Chapter 77 The Deal
When Bob arrived at the café, he did not expect that Lanny would be waiting for him. She sat on the corner, away from the other customers, which would give them enough privacy.
After Bob took the seat in front of her, Lanny immediately placed a large briefcase on the table.
"I got what you wanted," Lanny announced as she extended her arms to Bob. "Now give me the results."
Bob pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, and Lanny quickly snatched the paper away, only to find a blank sheet.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Lanny lowly growled. "Stop playing games, Bob. If you do not hand over the results, don't expect I'll allow you to get away with my money."
Wearing a grin, Bob traced the curved corner of the briefcase. "Do you really just expect me to blindly trust you and not suspect that you've probably given me fake money?" he asked her as he opened the locks on both sides. "I have to check it first."
"I have no problem if you check the money, but you should probably do it somewhere more private. That's a lot of money," Lanny suggested.
Bob did not listen to Lanny, thinking that she was just bluffing. However, as soon as he opened the briefcase, his eyes went wide to see a massive pile of money inside. He could not help but flash a big smile.
'What a beggar.' Lanny rolled her eyes after seeing Bob's reaction.
Bob took his time counting the money and making sure that the bills were not counterfeit. While doing so, he checked his surroundings from time to time as he did not want to receive attention from having so much money.
On the other hand, Lanny grew impatient every second that passed. She tried holding back her anger while sipping on a cup of coffee.
"Hmm... Who would've thought? You actually did not try fooling me this time," Bob said once he finished counting the money.
"I have no plans of lying to you." Lanny forced a smile. "I just want the results back. If you're satisfied, I hope you don't mind handing it to me now?"
"Very well..."
Slightly amused by Lanny's sudden change of attitude, Bob finally gave her the DNA results. He did not care anymore about that piece of paper. The most important thing to him at that moment was the money he had successfully extorted from her.
As she could not wait any longer, Lanny did not hesitate to open the paper and read its contents. Soon, a satisfied smile crept on her lips.
Bob was about to leave the table with his money when Lanny tugged his sleeve to stop him.
"Don't be in such a hurry. Why don't you let me buy lunch?" Lanny told him and smiled politely.
"For what?" Bob could not help but be suspicious.
"To talk about your future plans, of course."
"I believe that's none of your concern."
"I understand that you're having a hard time trusting me again. After all, we had some misunderstandings," Lanny said. "But what if I tell you right now that the paper in my hands can help you steal my sister away from her husband?"
Bob's eyes widened. "W-what are you trying to say?"
"Edward and the president of Skytel are the same."
Bob flopped back down on the chair. His lips trembled in disbelief. "W-what?!"
Lanny grinned widely and leaned closer. "The reason I asked you to get Edward's hair was to test it with the president's-the DNA result proved that the two are not just related but the same person," she explained. "In short, Edward was only pretending to be disabled. He then used a mask and a wig to conceal his identity as the president. Although I don't know what his intentions are, either way, he still made a fool out of Bella."
Bob was speechless. He recalled finding it weird that Edward still had a bodyguard who almost beat him to death. However, he purposely did not dwell on that out of fear.
"I'm sure that once Bella learns that her husband has been fooling her, she will definitely leave him," Lanny continued. "Like what we had planned before, you can take the opportunity to comfort her and make her forget. Eventually, if you two get married, I will give you a reward for making her happy again."
'Marriage... Reward...' Bob repeated those two words in his head like a broken record.
"This your last chance to get her, Bob. I hope you will not waste it." Lanny fanned the flames.
That was all Bob needed to change his mind and reconsider his decision to move far away.
"I'm going to meet her once she gets off work. I'll tell her about Edward's deception," he eventually said.
"That's right." Lanny smiled. "Remember to call me. I'll be your witness."
"It's a deal."
***
Meanwhile, Bella rejoiced over Jenny and Kelvin's return to the company. She invited them for lunch and even paid for their meals.
However, Kelvin was apprehensive about what happened that night. He still felt responsible for what happened to Bella even after she reassured him countless times.
"Bella, I'm really sorry for leaving you alone last Thursday...." Kelvin apologized and put the utensils down. He did not have the appetite to eat her treat after putting her in danger.
"Kelvin, if you're not going to stop apologizing, then I might really end up mad at you," Bella told him and glanced at Jenny, quietly eating lunch.
When Kelvin heard that, he immediately became anxious and shifted to his position. "Sorry. I just can't really stop thinking about it."
"You apologized again," Bella noted.
Kelvin pressed his lips together.
Bella chuckled at his reaction. "I'm just kidding," she said, gently patting his hand on the table.
Kelvin slightly lowered and shook his head. "Thank you for convincing the president to take us back. I never expected he would actually give us a chance."
"That's because the president likes her!" Jenny chimed in.
Bella's eyes widened, and she shot a glare at Jenny. "Shh! Someone might hear you!"
Jenny shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just telling the truth."
"I have to say that I agree with Jenny on this," Kelvin added. "Although I also have a crush on the president, I don't mind him liking you."
For a moment, Bella was speechless by Kelvin's blunt confession. Jenny almost choked on her meal.
"Well, uhm... I hate to break it to you both, but the president doesn't like me," Bella told them after she recovered from the shock. "Yesterday, I heard Lanny moaning inside the office when I returned to talk to the president. I'm not innocent about these things. I could easily tell what they did while I was gone."
Jenny and Kelvin exchanged glances. They were both bewildered as they thought the president had taken a liking to Bella but ended up misunderstanding his intentions instead.
***
After learning that Kelvin had a crush on the president, Bella could not help but subtly tease him in the office once they returned to work. She kept asking him to bring the contracts for signature to the president instead of doing it herself.
Since he still felt guilty about what happened at Queen's Bar, Kelvin did not mind Bella's teasing and willingly became her source of entertainment in the office. On top of that, he also felt indebted to her as she was why he could have his job back at Skytel.
Throughout the day, Bella was in a good mood. She was humming a happy tune while driving on her way home.
Aside from having Jenny and Kelvin back at the company, Lanny was transferred to the branch office away from her. Life was slowly changing for the better, and friends and loved ones surrounded her.
Speaking of loved ones, a smile broke across Bella's face when she saw a figure standing in front of their house, waving at her.
'It must be Edward,' she thought enthusiastically and stepped on the gas to reach him faster.