Edmond had gone abroad for a few days.
For the past few years, he had poured all his energy exclusively into his daughter and his work. Before Tilly turned one, he had practically raised her entirely on his own, handling every single detail personally. It wasn't until she passed the one-year mark and grew attached to Laura that he felt comfortable enough to occasionally travel for business.
Running into Sheila had taken his carefully controlled, tranquil life and violently upended it.
It wasn't just a ripple; it was a tidal wave. But it was a storm raging deep beneath the ocean's surface, completely invisible to the naked eye. To anyone looking on, the water appeared perfectly calm.
When Marcus called, Edmond simply gave him an address.
Marcus was ecstatic. Did this mean he was finally being invited into Edmond's inner circle?
He rushed to change clothes and hurried over to the location.
It was the Regalia Club, the city's most exclusive, opulent playground for the ultra-rich. If you didn't have serious status and power, you couldn't even get past the front gate.
Marcus had only ever been inside when tagging along with much bigger players.
When he walked in and announced he was looking for Mr. Halley, he was immediately escorted upstairs.
Edmond had a private suite here, but the gathering was in one of the VIP lounges.
As Marcus approached, the room was roaring with conversation. Someone seemed to be talking about keeping exotic pet snakes.
Standing by the door, he heard Thurston laugh. "You guys boasting about your little snakes is nothing. Look at Edmond—he's packing a python. Now that's impressive."
Marcus was genuinely surprised. Edmond kept a pet python?
He stepped into the room. The moment the crowd saw it was just a minor player, no one paid him any mind.

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