Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1201-1210

Queenie bowed her head in embarrassment for a few seconds before replying, “The shoes I wore yesterday were too dirty. I already threw them out.”

Nigel stared at her in exasperation. He had no idea why he put himself through all this trouble. It could’ve just ended with him letting her stay at his place for a week before shooing her away, so why did he even agree to give her a job as well?

“Forget it. Let’s just go to the hotel.” He opened the door to his sports car before calling out to her, “Get in.”

“Thank you, Mr. Manson!” Queenie replied at once. She was beginning to feel bad about everything. Just last night, she even threatened to start a protest in front of his hotel!

I never would’ve expected Mr. Manson to be a pretty decent man and a rather forgiving one to boot!

After getting into the car, she started apologizing again, “Mr. Manson, I need to apologize to you. I threatened you last night by saying that I would bring a banner and start a protest in front of your hotel, but it was just something I blurted out in the heat of the moment. Please don’t take it to heart!”

Nigel cocked his eyebrows and turned to look at Queenie. She flashed him a smile and said, “Someday, I’ll do my best to repay your kindness for taking me in.”

He didn’t feel like talking. He felt like his ears had been buzzing all morning. Usually, he was the only one in the house, and thus he was used to having complete silence, which suited him perfectly.

The hotel he took her to this time was Manson Group’s main hotel located in the city center. The one where Queenie had caused a scene was part of the chain and situated in a different location. Beneath the glow of the morning light, the hotel’s brilliant facade seemed to take on a golden hue that made it look even more majestic as if it were a grand palace.

Meanwhile, Queenie had already gaped in awe at the sight of the magnificent hotel, while at the same time, she was still in somewhat disbelief that she got a ride from the heir of the Manson Group himself.

“Your family’s hotel looks so luxurious!” She marveled.

For some reason, Nigel was pleased to hear those words coming out of her mouth. His lips curved into a faint smile as he pulled into his designated parking spot ever so elegantly.

The security guards immediately greeted him politely, and the doorman came over to welcome him as well. Their actions made it feel as if a prince had arrived.

“Good morning, Mr. Manson,” said the manager who came over to greet Nigel.

The manager, Faye Loughlin, glanced at the woman standing beside Nigel and wondered, Did Mr. Manson get a girlfriend?

“Ms. Loughlin, arrange for her to work at the concierge,” Nigel instructed Faye.

Faye was a little taken aback. She’s not his girlfriend? Is she just an employee he selected personally?

“What’s your name, miss?” Faye asked Queenie.

Queenie smiled and replied, “My name is Queenie Silverstein.”

Nigel eyed Queenie’s shoes and instructed Faye once more, “Find her a pair of suitable footwear, along with a cell phone.”

“Yes, Mr. Manson.” Faye quickly acknowledged with a smile.

After glancing at Queenie one last time, Nigel strode off toward the elevator lobby.

Queenie had a look of surprise as she watched Nigel leave. Faye took it all in and couldn’t help but probe with a smile, “Miss Silverstein, do you mind if I ask how you’re related to Mr. Manson?”

“Uhh… I’m… I’m a distant relative of his… a cousin of sorts…” Queenie came up with a random response.

“Uhh… I’m… I’m a distant relative of his… a cousin of sorts…” Queenie came up with a random response.

Though, what she didn’t know was that this random reply of hers led to her receiving far better treatment from Faye.

Faye brought her to a changing room and gave her a uniform before instructing her to familiarize herself with the hotel first. Faye also gave her one of the hotel’s staff handphones. Once Queenie took the phone, she felt like calling home.

However, she reminded herself that it had only been a day since she left the house. She couldn’t give in so easily. I should at least wait until I have a stable job here before letting them know that I’m doing fine!

“Queenie, you do fit the bill of requirements for those working at the concierge. Tell you what, I’ll assign you to the concierge as a trainee first. This is company policy as all new employees need to go through a three-month training period before they can be given an official role.”

“Sure. That’s fine with me. I’m open to taking on any tasks required of me.” Queenie nodded in agreement. She saw this job as the start of her journey to being independent.

Faye led Queenie back to the main lobby and handed her off to another employee who would be her direct supervisor.

“Susanna, I’m assigning Queenie to you as a trainee. From today onward, you’ll be in charge of her training.”

Susanna Conklin had just seen Queenie coming into the hotel with Nigel, so she was warm and friendly as she replied, “No problem, Faye. I’ll take good care of Queenie.”

This was the first time Queenie had a proper job. She was determined to work hard and make something of herself. At the very least, she wanted to be able to support herself.

“Queenie, what’s your relationship with Mr. Manson?” Susanna asked quietly.

“I’m a distant relative of his—a cousin of sorts.” It was much easier to give this answer now that it wasn’t her first time doing so. Susanna smiled even wider as she thought to herself, Here I was worrying that she was Mr. Manson’s new girlfriend! Gosh, I was so afraid that was the case! Well, if she’s just family, then I still have a shot.

Queenie had a good head on her shoulders and was quick in picking up the tasks as well. Susanna was also shocked to see how fast of a learner she was. From the looks of it, she would be able to handle the job herself way before three months of training were over.

