’s body. It was more than that. For in the end, one word uttered by Farrah confirmed all the horror that had filled his mind.

“We’re going to finish Elice today.”

Ariel’s heart seemed to stop. A cold sensation ran through his entire body. His breath felt constricted. He almost could not stand to listen to the whole conversation.

Ariel held onto that fear. Held onto the horror when a little bit of common sense reminded him not to act recklessly. He had to know Farrah’s plan.

*

Enthusiastic applause greeted Elice as she cut the ribbon symbolizing the official opening of the Star of Hope Orphanage.

Elice returned the scissors to the committee, then shook hands with those who approached her.

“Thank you.”

A genuine smile spread across Elice’s face as she graciously accepted the heartfelt congratulations. Coming from those who at first seemed hostile to her, but now seemed confident.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

They praised her delightful speech, her friendly demeanor, her warm words, and her sincere smile. At least that’s what they said when they saw Elice in her modest yet elegant clothes. It seemed that they would not have a hard time accepting Elice’s presence.

“The late Madam Daphne must be at peace to see you carrying on all her wishes,” Carolus’ words made Elice smile. They walked to the car and prepared to drive to the next location.

Several of Elice’s personal guards were positioned at various points to ensure their safety. And when they saw signs that Elice was leaving the Star of Hope Orphanage, one of them immediately contacted her colleagues.

Another team had already secured the area to make sure that the next place Elice went to was thoroughly checked and confirmed as safe.

“I hope Nana feels the same way.”

Carolus said as he opened the car door for Elice, allowing her to get in and sit in the passenger seat. “I’ll follow you shortly, madam.”

Elice nodded and let Carolus close the door. Two seconds later, the car she was in pulled away from the Star of Hope Orphanage grounds, following another car with more personal guards that had left just before them.

“How was the event, madam?”

That one question made Elice blink once. There seemed to be a slight furrow in her forehead. Something felt strange, but she answered anyway.

“It went smoothly.” But Elice could not hide her confusion. Then she asked, “Who are you?”

Elice tried to see who the man behind the wheel was. Wearing a black suit and pants with a white shirt, he looked like one of the personal guards who had often protected her and Garrett. However, it was clear that he wasn’t the usual driver and guard. He looked unfamiliar to Elice, making her wonder if she had ever met this guard before.

Elice was not sure if they had met before, but she pushed that thought aside for the moment. In reality, there was something else more important.

“Where is Rowan?”

A smile appeared on the man’s face. As he made sure the car was moving at a steady speed, he replied, “Rowan suddenly had to attend to something else, madam. I am Teddy.”

Elice blinked again. The name sounded unfamiliar to her ears, just like the face she saw.

“Teddy?”

“Yes. I’m temporarily replacing Rowan,” Teddy said and nodded once. His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, which seemed a little emptier than usual. “I’ll take you to the next place.”

*