Chapter 132
But among the bustling crowd outside the budget hotel, Ellana was nowhere to be seen. His sharp eyes scanned the area and landed on his Rolls Royce still parked out front. He stormed over and knocked on the window impatiently.
After what felt like an eternity, the window was finally rolled down. Brad, rubbing his bleary eyes, stammered, “Mr. Russell?”
Seeing the driver was still groggy, Theodore’s voice turned icy. “Where’s my wife?”
Brad jolted awake and stammered, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Russell. I was exhausted from keeping watch all night and must’ve dozed off by accident. Instantly riled up. Theodore lashed out and kicked the tire in frustration.
At Elarin Resort, one of Eliana’s friends, Jennie, called out warmly, “Ellie, it’s been a long time.”
“Honestly, we thought you’d forgotten about us,” Debra said.
“Come on. That’s so uncool. You got married and didn’t even tell us?”
ased.
Facing her three best friends‘ mock scolding, Eliana stuck out her tongue playfully and said with an apologetic grin, “Alright, my bad. Go ahead and roast me all you want. I deserve it.”
Seeing she was still the same playful Eliana, her friends were relieved–until they took a closer look.
“Ellie, you don’t look so good. Are you okay?” Jennie asked with concern.
Debra gasped, “Oh my goodness, Ellie. When did you get these dark circles?”
“Ellie, seriously. What’s life really like with the Russells?” Kylie asked worriedly.
Hearing this, Eliana deliberately put on a dramatic act and joked, “Would you believe it if I said I’ve been slaving away at Russell Manor?”
Seeing her exaggerated expression, her three girlfriends chorused in unison, “No way!”
Meanwhile, Theodore, once again ditched by Eliana, was mentally drafting his revenge plan when his phone rang.
“Yo, Theodore. Your wife’s here at my resort?” It was Lucas.
Theodore asked, “What did you just say?”
“Wait. You didn’t know?”
Theodore had planned to settle things quickly, but at those words, his expression turned cold. “Lucas, cut the crap and tell me exactly what you mean.”
“I just spotted your wife at my hot spring resort, that’s all,” Lucas explained.
Theodore asked, “Is she alone?”
“Nope, she’s with three other girls,” Lucas replied.
Theodore paused, then said, “Got it. Don’t approach her. We don’t want to tip her off.”
Lucas chuckled, “So, you guys are playing cat and mouse, huh?”
Theodore said nothing, so Lucas took the hint and ended the call.
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Chapter 132
As the owner of Elarin Resort, Lucas‘ favorite pastime was perching on the observation deck with his binoculars, scouting for beauties siú premises. Little did he know that today would bring an unexpected windfall.
Watching Eliana and her three friends buy tickets and enter the resort, Lucas summoned his assistant, Henry Webb, Handing him the binoculars, Fe “See those four girls over there?”
Henry, as usual, quired, “I see them. Want me to invite them to join you for lunch? Are you sure you can handle them all at once?”
Lucas shook his head. “No, I want you to treat them like VIPS, but do it so smoothly they don’t suspect a thing. If they catch on, you’re fired,”
As soon as Eliana and her three friends got their tickets checked, Jennie piped up, “Ellie, let’s grab a bite here first. I’m starving after that long subway ride.”
Debra chimed in, “I’m hungry too, but apparently they’ve got several Michelin–starred places here. Brace yourself for some super pricey food.”
Kylie suggested, “How about we head out to the convenience store nearby and grab some bread and bottled water for a quick bite?”
The four exchanged speechless glances; it felt like they were back in their broke–but–happy high school days.
Just then, a tanned, athletic–looking man, which was Henry, walked over with a raffle box and grinned. “Hey, ladies. Got a minute to spare?”
Eliana looked at him. “What’s up?”
Henry said, “Actually, our resort is running a lucky draw, and we’re randomly picking some guests to join. You four gorgeous ladies look like you’ve got great luck. Want to give it a shot?”
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Jennie chimed in eagerly, “Ellie, it’s a free draw with nothing to lose. How about we try our luck first, then go get something to eat?”
Eliana noticed the man’s resort badge and nodded. “Sure, why not?”
“You go first,” Kylie urged.
With her three friends egging her on, Eliana hesitated for a moment before slipping her hand into the small opening of the box and pulling out a slip of paper.
Encouraged by Henry’s expectant look, Eliana unfolded the slip of paper. To her surprise, it read: [Free Meal Voucher.]
Henry beamed, “Congratulations! This meal voucher covers all four of you for a meal at our restaurant.”
Eliana arched an eyebrow, thinking, ‘Since when did I get this lucky?‘
Her friends screamed and latched onto her arms. “Talk about perfect timing. Now we don’t have to go out for bread anymore. Ellie, this is amazing.”
Eliana chuckled, “Alright, your turn now.”
One by one, the other three girls eagerly lined up to take their turns at the lucky draw.
“I got a spa treatment,” Debra exclaimed.
“I got the nighttime BBQ package.” Kylie beamed
Jennie’s face fell. “Wait… why does mine read (A one–day date with the resort’s handsome owner]?”
Henry froze. “Uh, sorry. That one wasn’t supposed to be in there.”
Lucas set up this raffle box to pick up women, which explained the unusual prizes inside.
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Chapter 132
“Why don’t you give it another shot, miss?” Henry suggested.
So, Jennie gave it another shot. “Yay! I got a four–person hot spring pool! Now we don’t have to squeeze in with strangers?
As the girls marveled at their incredible luck, Henry quietly let out a sigh of relief, thinking. ‘My job is done here, right?”
“Right this way, ladies. Let me take you to the restaurant for lunch,” he said.
Inside the restaurant, Eliana showed their “free meal voucher” to the waiter. The waiter blinked, “Uh, this” But before he could finish, Henry, who had followed them in, shot him a warning look.
Catching on instantly, the waiter quickly changed his tone. “Right. Of course. Please, have a seat. Your food will be served shortly.”
After the waiter left, Eliana and her three friends looked at each other in confusion.
“Wait, but we haven’t ordered yet?” Jennie asked, sounding puzzled.
“Oh well. It’s free stuff. Anything free is good food,” Debra said with a shrug.
“True that,” Kylie chimed in.
Seeing that their expectations were rock bottom, Henry gave a subtle smile and slipped into the kitchen. Moments later, the table was filled with blue lobsters, king crabs, caviar, salmon, and steak.
The real showstopper was the four premium abalones–the rarest and most prized variety–served right at Eliana’s table.
The girls had no idea what they were looking at, but the rest of the restaurant sure did. One diner gasped, recognizing the abalone that only the ultra–rich could afford.
All of a sudden, the entire restaurant stared at the four girls as if they were a group of secret heiresses.
Even though Eliana wasn’t exactly a food connoisseur, she was still taken aback by the lavish spread before her. “Wait, are you absolutely sure all of this is free?”
“Of course,” Henry replied smoothly, meeting Eliana’s gaze without missing a beat. “You’re today’s lucky winners.”
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