Chapter 6

Dylan immediately removed his jacket and wrapped it around Selena.

“Dylan!”

Selena threw herself into his arms, trembling.

“It's over,” Dylan said quietly.

His voice was gentle with her.

But when he looked at Harvey Walter, his expression turned cold.

Harvey was still on the floor, confused by what had happened.

Dylan helped Selena stand.

Then he looked directly at Harvey.

“From this moment on, Edwards Group will no longer work with Walter Group.”

The surrounding guests went silent.

Even the reporters stopped talking for a moment.

Harvey's face changed.

“Mr. Edwards, wait. This was an accident.”

“I don't care.”

“You saw what happened. The lights went out and someone pushed me!”

Dylan didn't respond.

Harvey quickly stood.

“Mr. Edwards!”

“Leave.”

One word.

Cold and final.

Harvey's face darkened, but with dozens of reporters watching, he couldn't cause a scene.

Dylan took Selena's hand.

“Come.”

Selena stayed close to him as they walked out of Havier Hotel.

The moment they disappeared, the reporters turned toward Cassidy.

They surrounded her before she could leave.

“Miss Williams, how do you feel about what happened to Selena?”

“You were Dylan Edwards's wife six years ago. Do you still have feelings for him?”

“Did you know Selena before tonight?”

“Are you and Mr. Helton officially together?”

Cassidy's expression cooled.

Enough.

She stepped closer to Rodel and looked directly at the reporters.

“Please clear the way.”

No one moved.

Cassidy's voice became firmer.

“Now.”

The reporters hesitated.

Rodel stepped beside her.

That was enough.

Everyone knew who he was.

The crowd finally opened a path.

Rodel placed a protective hand behind Cassidy's back and led her outside.

Neither of them knew that two little boys were still inside the hotel.

Upstairs, Noel peeked through a partially open door.

He watched Cassidy and Rodel leave through the security monitor.

His eyes widened.

“Nardy.”

“What?”

“Mommy left.”

Nardy looked up from his laptop.

“What?”

“Daddy Helton left too.”

The brothers stared at each other.

Then Noel slowly closed his eyes.

“We're dead.”

Nardy swallowed.

“We need to get home.”

“Right now.”

They quickly gathered their things.

But before they could leave, footsteps echoed through the hallway.

The twins froze.

“What happened to the power?”

A man's voice came from outside.

Another person answered quickly.

“We're still checking, Mr. Farrell. The strange thing is that the security system didn't record anything during the blackout.”

Nardy's face changed.

Noel whispered, “Did you do that?”

“Obviously.”

“Can you undo it?”

“That's not the problem.”

“Then what's the problem?”

“He knows someone did it.”

The footsteps came closer.

A tall man in a white suit appeared at the end of the hallway.

Ben Farrell.

Owner of Havier Hotel.

He was known throughout the city for two things.

His charming smile.

And the fact that very few people wanted to make him angry.

Tonight, he wasn't smiling.

He looked at one of his guards.

“The entire hotel loses power at exactly the right moment, and every useful camera suddenly stops working?”

The guard lowered his head.

“We're investigating.”

“Investigate faster.”

Ben continued walking.

Noel and Nardy held their breath behind the door.

Ben stopped.

His eyes narrowed.

Something wasn't right.

He suddenly pushed the door open.

Noel jumped back.

Ben looked inside.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then he saw them.

Two little boys.

One holding a backpack.

The other standing beside an open laptop.

Ben raised an eyebrow.

“Well.”

His anger faded into surprise.

“What are two children doing up here?”

Noel immediately smiled.

“We're lost.”

Nardy stared at him.

That was the best lie he had?

Ben looked at the laptop.

Then at Nardy.

“Lost?”

“Yes,” Noel said quickly.

“With a laptop?”

“We're very modern children.”

Nardy closed his eyes.

Please stop talking.

A faint smile appeared on Ben's face.

“Where are your parents?”

Noel looked at Nardy.

Nardy looked at Noel.

Then Noel shouted, “Run!”

Both boys moved.

Nardy darted one way.

Noel went the other.

Ben's guards hesitated.

“Catch them!”

The twins raced through the hallway.

Noel ducked beneath a guard's arm.

Nardy grabbed a housekeeping cart and pushed it across the corridor behind them.

The guards were forced to stop.

“Go!” Nardy shouted.

They ran down the emergency stairs.

One floor.

Then another.

Noel's legs were burning.

“Nardy!”

“Keep running!”

They reached the parking level.

Nardy pulled out his phone.

“Where is he?”

“Who?”

“Our driver!”

Before Noel could answer, headlights flashed.

A familiar car approached.

The driver Rodel had assigned to the boys rolled down the window.

“There you are! I've been looking everywhere!”

Noel and Nardy rushed into the back seat.

“Go!” Noel shouted.

The driver frowned.

“Why?”

“Mommy is waiting!”

That was enough.

The car pulled away.

Seconds later, Ben and his guards reached the parking area.

Too late.

Ben watched the car disappear.