One of the young women working as a greeter started getting a stomach ache, so she turned to Susanna and said, “Susanna, can you take my place for a bit? I need to use the restroom.”

Susanna didn’t want to be standing on her feet for so long, so she turned to Queenie. “Queenie, go and cover for her.”

“Alright!” Queenie got up from her seat and stood in place by the main entrance with three other female employees. Soon after she took the position, a flurry of footsteps rang out from the elevator lobby. Five stern-faced middle-aged men came out with Nigel at the helm. The men carried themselves in a

serious manner that made it clear they were the company’s senior executives, while Nigel’s figure and handsome features made him look more like a model instead.

Even so, Nigel still had an imposing aura that made it obvious he was in charge.

The moment he got to the main entrance, he spotted Queenie standing nearby. Although she wore the same uniform as all the other pretty young women working as greeters, there was still something unique about her presence that made him pick her out of the crowd right away.

All of a sudden, he realized that the silk scarf she wore as part of her uniform was a little crooked. He had an obsessive-compulsive streak which got the better of him as he stepped over to her. She was alarmed, and before she knew what was going on, he started rearranging her scarf with his long, slender fingers.

Queenie gulped. She froze as she looked up at him. Nigel had a serious expression on his face as he carefully adjusted her scarf. She took in his arched eyebrows, dark, glittering eyes, high-bridged nose, and tempting lips. He has the ladykiller features, she remarked in her mind.

The other three greeters sorely wished their scarves had been crooked as well so that they could have Nigel adjust theirs for them.

Queenie’s heart rate was soaring through the roof. This was her first time having a man arranging her scarf for her so intimately right in public.

“Thank you, Mr. Manson,” she said politely once Nigel stepped back with a satisfied look.

He glanced at her. “Make sure you always look presentable.”

“Yes, Mr. Manson,” she promised at once.

Nigel finally left with the other men, and as soon as he was gone, everyone turned their gazes onto Queenie. All the employees in the lobby had witnessed everything that took place, and she nearly drowned in their looks of envy.

She cleared her throat awkwardly.

“It’s obvious that someone did it on purpose!” A harsh voice rang out all of a sudden.

Queenie looked across to see a pretty but mean-looking woman staring at her scornfully.

“I think everyone has misunderstood this. I didn’t do it on purpose,” Queenie quickly defended herself.

“Stooping to these tricks just as soon as you started the job, huh? I don’t think you’re here to work. You’re here for Mr. Manson!”

“That’s right.”

For the sake of clearing things up, Queenie had no choice but to use the same cover story again. “Please don’t get the wrong idea! I’m just his cousin.”

The greeters who had been clouded in jealousy just moments ago immediately gasped in shock. “You’re Mr. Manson’s cousin?”

“Yeah, albeit a little distantly related, so please don’t misunderstand anything.” Queenie could tell that all the unmarried women working in this hotel had a crush on Nigel. To avoid being the target of their jealousy, she figured it would be best to lie and say she was his cousin.

Sure enough, her words wiped off the looks of intense jealousy in the eyes of the three female employees who were glowering at her earlier. It explained why Nigel had personally adjusted her scarf for her.

Naturally, such things spread like wildfire among the employees, and at the very least, Queenie no longer had to suffer from similar misunderstandings.

At Silverstein Residence.

When Maggie woke up in the morning, she began to worry about her eldest daughter. There had been a thunderstorm last night, and Queenie had run off just like that. I wonder if she got caught in the rain.

“Mom, are you worried about Queenie? I’m worried about her too, but none of my calls are getting through.” Bonnie came downstairs and hugged Maggie. “It’s all my fault. She ran away from home because of me.”

“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself. I’ll get your father to look for her.” Maggie patted Bonnie on the hand affectionately.

“Mom, if it means Queenie will come back, I can just move back in with my adopted parents! Queenie won’t be happy if I stay here in this house.” Bonnie looked as if she were wallowing in guilt.

“Oh, you silly child. Don’t say such ridiculous things. Both your father and I consider you our most precious baby. We spent two decades looking for you, and we’re not going to let you leave us again.” Maggie hugged Bonnie. Moments ago, she had been worried about Queenie, but right now, the only one she cared about was Bonnie.

Bonnie smirked smugly. She would be the happiest person alive if Queenie never came back!

It’d be even better if she died while out there. That way, the entire Silverstein Family’s fortune will be mine.

Just then, Bonnie’s phone started ringing. She checked to see that it was Leslie calling, so she happily said to Maggie, “Mom, give me a minute to answer this.”

Bonnie walked out into the garden before answering. “Have you reached, Leslie?” she asked sweetly.

“I’m almost there. I’ll take you to a nice restaurant later.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” Bonnie gushed. Her life now revolved around indulging in all her desires. She could eat, drink, and shop to her heart’s content.

Life couldn’t get any better than this for her. She was even more thrilled that she didn’t have to see Queenie around the house anymore.

Soon, the day came to an end, and it was time to get off work.

Queenie had been standing for half of her shift and had to take in a lot of new information for the other half. At last, it was 6.00PM, and everyone started getting off work. Some went home, while others had dates that night. She was the only one left sitting in the staff lounge, and it suddenly hit her that she had nowhere to go.

