Crystal's One Night of Love

At two in the afternoon, Leslie came to pick Alfred up.

After Alfred boarded the vehicle, Leslie teased, “You seem high-spirited today.”

Alfred grinned. “Not at all. She was so clingy that I feel tired!”

Leslic chuckled.

Hours later, Alfred left his meeting with a scowl.

Leslie approached him, asking in a whisper, “What happened?”

“We’ll talk in the car.”

Once inside the automobile, Alfred pulled the curtains for the windows and sighed. “Do you remember the project from half a year ago?”

Leslie nodded.

Undoing one button on his shirt, Alfred continued, “I recommended Noel for the project. However, he and his wife died in a suspicious car accident.”

Leslie was stunned for a long while.

Lowering his head, Alfred lit a cigarette with trembling fingers. Several minutes passed before he took a puff. What he didn’t tell Leslie was that there were obvious bruises on Noel and his wife that looked like they were beaten up.

Ultimately, Noel had sacrificed his and his wife’s lives to protect the project data.

Someone had to take over the project.

And since Alfred was the one who designated Noel to oversee it, he had to take responsibility.

As he continued to smoke with his quivering fingers, he removed the small box from his pocket with another hand. Initially, he planned to propose to Melora today and marry her after Christmas.

However, Noel’s death made him question if he should.

The sight of Noel’s and his wife’s ghastly deaths haunted Alfred.

Though Alfred didn’t speak his mind, Leslie could guess what the former was thinking about. Unfortunately, he could only remain silent.

Suddenly, something smashed into the black Audi, launching Alfred forward.

When the car stopped, a man in black clothing riding a motorcycle in front of the automobile halted as well. He then peered through the window as though he had x-ray vision.

The driver cursed and made to exit the vehicle.

Bearing the pain, Alfred exclaimed, “Don’t step out of the car! It’s dangerous!”

When the man in black clothing saw the car didn’t move, he sped off.

Leslie crawled to the backseat to check Alfred’s injury. “How are you feeling, Mr. Lodge?”

Alfred pressed his hand on his abdomen. I must’ve broken a rib.

Despite that, he didn’t show any emotions in his countenance. “To think they’ve received the news so soon. after the meeting concluded! This foreign company is outrageous!”

As much as he wanted to avenge Noel and the latter’s wife, he had to focus more on protecting his own life.

At that moment, his phone rang.

It was from Melora. After a brief moment of hesitation, Alfred answered the call and uttered gently, “I’ve got an emergency at Coldbridge, so I won’t be joining you later, Melora.”

course, he was aware of how disappointed she’d feel.

to the condominium when there

people watching him.

comforted Melora, he hung up the phone and turned to Leslie. “Have someone keep an eye on her until she returns home

Leslie nodded.

into a private hospital at Coldbridge. Though he needed to rest after breaking a rib and

the morning, Leslie visited him after handling some

injury? Lie down quickly. The doctor says you need to be

“There’s still so

the diamond

smiled bitterly. “Despite my age, I fell for a young woman, Leslie! I need to stay four years on the project. What will I become by then? Though I’m always saying Melora is young, she’s already twenty-eight. After four years, she’ll be over thirty. There’s no way she can waste four years waiting for me.” I also don’t want to think about the possibility that my enemy knows

speak a word, knowing

stayed in the hospital

time before rejecting the call, which pained him greatly. I bet if she knows I don’t want her anymore,

on, Alfred started distancing

Melora. Instead of cutting things off with her cleanly, he did it

returned to his previous

reconnected with Eras

became who he used to

Christmas was over, Melora had lost a few kilograms. She often couldn’t contact Alfred, and on the occasion she could, Leslie was the one who answered in

tell what Alfred was doing. However, she didn’t have the courage to question him face- to-face. All she could

she’d forget to eat while

received news of

to support Ingrid at La Scala. After Ingrid finished her performance, she changed into a beautiful gown. With his arm wrapped around her waist,

slipped from Melora’s hand. He’s in Barnwood, yet

teary gaze, she still called his

at the clubhouse

cards in his hand down and

joked, “What’s the matter? Has your puppy caught up

later, Alfred smiled casually again. “She’s just a child. How long

card game, he said, “Please

what his relationship with Melora was, but as a woman, she could tell it was intimate since he had ignored

he reconnected with her

her when in public, he had never touched her

refused to budge,

the call. “Hey, Miss Miller! Mr. Alfred is having fun in the clubhouse. How

breathing audibly quickened before the call

a moment right as he was

A child’s attention won’t last long, but she keeps calling me. It’s

swirling

until midnight that he returned to his car. Leslie asked softly. “Where to, Mr. Lodge?”

the window,

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3/5

he said, “The

to the place that had provided him with

surprise, Melora was there,

were tear stains on the corner

Alfred teared up as well. I wonder how long she’s been waiting for me. Why didn’t she sleep

about to

panic in her

Alfred” before she cried silently. All she did was stare at

couch, gently patting her head.

appeared on her countenance, as though she did