“Did anyone get the plate?”

One guard nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Ben looked back toward the hotel.

Two children had somehow entered a restricted floor.

At exactly the same time his security system had been compromised.

That was not a coincidence.

His smile slowly returned.

“Find out who they are.”

“Yes, sir.”

Inside the car, Noel finally breathed again.

“That was close.”

Nardy immediately opened his laptop.

Noel stared at him.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning up.”

“You already messed with the cameras.”

“I know.”

Nardy's fingers moved quickly.

“But Mr. White Suit has our car's plate.”

Noel's eyes widened.

“Can he find us?”

“Not if I fix it first.”

Nardy checked the time.

His face went pale.

“Noel.”

“What?”

“Mommy will be home soon.”

“How soon?”

“Very soon.”

Noel sat up.

“Sir!”

The driver glanced into the mirror.

“Yes?”

“Please go faster.”

The driver laughed.

“Your mother isn't going to punish you for being a few minutes late.”

The twins exchanged a look.

He clearly didn't know Cassidy well enough.

Back at Havier Hotel, a staff member hurried toward Ben.

“Mr. Farrell.”

“What?”

“We tried tracing the vehicle.”

“And?”

“The plate information disappeared from the system.”

Ben slowly turned.

“Disappeared?”

“Yes, sir.”

The staff member swallowed.

“Someone accessed the records.”

Ben was silent.

Then he laughed.

Not loudly.

But enough to make the people around him nervous.

A child had just interfered with his hotel's security system and erased information before his team could trace it.

“Interesting.”

Very interesting.

“Find them another way.”

Meanwhile, Cassidy had just arrived home.

Rodel walked her to the door.

“Cassidy.”

She turned.

“I meant what I said earlier. If you want to work again, there's always a place for you at Helton Group.”

Cassidy smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You don't have to answer tonight.”

“Good, because I'm not ready to decide.”

Rodel nodded.

He never pushed her.

That was one of the things Cassidy appreciated most about him.

“I've waited six years,” he said softly. “I can wait a little longer.”

Cassidy's smile faded slightly.

She understood what he meant.

But she wasn't ready to give him an answer about that either.

She stepped forward and hugged him.

“Thank you for today.”

Rodel hugged her back.

“Go inside. Your little monsters are probably waiting.”

Cassidy laughed.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

She opened the door.

Noel was standing inside with a glass of milk.

“Welcome home, my queen!”

He bowed dramatically.

Cassidy laughed.

“My sweet boy.”

She knelt and kissed his forehead.

Then she frowned.

His face was red.

“Why are you sweating?”

Noel froze.

“Exercise.”

“At this hour?”

“Yes.”

Cassidy narrowed her eyes.

Nardy appeared from the kitchen.

He had flour on his hands.

“Mommy.”

Cassidy looked at him.

Nardy smiled innocently.

“We were baking.”

Noel nodded too quickly.

“Lots of baking.”

Cassidy looked from one son to the other.

Something was strange.

Very strange.

But she was too tired to investigate tonight.

“Fine. Both of you, get ready for bed.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

The moment Cassidy turned away, Noel exhaled.

Nardy quietly kicked his foot.

“Stop looking guilty,” he whispered.

“You're the one who almost got us caught.”

“You yelled 'run.'”

“It worked.”

Later that night, Cassidy came downstairs after taking a shower.

Nardy was waiting with her laptop.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to work at Daddy Helton's company?”

Cassidy sat beside him.

“I haven't decided.”

“Why not?”

She smiled and touched his hair.

“Because I don't want to depend on Rodel forever.”

Nardy frowned.

“But Daddy Helton wouldn't mind.”

“I know.”

That was exactly the problem.

Rodel had already done too much for her.

Cassidy looked at the laptop.

Six years ago, she had arrived in another country with almost nothing.

She had been heartbroken and afraid.

But she hadn't stayed that way.

She studied.

She worked.

She failed.

Then she tried again.

Eventually, Cassidy discovered something she was truly good at.

Design.

Over the years, her work became known internationally.

But almost no one knew the person behind it.

In the design world, she was known only by one name.

Queen.

The nickname had started as a joke from Noel and Nardy.

Then it became her professional identity.

Clients competed for her work.

Companies searched for her.

Yet Cassidy Williams remained hidden behind the name.

Nardy pushed the laptop toward her.

“You should look at this.”

Cassidy frowned.

“What is it?”

“An email.”

She opened it.

Then froze.

It was a business proposal.

A very large one.

Cassidy read the company name again.

Her fingers stopped moving.

No.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Nardy watched her carefully.

“Mom?”

Cassidy didn't answer.

Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.

The proposal was addressed directly to Queen.

And the company requesting an exclusive design partnership was...

Edwards Group.

Dylan's company.

Cassidy slowly closed the laptop.

Six years ago, Dylan Edwards had thrown her away without ever knowing what she was capable of.

Now his own company was searching for the mysterious designer everyone wanted.

And Dylan had no idea...

Queen was his ex-wife.