She had neither the money to buy herself a meal nor pay for a night at a motel; she had no single cent on her. She had never felt this lost and helpless before. Although her parents would come and get her if she called home, she just couldn’t bring herself to make the call.

Her other option was to call a friend, but she was down in the dumps right now and didn’t want to trouble any of her friends.

Well, perhaps she was just being stubborn! She wanted to prove that she could face all obstacles in life by herself.

Queenie couldn’t get in touch with Nigel either. She didn’t know where he was or where his house was. After recalling how kind he had been to her so far, she didn’t feel like troubling him any further.

She looked around the empty staff lounge. I guess I can just stay here for the night! The hotel will provide breakfast tomorrow morning, and I can think about the rest after work tomorrow!

At 8.00PM, Nigel left his parents’ home after dinner and started driving back to his place. He turned the music up while driving and began to enjoy his alone time as usual when all of a sudden, he started getting the feeling as if he had left something undone.

Soon, a woman’s face popped up in his head. He narrowed his eyes. Right. That woman’s still at the hotel. She should’ve gotten off work by now. Where did she go? Did she go home? But she did say she ran away from home and even refused to leave my place last night, so she’s probably too ashamed to go home. That means she could still be at the hotel.

His brain was telling him to forget about Queenie, but his hands had already started steering the car toward the hotel.

Half an hour later, Nigel’s distinguished figure made its way across the hotel lobby. He had a pretty good idea of where he could find her. If she were still in the hotel, there was only one place she could be—the staff lounge.

He headed up to the floor with all the various lounges. No one else seemed to be around at this hour, and he started checking every single one of the staff lounges until he finally found Queenie all curled up and fast asleep on the couch in the lounge at the end of the corridor.

The air was chilly in the air-conditioned lounge, causing Queenie to curl up like a ball. Her hair was tied up, which left her beautiful face clear for all to see. As the light in the room cast upon her, her pretty features looked all the more mesmerizing. She looked even more alluring in her sleep. Nigel had to admit that she was a fairly attractive woman.

He started thinking that her fate would have been very different if another man had taken her home instead of him last night.

“Hey! Queenie Silverstein! Wake up.” Nigel started calling out to Queenie.

However, she was sound asleep and didn’t stir at all. Nigel had no choice but to resort to physical means. He started patting her soft, tender cheek with the back of his hand. “Hurry up and wake up, Queenie.”

Queenie was startled awake at last. She shot up straight on the couch and looked at the man in front of her in fright before realizing who it was.

The anxiety in her eyes gave way to a look of child-like surprise. “It’s you! Are you here to pick me up?”

The look in her eyes and the words that came out of her mouth made her seem like an abandoned puppy that had grown to rely on Nigel. He felt a pang in his heart. Is she really that ecstatic that I’m here to pick her up?

He stood up and said coolly, “We have rules in this hotel. Employees are not allowed to spend the night in the staff lounge.”

Queenie was still smiling. His words didn’t affect her sense of joy in any way. She felt as if someone had extended a warm hand out to her at her bleakest point in life.

“Ahh!” She had just planted her feet on the floor when she suddenly fell back onto the couch. Nigel, who had just turned to leave, turned his head around to look at her. He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

She was a little too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. She massaged her calves and said, “My legs have gone numb from the way I was sleeping.”

He turned his head forward and waited patiently for her legs to recover their strength. After a while, Queenie hurried back on her feet again as she was afraid that his patience might wane. “I’m fine now.

Let’s go!”

Nigel led the way while Queenie forced herself to walk despite the numbness in her legs. She followed him down to the lobby, and as they strode across the grand hall, walking shoulder-to-shoulder, the other hotel employees weren’t stunned anymore.

While they were still envious, they weren’t as jealous about it anymore because even those on the night shift now knew that the newbie female employee was just Nigel’s distant relative.

She wouldn’t be marrying Nigel and wasn’t going to steal their chance of becoming Mrs. Manson.

After getting into Nigel’s car, Queenie’s stomach began to rumble. She clutched her stomach awkwardly and asked hesitantly, “Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“Yes.” Nigel’s hands rested elegantly on the steering wheel as he drove them out of the hotel compound.

Well, it’s almost 9.00PM. Who else would’ve gone without dinner apart from me?

“Mr. Manson, would it be possible for me to make a somewhat unreasonable request?” Queenie ventured.

He eyed her thoughtfully. An unreasonable request? What’s she trying to do now?

She got straight to the point. “Can I get an advance of this month’s salary?”

“That’s not part of the company’s regular practice.” He denied her request without missing a beat. He wasn’t about to make a special exception for her.

“Then, could you lend me some money for food? I’ll pay you back once I get my salary. Oh, and with interest too.” She was raised in a fairly decent family environment, which resulted in her being bold

enough to make such a request without hints of shyness.

Other women probably wouldn’t dare to ask a man like Nigel to lend them money. They were too afraid of embarrassing themselves.

“Nope.” Nigel still remembered why he decided to take her in. It was to get his revenge, not for the sake of taking care of her.

