Whispers of Destiny: His Belated Love

Mr. Ferber, whose overweight frame tended to sweat profusely, caused Rosemary to instantly recoil when she felt her hand encased in a moist and clammy grip. She yanked her hand back violently and stepped back a good few paces, her face so cold it could freeze someone. “Mr. Ferber, please maintain a level of decorum.”

Mr. Ferber’s grasp was merely a test. Sure, he had a bit of a crush on Rosemary, but he knew better than to offend Maxwell over a woman.

He quickly reined himself in, apologizing, “Sorry, sorry, I meant nothing by it. I just wanted to know what perfume you’re using, so I could buy a bottle for my wife.”

After all, he’d be here for a few days. There will be plenty of opportunities.

Mr. Ferber, a seasoned player in the business world and a master of deceit, was convincingly sincere, “I tend to get handsy when I’ve had too much drink. It was just a reflex, I’m really sorry for stepping out of line with Mrs. Templeton. I will personally apologize to Mr. Templeton shortly.”

Rosemary couldn’t even be bothered with pretenses anymore. She went back to the sink and pumped out a ton of soap to wash her hands.

Mr. Ferber watched from the side, a transient shadow of displeasure darkening his face.

Noticing Mr. Ferber’s gaze linger, Rosemary offered a tepid explanation, “Apologies, Mr. Ferber. I have a bit of a concern with germs and generally prefer to avoid physical contact.”

Mr. Ferber awkwardly rubbed his hands, “No worries, truly, that was my bad.” With those words, he left in a hurry without even using the restroom.

Rosemary scrubbed her hands red before finally turning off the faucet. She disliked Mr. Ferber, feeling uncomfortable with her hand having been touched by him.

Even though his apology seemed heartfelt, something about the way he looked at her was unsettling.

Thinking back on asking Maxwell for a mere ten million as a hardship fee, she felt shortchanged!

She took a paper towel to dry her hands, guessing Mr. Ferber had probably returned to the foyer. Rosemary slowly made her way there, but soon she saw Martin.

He was on the phone, probably hashing out business stuff, looking all serious with his brows furrowed and lips pursed. This was the first time she saw Martin in his work mode.

“Understood, I’ll handle it when I’m back,” he said. Whatever the person on the other end said, Martin hung up, not too pleased. He was about to light up a cigarette when he noticed Rosemary.

He tilted his head slightly in her direction, raising an eyebrow, “Rosemary?”

Martin chucked the unlit cigarette in the nearby trash can – a gesture ingrained from his elite upbringing. “Are you here socializing with Maxwell?”

Rosemary walked over, “Yep, and you?”

She and Martin got along well; they would chat upon meeting and given the matter of the loan from last time, she couldn’t just ignore him and walk away.

Three hundred million was not a small amount, and though she didn’t take the money, she remembered his goodwill.

Martin shared, “A friend is celebrating his birthday here. I just came to hang out.”

Rosemary nodded, ready to wrap up the chat. She barely parted her lips to say goodbye when she spotted Maxwell not too far off.

The man looked like he had a cloud over his head, and who knows how long he’d been standing there, staring her down like a husband who’d just caught his wife cheating!

Martin sensed her discomfort and looked where she was looking, smiling, “Go on, Maxwell’s probably worried about you since you’ve been gone so long. He must have come out looking for you especially.”

Rosemary scoffed inwardly. Who would believe that?

She certainly wouldn’t!

Maxwell couldn’t possibly be worried about her. He was probably afraid she’d meet Martin, worrying about being cuckolded, and that’s why he deigned to come looking for her.

But she couldn’t possibly mention such disharmony to Martin; given their relationship, it would be inappropriate, almost like deliberate flirtation. “Alright, then I’m leaving.” Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

She approached Maxwell, who sarcastically said, “Not going to chat a bit more? It’s not often you meet, and Mr. Ferber has gone back to his room for a rest. Why don’t you go back to Martin’s table for a catch-up?”

Maxwell didn’t lower his voice, and they were quite close to where Martin had been. Instinctively, Rosemary turned her head to look that way, thankfully relieved Martin had already left.

“What, can’t bear to part?” Maxwell’s voice came from above her, his voice dripping with blatant scorn and a chilling hostility.

Rosemary rolled her eyes and headed straight into the dining hall. “Your mind’s always in the gutter.”

Thinking of Mr. Ferber, she felt like her freshly washed hands were dirty again. “Indeed. Birds of a feather flock together.”

Her business partners he found were just as low!

Mr. and Mrs. Ferber had already left the dining hall, and Rosemary didn’t stay either. The audience had left; there was no point in performing.

Without looking back, she asked the person trailing her, “Where am I staying?”

“As husband and wife, we naturally share a room.”

She had checked earlier – the resort had no presidential suite, just single and double rooms. But whatever the type was, she refused to share a room with Maxwell.

“No, I’ll stay on my own.”

Maxwell frowned, anger seething within him, an anger that had begun the moment he saw her chatting with Martin.

He worried about her when she was gone for so long, fearing she had run into trouble, and went out specially to find her, and yet there she was, happily chatting with her old flame in the hallway!

He couldn’t remember the last time Rosemary had smiled at him like that. Now, she was like a lit firecracker every time they met.

So much for good intentions!

He reminded her curtly, “You’re here as Mrs. Templeton.”

“Yeah, but who says married couple can’t sleep in separate rooms?” Rosemary turned around, feigning surprise with wide-open eyes, “Sleeping apart doesn’t mean we’re not a loving couple,

right?”

As if to prove her point, she took the initiative to link arms with Maxwell, “Experts say that sleeping in separate rooms is the key to better sleep quality.”

Maxwell snorted, “Whatever that damn expert says, have him say it in front of me.”

Rosemary didn’t care about what Maxwell thought. She went to the lobby and smoothly checked herself into another room.

However, just as she was about to swipe her key card, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.