Chapter 219
Valerie and Kelly set off for Gharn. ‘I’m feeling a bit nervous, Valerie thought to herself.
This was Valerie’s first trip abroad.
Kelly knew exactly how to distract Valerie. As soon as they arrived at the airport, she dragged her around the duty. free shops, splurging on stylish outfits. With a mischievous grin, she even picked out a lingerie set for Valerie, leaving her flushed with embarrassment.
But under Kelly’s teasing gaze, Valerie quietly tucked away the entire lingerie set.
Westerland was six hours behind their motherland. Valerie and Kelly left at noon, and, after a 12–hour flight, arrived in Gharn a little after 6 p.m. local time, just in time for dinner.
After the twelve–hour flight, Kelly slept like a baby, while Valerie lay wide awake, unable to get comfortable in the unfamiliar bed. All she could think was, ‘How will Aiden react when he sees me? Will he be surprised?‘
Just imagining how Aiden might react, a smile tugged at Valerie’s lips.
Right at midnight, as soon as Aiden’s birthday began, Valerie sent him a message right on the dot. [Happy birthday, hubby!]
As Aiden was having dinner with his business partners, he received the message. His stern features softened a little, and he quickly typed back: [Why are you still awake?]
The plane had landed. With a soft smile tugging at her lips, Valerie typed: [Miss you so much.]
Aiden: [Wait for me. I’ll be home tomorrow.]
‘You don’t need to come home tomorrow, I’m coming to you today!‘ she thought with a playful smile.
Holding her phone, Valerie smiled softly.
She thought, ‘Looks like I’m falling for him deeper and deeper, and I just can’t help myself. ‘ She was a little surprised by how much her feelings had grown.
Valerie couldn’t help but think, ‘Who would’ve thought, the very devil I once avoided like the plague in my previous life has now unexpectedly become the sweetest spot in my heart…
‘I still can’t believe it.‘
After disembarking, Valerie showed no signs of fatigue. In fact, she was surprisingly energetic. Kelly whisked he through the tedious customs and security checks, and only then did they finally board their pre–booked car and check into the hotel.
After all that hassle, nearly three hours had slipped by.
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Chapter 219
It was 10 p.m. in Gharn. It had already been four hours since Aiden’s birthday began.
She’d been up since the crack of dawn, and by the time she reached the hotel, Valerie finally hit her limit. She flopped onto the bed, eyelids growing heavy with exhaustion.
Seeing this, Kelly quickly pulled her up and said, “Come on, it’s still early! You still need to go find Aide. He’s staying at this hotel too, probably in the presidential suite. Let me check which room he’s in.”
Valerie chuckled, “You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“Of course! I’m doing you both a huge favor,” Kelly said with a sly grin. She dialed Lennox’s number. “With that injury keeping you down for so long, I bet Aiden’s cursing my name right now.”
Valerie gave Kelly a playful kick. “You!”
With a mischievous grin, Kelly dodged aside and quickly got Aiden’s room number from Lennox. Sure enough, he was staying in the penthouse presidential suite, which had three separate bedrooms.
Kelly said, “Oh gosh, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have booked a hotel room at all! Lennox, promise me you won’t tell my brother, okay? I brought Valerie along to surprise him, so you absolutely mustn’t spill the beans, got it?”
“Understood,” Lennox replied with his characteristic formality.
Kelly hung up and couldn’t help but grumble, “So boring! Lennox has been with my brother for ages, always so uptight. No wonder he’s still single.”
But for all her grumbling, Lennox proved highly efficient, within minutes, he had someone deliver the keycard straight to them.
With a mischievous grin, Kelly playfully urged Valerie to change into the new lingerie set they’d just bought at the airport. Then she practically shoved Valerie out the door before heading off to a nearby bar herself.
Taking a deep breath, Valerie tightened her grip on the keycard and made her way to the penthouse level where Aiden was staying.
Knowing it was Aiden’s birthday, Lennox was fully on board with the surprise and made sure not to say a word to
him.
Valerie rapped lightly on the door twice, clutching the carefully chosen gift for Aiden.
These were all handpicked by her, each one perfectly suited to him.
Valerie knocked, no answer. She knocked twice more, only to be met with silence. Her heart pounding, she clutched the keycard, took a shaky breath, then slid it through the lock. The door clicked open as she stepped inside.
But the moment the door opened, Valerie froze. A woman’s sultry voice drifted out from inside.
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Chapter 219
Valerie’s mind went blank, a sudden numbness washed over her, and she froze on the spot. Still clinging to a shred of hope, she finally pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Silk lingerie lay strewn across the floor, leading to a half–open door.
The door stood slightly ajar, with women’s clothes, designer handbags, and other personal items strewn across the floor,
Suddenly, the woman inside fell silent, then called out in a honeyed yet guarded voice, “Who’s there?”
Valerie instantly recognized that voice.
She thought, ‘It’s her… the one the old man arranged for Aiden.’
At the sound of that voice, Valerie’s face drained of color, her mind blanking out as an endless ringing drowned out
all thought.
Like a startled deer, Valerie spun on her heel and bolted out the door.
Valerie slammed the door shut behind her and slumped against it, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Before she even realized it, hot tears were streaming down her face.
Valerie thought bitterly, ‘Seriously? He told me to wait for him at home, and this is the kind of ‘surprise‘ he had for me abroad?‘
Valerie let out a bitter, mocking laugh.
She thought bitterly, ‘What a joke…‘
A young guy passing by noticed Valerie, his eyes briefly lighting up with admiration. He immediately asked in Estain, “Miss, do you need any help?”
Valerie swallowed back her overwhelming urge to break down in tears. Forcing a strained smile, she replied in flawless Estain, “Thank you, I’m fine.”
Stumbling in her brand–new heels, Valerie barely kept her balance.
As Aiden returned, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a slender figure vanishing down the corridor. For some reason, she seemed vaguely familiar to him.
Especially, the color of the wrapping on the gift she was holding looked strikingly similar to the packaging of the gift Kelly had sent Aiden that morning.
Aiden merely glanced at it and dismissed it with a self–deprecating smile. “It’s only been a short while, and I’m already seeing things…” he muttered to himself.
He’d been away on business for almost two weeks.
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Chapter 219
He missed her like crazy.
Aiden pulled out his phone, opened Valerie’s contact, and started a video call as he swiped his keycard to unlock
the door.
Just then, the door to his usual room swung open, and a woman, her blouse half–unbuttoned, stumbled out. Spotting him, she cooed in a honeyed voice, “Aiden…”
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