Queenie pouted, but she wasn’t angry. She sighed and looked out the window. Her eyes lit up suddenly as she pointed at a large pharmacy and exclaimed, “My family owns that pharmacy.”

He glanced at where she was pointing. Her family’s rich, alright, but she has fallen so low that she needs to borrow money from me now. Sounds like she’s leading a great life.

He couldn’t help but snort as he remarked, “You can just ask your family for money.”

She had a determined look on her face. “There’s no way I’m doing that. My Dad kicked me out of the house. I have to survive on my own.”

“From the looks of it now, that’s not something you’re capable of.” Nigel shot her down right away. Queenie bit her lip and glared at him. Does he find it fun to put a damper on my spirits? I don’t expect him to comfort me, but he doesn’t have to dash my hopes like that now, does he? It’s my first time getting kicked out of the house too! So, it’s not like I have any experience in this.

She rested her head on the door and stared out the window. At the same time, her stomach started growling again.

She had no choice but to try and negotiate with her stomach, “Can you be quiet for just one night? I’ll feed you tomorrow morning.”

The hotel provided the employees with breakfast every morning, so Queenie’s plan was to hold out until the next morning.

Nigel had encountered a lot of childish women before, but he had never seen one as silly and amusing as her. Suddenly, he turned the steering wheel and pulled up in front of a restaurant.

Queenie stared dazedly at the restaurant for a few seconds before turning to him. “Are you buying me dinner?”

“Do you suppose I would let you eat up all of my snacks at home instead?” He scoffed as he retorted.

She remained seated in the car as she watched him get off. Although he always had a cold and indifferent look on his face, she couldn’t deny that he had been nothing but kind to her.

She got down from the car and smiled at him. “Mr. Manson, you’re only cold on the outside. If you show a little more gentleness, I’m sure that the line of women hoping to be your girlfriend would be long enough to circle the globe. You’ll get a girlfriend in no time.”

Amid her attempt at flattery, she accidentally bumped into Nigel’s back, thanks to his abrupt halt.

“Ouch!” Queenie quickly took two steps backward and rubbed her slightly sore nose as she looked at him.

Nigel turned around and warned coolly, “Stop talking so much if you want to eat.”

He hated hearing talk about getting a girlfriend. He had no intention of getting one as he considered a girlfriend to be nothing but a nuisance to him.

He had chased after a woman for two years once. Yet, she was now his cousin’s wife and had just given birth a second time. Ever since then, he realized that life as a single man was pretty fulfilling too.

Therefore, over the last few years, apart from taking over the family business, he spent his time indulging in his interests and hobbies.

Queenie kept her mouth shut. Was I talking too much? Was he annoyed because of it?

Heeding his order, she remained silent from the moment they walked into the restaurant until the food was served at their table. However, her expression became a lot livelier once the food showed up. She rubbed her hands in eager anticipation.

Nigel didn’t plan on eating, so he only ordered enough food for one. He took his phone out and started playing a game.

They were the only ones sitting in the restaurant’s large dining area. One happily stuffed herself with food while the other sat quietly playing a game. Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere wasn’t tense or awkward.

Queenie looked at Nigel from time to time. Once she was full, she rested her chin on her hand and stared at Nigel, who was still engrossed in his game. In that instance, it struck her that he was quite a good-looking man. He had an excellent figure to go with his handsome features. The only thing that was less than satisfactory about him would be his somewhat unapproachable personality.

It was strange that a guy like him was still single. She had seen a lot of tabloids attempting to make their fortunes by reporting on various rumors and gossip about him. Once, he streamed a game with a female streamer, and the news stayed on the social media trending list for three whole days.

Nigel was fully focused on his game when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He could feel the intensity of the staring.

He put his phone away and eyed Queenie as he asked curtly, “Am I handsome?”

The woman who had been caught in the act didn’t feel embarrassed in the slightest. She nodded her head and said, “You’re quite handsome! Don’t you know that?”

He was speechless.

It went without saying that he knew that, but the way she was ogling at him made him suspect that she had ulterior motives!

Nigel remembered that he didn’t lock the door to his room last night. He made a mental note to do it tonight.

Since Queenie was done with dinner, he called the waiter over to settle the bill. They started heading back down to the car. She followed him into the elevator and burped before she could stop herself.

Mortified, she quickly covered her mouth, but she kept burping from time to time. She turned scarlet from embarrassment.

Nigel did his best to stop himself from chuckling. Even when they got to the car, she was still burping, so he passed her a bottle of water and commented a little irritatedly, “Why did you gorge yourself at dinner?”

Queenie was a little upset. It was hard for her to get a chance to eat, so she had to eat as much as she could! Her burping died down after drinking some water, and now that she was full, she began to feel sleepy again. Her eyes began to glaze over a little from the night breeze and the flurry of street lights flashing past. She gripped the seatbelt tightly and leaned against the window as she dozed off.

The car came to a stop at a traffic light. Nigel looked to the side and saw a sleeping beauty beside him. The street lights softened her features and made her look like a delicate fairy who had never seen the evils of the world. One look at her and everyone could tell that this woman grew up in a sheltered environment and had been doted on her whole life.

