Chapter 35
This time, Valerie didn’t respond. She simply got into the car in silence.
As they arrived at the hotel, she finally spoke, her voice flat. “I’m going back to my room.”
With those words, she entered her room and shut the door firmly behind her.
Terrence stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door. His brow furrowed, but for the first time in days, there was a sense of relief in the air. Valerie had finally stopped causing trouble. The frustration that had built up over the past few days slowly began to fade.
The next day…
At five o’clock in the morning, Valerie woke up.
She moved quietly, making sure not to make a sound. After a quick look around to ensure no one was watching her, she closed the door softly and slipped a SIM card into her spare phone. Confident in her plan, she left the room without a second glance, walking briskly through the hotel.
Yesterday, Terrence must have tracked her through the GPS on her phone. But today, she was one step ahead. With the new phone, even if he tried to track her again, he would only see that she was still in the hotel. By the time he figured out where she really was, she would already be married to Ricky.
Valerie arrived at City Hall but didn’t see Ricky. She stood at the entrance, scanning the crowd.
She sent him a quick text:
“When will you arrive? I’m Valerie, and this is my new number.”
Ricky’s reply came quickly:
“I’m on my way, but I’m stuck in traffic.”
Valerie didn’t question it. She stood waiting, her mind at ease, believing everything was going according to plan. What she didn’t notice was that Ricky was already across the street, quietly observing her from his car.
Back at the hotel…
Terrence stood in Valerie’s room, his hands clenched tightly around her spare phone. With a quick, forceful grip, he crushed the phone, bending it into an unrecognizable shape.
The hotel staff watched in silence, too afraid to speak.
“Where is she?” Terrence’s voice was low, the tension radiating from him.
The hotel manager finally spoke up, his voice shaky, “The guest left early in the morning.”
Terrence’s anger intensified. There were only two presidential suites in the hotel, so the manager had no trouble recalling Valerie. His face contorted with rage as he glared at the wrecked phone in his hand.
“Well done, Valerie,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “She dares to play tricks on me!”
At that moment, Theodore entered the room. He hesitated at the door, clearly surprised to find Terrence standing there, his anger palpable. Still, he did his duty and approached, delivering his report: “Mr. Murray’s assistant has arrived. He says he’s here to pick you up to witness Mr. Crawford’s marriage.”
