Theodore shook his head, replying, "We'll head to the southern suburbs. I'll visit Marley earlier this year."

Horace pulled out his phone and tapped on it before asking, "Should we take Miss Clarke with us?"

After a brief pause, Theodore said, "We can bring her along in two days. I want some solitude for now."

“Understood.” As a competent assistant, Horace had a sense of what his boss was thinking. Frankly, Helen was quite a handful. It was due to her that his boss had several clashes with Ariana.

Horace walked to a corner and texted the driver. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the bouquet of roses left behind on the chair.

“Boss, what should we do with these flowers?" Horace gestured toward the bouquet and asked.

Theodore tured his head and smiled.

"No need for that. She doesn't actually like it, but she has to pretend she does. It was difficult for her to force herself," Theodore murmured.

Horace sighed softly. He believed Ariana did appreciate the flowers. When she had received them, he had clearly seen the joy in her eyes.

Now, Theodore and Ariana were at odds and misunderstanding each other. It was uncertain how long it would take for them to reconcile.

The driver arrived shortly, and Horace ushered Theodore out of the restaurant.

The waitress removed the flowers as instructed. She carried the bouquet to the garbage area in the back alley. Rather than tossing the flowers into the garbage truck, she approached the young woman in white who had been waiting at the corner for some time.

“Miss Clarke, I've done as you asked. Here's what you wanted."

Helen accepted the flowers from the waitress, extracted a substantial wad of cash from her purse, and handed it over.

"Make sure you keep this a secret."

The waitress's eyes sparkled at the sight of the money.

"Don't worry. I guarantee I won't say a word to anyone."

“Alright, you may leave now.”

Helen adjusted the brim of her hat, ensuring no one was around, and then retrieved a mini recorder from the flowers and discarded the bouquet in a nearby trash bin.

Back at the hotel, Helen played the recording, listening to Theodore and Ariana's conversation at the restaurant. Jealousy twisted her features.