Nigel kept staring at Queenie to the point that he didn’t even notice when the traffic light had turned green. He snapped out of it once the car behind him honked, and he cursed under his breath before driving off.

As for Queenie, she slept soundly and didn’t wake up throughout the entire trip back.

Meanwhile, at Manson’s Group main hotel, a couple came to book a room, and the receptionists working at the reception desk kept sneaking glances at the female guest. They were shocked.

Isn’t that Queenie Silverstein? Didn’t she just leave? Why did she come back to book a room with a man?

However, they were soon thankful that they didn’t try to greet her because the name on the identification card read ‘Bonnie Silverstein.’

After watching the couple head toward the elevators, one of the receptionists exclaimed, “She looks so similar to Queenie!”

“I know, right?! I nearly said hi to her. Thank goodness I held myself back.”

“Do you think they’re twins?”

“You could be right. Both their last names are Silverstein.”

The lobby manager looked over, and those at the reception desk immediately fell silent. After all, they weren’t supposed to gossip about guests at the hotel.

Meanwhile, at the elevator, Bonnie was holding Leslie’s arm with a look of satisfaction. Leslie had treated her to an expensive dinner and gave her a gift as well. Now, she was going to spend a romantic night with him at the hotel’s presidential suite. This was the best life she could ever dream of.

She had a man who adored and doted on her, but most importantly, he was Queenie’s fiancé. The fact that she had snatched him away from Queenie made her even more pleased with him.

“Once Grandpa agrees to it, I can break off my engagement to Queenie next month. When the time comes, the first thing I’ll do is arrange our engagement, and then I’ll start preparing for our wedding,” Leslie announced eagerly. He was thirty, and it was time for him to start a family.

Bonnie’s smile was a little stiff. Leslie couldn’t wait to get married, but she wasn’t interested in marriage at all.

She only wanted to revel in the joys of dating him. She enjoyed being pampered and doted on without being shackled by marriage. Furthermore, she recalled that Queenie had gotten involved with Nigel, and she was determined to steal away anything that Queenie had her eyes on.

“What’s the rush, Leslie? Everything’s great the way it is right now!” Bonnie flashed him a seductive smile and hooked her arms around his neck before getting intimate with him right in the hotel elevator.

Leslie was more than happy to respond in kind, and never once did they part from each other as they made their way to the room.

…

Nigel drove into the basement and turned off the engine. He looked at Queenie, who was still sound asleep. He narrowed his eyes as he called out. “Wake up, Queenie.”

Queenie looked at him with bleary eyes. When she realized they were in the basement parking lot at his place, she smiled and exclaimed, “Oh, we’re here!”

She got out of the car as if it were the most natural thing in the world—as though this was actually her place instead of his.

All at once, it occurred to Nigel that she wasn’t at all shy about going to his place. They were complete strangers. Did she trust him that much? Didn’t she have any sense of caution?

His eyes flashed with a devilish glint. He wanted to scare her a little.

Queenie rubbed her sore arm as she entered the elevator. As soon as she got in, she saw the man inside the elevator studying her with predatory eyes.

She stared blankly at him. “Why are you looking at me?”

Nigel purposely tugged at his collar with a hungry expression as he stared at her dangerously.

Ding!

The elevator arrived at their floor, and the doors slid open. Queenie eyed him puzzledly as she got out. He followed her all the way to the guest room before raising his arms to trap her between his chest and the wall. “Miss Silverstein, you’ll have to give me something in return for staying at my house.”

Queenie realized what was going on now. Is he trying to chase me out? Does he think he can scare me off just like that? She blinked at him and seemed to have mustered up the courage to make a bold decision.

“Mr. Manson, let’s get married tomorrow!”

Nigel’s hands shot back down as he took two steps back. “What did you say?”

“Let’s get married! Then, we elope!” Queenie repeated in all seriousness.

It was Nigel’s turn to be dumbstruck. “Is that some kind of a joke? Who wants to get married to you?”

“You’re the one who started joking around,” Queenie retorted with a look of innocence. Then, she grew serious and said, “Mr. Manson, wouldn’t it be exciting if we eloped? Are you sure you don’t want to give

it a go?”

Nigel wanted to scare her. He didn’t expect to be the one getting a shock. It wasn’t fun anymore. “Queenie Silverstein, you can stay here in my house, but don’t even think about setting your sights on me,” he warned.

Queenie watched him head off into his bedroom. She chuckled and went into the guest room as well.

It was 11.00PM when Nigel, who lay in bed playing a game, suddenly recalled something. He jumped out of bed and hurried over to his door to lock it. It was only then that he finally returned to bed with a sense of security.

He acted as if Queenie was some kind of hungry predator.

The next morning.

Queenie woke up at 8.00AM and opened her door to find a bag of clothes outside the room. A warm, fuzzy feeling blossomed in her heart. That man has actually prepared clothes for me! She took the bag and realized it contained underwear as well.

That’s quite thoughtful of him!

Right at that moment, the door to the master bedroom opened, and the two of them stared right at each other.

Nigel saw the bag of clothes in her hand and instantly figured out who had prepared it for her. The only person who could enter his house so early in the morning and knew that a woman was staying with him was his assistant, Cecily Wentworth. No one else could’ve done it.

“Thanks, Mr. Manson!” Queenie happily took the clothes and went back inside the room to change.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Ten minutes later.

Nigel was sitting in the living room enjoying a cup of morning coffee when he heard footsteps coming down from the second floor. He saw a woman dressed in a long, green dress that made her look like a forest nymph who just came out of the woods. Her skin was pale as snow, and the sunlight that came in through the windows cast a glow over her. Even her hair seemed to sparkle in the light.

He stared transfixed for a few seconds before snapping out of it. Immediately, he turned away his gaze as if giving the woman any more attention would make her conceited.

“Mr. Manson, when are you leaving? Can you drop me off? I’m late,” Queenie asked frantically.

Nigel glanced at his watch before setting his coffee mug down. He grabbed his keys and headed toward the elevator.

Queenie followed closely behind.

…

At Manson Group’s main hotel.

Bonnie was woken up by a call from her mother. The Silversteins realized that Queenie’s phone had been off the whole time. Brandon got so anxious that he filed a missing person report with the police, and Maggie called Bonnie to rush her home.

Bonnie was reluctant to even bother with it. It’s not as if Queenie would seriously go missing anyway. She then woke Leslie up, and the two of them got ready before heading down to the lobby to check out of the room.

While sitting on a couch in the majestic lobby, Bonnie could sense just how extravagant the Manson Group’s hotel was. All she could think about was what it would be like if she were to become Mrs.

Manson someday. Everyone would be so envious.

Just then, two people came walking in through the entrance. It was a man and a woman, and Bonnie’s eyes flickered over before widening in shock.

That’s Nigel Manson. And isn’t that Queenie?

Leslie just finished checking out of the room. He had just walked up to Bonnie and was about to pull her into his arms to leave when she expertly avoided him.

She got up and rushed over to Queenie. “Queenie! Here you are! Mom and Dad are so worried about you. They’re looking for you right now!”

Queenie was thinking about work when she heard someone calling out to her all of a sudden. She looked up and saw Bonnie running over to her, with Leslie following right behind.

She didn’t even have to bother guessing. They must’ve come to the hotel to spend the night together again. Neither of them showed any respect for the fact that she was still Leslie’s fiancée.

Bonnie was heading toward Queenie, but she swayed her hips and strutted in front of Nigel.

Meanwhile, Nigel glanced curiously at Bonnie as he found the woman looked almost identical to Queenie.

Bonnie was confident that she was prettier and even more alluring than Queenie, so when she noticed that Nigel was staring at her, she didn’t show any shyness at all. In fact, she boldly gave him a suggestive wink.

When he spotted Bonnie’s flirtatious stare, Nigel suddenly realized that he could discern the two women easily. Their eyes alone were enough for him to tell them apart.

One had a pair of clear, bewitching eyes, while the other had a risqué look in their eyes.

“Who’s this?” Bonnie pretended not to know who Nigel was. She assumed that all men would introduce themselves enthusiastically when she asked this question.

However, Nigel merely turned to look at Queenie. “I’ll come and find you after work.”

Queenie blinked and answered with ease, “Got it.” Then, she realized that they were in public, and she had to show more respect for Nigel, so she added, “Have a good day, Mr. Manson.”

Nigel, who started walking off earlier, turned back to give her a complex look before striding off to the elevator without looking back again.

Bonnie’s eyes were glued to Nigel as he left. She even started comparing Leslie with him and realized that Leslie, whom she considered rather handsome before this, was completely average when held up against a distinguished man like Nigel. In fact, they were leagues apart and shouldn’t even be compared to one another.

Leslie saw what was happening, but he could scarcely believe his eyes. Queenie, the woman he tossed aside, was now involved with Nigel Manson, the heir of the Manson Group. They even showed up here at a hotel together. What’s going on? Are they here to get a room together?

He was furious. Once upon a time, he tried to get Queenie to come to a hotel with him, but she acted as if she were staunchly against such behavior before marriage. And yet, she was perfectly willing to come to a hotel with Nigel now.

Was she just looking down on my family? On me?

“So, Queenie, this is the type of woman you are, huh?” Leslie came over with an icy expression and grabbed Bonnie’s hand. “Let’s go, Bonnie.”

“You go ahead, Leslie!” Bonnie didn’t want to leave with him.

“Bonnie, why do you want to stay here? Let me take you home.” Leslie didn’t want to be apart from her.

Queenie watched as they had their back-and-forth and turned to Bonnie. “Tell Mom and Dad that I have a place to stay. They don’t need to worry about me.”

She left right after finishing her sentence. Bonnie’s eyes were full of overwhelming jealousy. Is Queenie staying with Nigel? Did my plot to get her kicked out of the house end up pushing her into his arms instead? D*mn it! Bonnie was so mad that she nearly stomped her feet.

“Let’s go, Bonnie!” Leslie pulled her hand again, but Bonnie swung him off at once and walked off. She didn’t let him hold her hand anymore. Now that she had a chance to latch herself onto an even better man, Leslie wasn’t even fit for her to keep on the back burner.

Queenie changed into her uniform and started working. Those working at the reception didn’t dare to gossip about her. Though she continued to work as a greeter, she somehow enjoyed what it felt like to be working.

At Silverstein Residence.

Bonnie came home and saw the police officers gathered in the living room. Her eyes flickered shiftily, and she quickly called out. “Dad, I saw Queenie this morning. She’s not missing. She’s at a hotel!”

“What? You saw Queenie? Is she alright?” Maggie asked at once.

“Queenie’s fine. She told me to tell you guys not to worry about her,” Bonnie said. She wanted the police to leave as soon as possible.

Brandon sighed in relief. He apologized to the police and saw them out while Maggie pulled Bonnie over to continue asking more questions. “Where’s Queenie staying now? Who was she with?”

Bonnie chuckled darkly to herself. Trying to stay with Nigel, huh, Queenie? I won’t let you. I’ll make Mom and Dad get you to come back. She thought this would give her more chances to meet Nigel as well.

She was fully confident that she would be able to snatch Nigel away just as easily as Leslie. I’m so much better than that dull Queenie, after all.

“Dad, Queenie… Queenie’s staying with a man. I don’t think it’s a good arrangement, so why don’t you let Queenie come back instead? I’m afraid she might get taken advantage of.”

“What?! Queenie’s staying with a man?” Maggie’s expression was grim. How could a daughter of mine be so promiscuous?

Brandon’s expression had darkened as well. He looked deeply disappointed. “How could she be so irresponsible? How’s she going to get married in the future?”

“I’ll go and bring her home. Which hotel is she at?”

“I’ll come with you, Mom.” Bonnie didn’t want to miss out on any opportunity to run into Nigel.

The driver took Maggie and Bonnie to the Manson Group’s main hotel. Soon, the car pulled into the driveway at the main entrance, and two greeters came forward. Maggie stepped out of the vehicle, and Queenie, who was one of the two, stopped dead in her tracks.

“Mom?”

Maggie looked up and saw her daughter dressed in the hotel’s uniform standing in front of her. She was stunned as well. “Queenie, why are you—”

“I’m working here, Mom. Why are you here?” Queenie was calm and unruffled.

Bonnie stepped out of the car on the other side and studied Queenie’s uniform as she thought to herself, Is Queenie working here at the hotel? She’s really doing whatever it takes to get to Nigel! How can she be so happy about working as a greeter?

“Queenie, your father was a little harsh before this, but he’s not angry anymore. Come home with me.” As soon as Maggie finished talking, she tried to pull Queenie into the car with her.

However, Queenie was determined as well. “I’m not going back, Mom. I’m working right now. You guys should leave!”

“Queenie, Mom came in person to bring you home. Shouldn’t you show her a little more respect?” Bonnie fanned the flames from the sidelines. “You’re the eldest daughter of the Silversteins, but here you are, working as a greeter. The whole family would be humiliated if words got out about this!”

Bonnie’s words of contempt made Queenie’s expression darken once she heard that. “Don’t be ridiculous, Bonnie. Everyone deserves respect for working to support themselves. People like you who rely on their parents’ money don’t have any right to look down on others.”

The other greeters standing nearby had been furious when they heard what Bonnie said, so when they heard Queenie’s response, they rejoiced and agreed wholeheartedly in secret.

Bonnie flushed red and glared at Queenie. Meanwhile, seeing Queenie’s resolution to continue her job, Maggie had no choice but to respect her decision.

“Fine, but you have to come home after work. I won’t stop you from working, but you must move back home.” Maggie didn’t want to lecture Queenie in public.

“Alright, I’ll go home after work. You should leave now,” Queenie replied. She felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. Naturally, she was overjoyed to see that her parents still loved her.

“Remember to come home, Queenie! People will talk if a young woman like you stays at a man’s house.” Bonnie didn’t forget to take a jab at Queenie before leaving.

Queenie could sense the gazes coming from her colleagues. She was fuming over Bonnie’s actions but couldn’t do anything about it as the Silversteins’ car had driven off.

“Queenie, that’s your sister, huh?! Are you two really sisters?”

“Yeah, she’s my younger twin sister,” Queenie replied.

They weren’t supposed to chit-chat while at work, so they carried on with their job. Queenie began to feel reluctant about going home again. She found it rather comfortable to stay at Nigel’s home.

If Nigel didn’t chase her out, she was rather keen on staying longer. She had been forced to swallow all manner of anger and frustration for the past year ever since Bonnie came home. The once warm and inviting home now made her depressed instead.

Meanwhile, Nigel was in one of the hotel’s meeting rooms going through his daily task of listening to reports from various subordinates. The hotel’s business had soared in the first half of the year, and the manager, who was giving the presentation, was reporting ever so enthusiastically.

However, it was clear that the manager’s young superior, who was sitting at the head of the table, wasn’t paying any attention to the presentation.

Hm? What’s going on with Mr. Manson?

“Mr. Manson, what do you think about our suggestion?” the bravest soul among the employees asked.

“Mr. Manson?”

Nigel finally snapped back to reality, but his usually sharp eyes looked a little blank right now. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What was the suggestion? Say it again.”

The managers were bewildered. True enough, Nigel had been distracted earlier.

After listening to the presentation again, Nigel nodded. “Sure. Go ahead with the proposal. Meeting adjourned.”

He got up and left the meeting room. Just then, his phone started ringing. He checked and saw that it was a call from one of his closest friends, Julian Gilmore. He answered the call with a lazy drawl, “Hey, Mr. Celebrity.”

“Are you free today? Let’s grab a drink together. I’m almost at the hotel.” A silvery, sophisticated voice rang out through the phone’s speakers. It was a voice that could captivate its listeners.

“Sure, come over. I’ll wait for you in the lobby.” Nigel ended the call after agreeing to meet up with Julian. At first, he considered taking his friend up to the cafe on the top floor, but he soon changed his mind and decided to meet him at the cafe by the lobby instead.

Back at the lobby, Queenie was still standing by the main entrance to greet the incoming guests. By now, her legs were completely stiff, and she finally realized it wasn’t easy to hold down a job.

Right at that moment, she noticed someone coming over from the elevator. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw a tall, handsome man making his way over—it was Nigel.

All the female employees in the lobby immediately became even more passionate about their jobs. Their eyes lit up, and their movements became much swifter. Those at the reception desk answered the phone with the sweetest voice they could muster, and even those who were hunching from exhaustion after standing all day straightened up immediately and became the embodiment of professionalism.

Nigel Manson was the man of their dreams. Just the very sight of him made their hearts leap with joy, and all of them did their best to make a good impression.

Meanwhile, Nigel’s eyes flitted across the floor and landed on one of the young women who was working as a greeter at the main entrance. She carried herself with poise, and her willowy figure stood out among the crowd like a beautiful flower among the grass that drew everyone’s attention.

Nigel walked into the cafe, and the seat he chose just so happened to face where Queenie was standing. All he had to do was raise his head, and he would be greeted with the sight of her standing by the entrance.

The cafe had an elegant and inviting ambiance that made the guests feel relaxed while spending time there.

Naturally, Nigel was well within Queenie’s view as well. Her eyes landed upon him whenever she looked straight ahead. She saw that his head was lowered as he focused on a game on his phone. It felt as if she were staring at a prince as the light cascaded onto his crisp white shirt and illuminated his pale, handsome face. He was undoubtedly every woman’s Prince Charming.

Queenie kept staring in a daze. It was her first time noticing that a man could look so handsome even when he was just playing a game on his phone. All of a sudden, a car pulled up outside the hotel. She quickly turned her focus back on her job and saw a bodyguard opening the car’s backseat door. A handsome gentleman stepped out of the car.

Once again, it was the appearance of another man who could make all the young women’s hearts flutter.

The handsome gentleman was Julian Gilmore, an award-winning actor.

Queenie’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise as well. She never thought working at this hotel would bring her the privilege of meeting one of the hottest stars.

“Mr. Gilmore, may I know what—” a member of the hotel’s service crew rushed forward and started asking excitedly.

“I’m here to meet someone,” Julian responded lightly.

Then, he saw Nigel waving at him from the cafe. “Over here.”

Queenie couldn’t tear her eyes off Julian. She couldn’t hide the excitement in her eyes either. All of a sudden, she ended up looking into a pair of dark, piercing eyes. She blinked and quickly withdrew her gaze.

Oops! Nearly forgot that I’m supposed to be working! Her fangirling would need to wait until she got off work.

Julian walked into the cafe and saw his good friend, Nigel, staring at the entrance with an indiscernible expression.

He followed suit out of curiosity. “What’re you looking at?”

“Nothing. Sit down.” Nigel turned his attention back to the table. Julian sat down opposite Nigel and started massaging his forehead. He was visibly fatigued.

“Did you stay up all night filming again?” Nigel asked out of concern.

“Yeah, we were filming up until dawn. I’m exhausted.”

“Why aren’t you at home sleeping, then?”

“I had a few cups of coffee last night, so currently, I’m having trouble falling asleep. I’m thinking of heading to your place to play a game or two,” Julian explained with his eyes closed.

Normally, Nigel would be more than happy to welcome Julian over, but when he noticed that the young woman opposite them was still sneaking glances over in their direction, he declined right away.

“I’m not free tonight. Let’s play some other time.”

Julian raised his eyebrows. “I’ll crash at your place, then.”

“I’ll get you a room here. Go and take a nap right now.” Nigel got up and dragged Julian with him. “Let’s go! Don’t end up getting hospitalized from overexertion.”

It was a feast for the eyes to see two breathtakingly handsome men standing together, and it was even more thrilling to see one of them tugging on the other rather domineeringly.

Of course, it also fueled everyone’s imaginations.

As the two men came out of the cafe, the air seemed to tremble from all the brainwaves as everyone started making their wildest deductions.

The two men off-handedly conversed as they made their way to the elevators. Even the sight of their retreating backs was enough for the employees to spin a crazy tale. The two men disappeared into an elevator, and one of the employees finally couldn’t hold back any longer.