Chapter 16 His Subordinate

On that night, Emmanuel arrived at the nightclub named The Paradise. Beneath his clothes were all bandages! Standing alone by the door, he puffed at a cigarette in annoyance. His mood plummeted when he received a call three minutes ago, and Roselynn's voice was still echoing in his ear. “Manny, Mom was admitted to the hospital again. She has nephritis! She was asking for you, wondering when your wife will come and visit. She thought your wife should have come to see her already since you two are married.” Roselynn's words rendered Emmanuel speechless, and her remarks still echoed in his ears. Their father passed away at a young age, and their mother had to raise him and his sister singlehandedly. She worked too hard when she was young, and her unhealthy diet caused her to develop kidney stones. Some ten years ago, she had to have one of her kidneys removed, and her only kidney was inflamed. Emmanuel did not know how long his mother's body could hold up. Her only wish now was to meet her daughter-in-law. Even seeing her grandchild being born would be a luxury! Emmanuel knew he had repeatedly disappointed his mother, but this time, he was determined to bring Mackenzie home to fulfill his mother's wish! Meanwhile, Mackenzie was in a daze. She might be staring at the screen, but she was, in fact, zoning out. She had never been so worried for someone in her life that it significantly reduced her efficiency at work. All of a sudden, her phone rang. It was a call from her grandfather. “Hey, Mackenzie! Can the strategic warehouse project be completed in time? All the directors kept pressuring me for the progress update!” Terence sounded anxious. After all, all shareholders wanted profits. As the majority shareholder of the company, Terence undoubtedly hoped the project would succeed. “Grandpa, I'm waiting for an update from someone,” Mackenzie said calmly. “Updates from someone? Who's the CEO of Terence Group? Who's the decision maker of the company? And you're telling me you're waiting for updates from another person?” Terence expressed his dismay. What happened to my granddaughter? That's not how she would usually behave! “I want you to give me an answer right now!” The agitated Terence raised his voice. “Grandpa, that person is Emmanuel!” she responded. “What? Emmanuel?” Terence froze for a moment and kept mum. After a while, he expressed his shock. “Why do you have to wait for him to make a decision for Terence Group?” “Grandpa, stop asking, okay?” Mackenzie replied indifferently, “Anyway, I've informed the engineering team from Cloud Construction to be on standby. I'll issue an ultimatum by tomorrow morning.” After that, she ended the call. Mackenzie let out a long breath and found herself unable to sit still. She could not believe that even during that critical period, she still found herself expecting Emmanuel to solve the problem. As the night fell, Emmanuel flicked his cigarette in front of the entrance of The Paradise and was ready to enter the premises. Suddenly, someone pulled him from the back, and the person was Sheldon. “Emmanuel, have you lost your mind? Would you really stoop to anything for the sake of money? Mr. Webber is not an easy person to deal with, yet you went to him and warned him and his men to vacate that piece of land. He could easily send someone to take your life. Do you realize that?” Sheldon exclaimed in agitation, trying to dissuade the man. Though he only had a professional relationship with Emmanuel, from human to human, he did not want the man to risk his life. Yet, Emmanuel ignored him and walked straight into the nightclub. Unfortunately, the receptionist refused to reveal any information about their guest to him. The security guard even chased him out of the club after he refused to leave. “Emmanuel, can you stop acting crazy? We can't even locate the person. Just give up, okay? It's impossible for us to earn that money!” Sheldon stayed back, further dampening Emmanuel's spirit. Emmanuel continued giving him the cold shoulder. He knew Sheldon was saying that for his own good. But he doesn't know how I'm feeling and why I'm doing this. It's pointless for me to explain to him at this point. All of a sudden, an Audi arrived at the parking lot. As a stunning lady stepped out of her car in high heels, all eyes were drawn to her. She was dressed in a shimmering silver gown that revealed her long and slender legs, and her skin was so smooth that it resembled white poppy flowers. Emmanuel's jaw dropped when he saw the woman. Apart from the aura she exuded, the woman's beauty and allure could rival Mackenzie's! Mackenzie's sex appeal and attractive appearance might not even hold a candle to her. “Oh my goodness, isn't that Elena Lyle, the top hostess of The Paradise?” Sheldon exclaimed, captivated by her beauty. He was so taken aback that he could hardly move. As a man living in Yeringham, he was naturally familiar with the legends surrounding the top hostess of The Paradise. It was said that she never accompanied her clients on outings, and those who wanted to drink with her had to pay thirty-eight thousand per hour. She was also known for her exclusive taste in wine and would only drink Lafite. In other words, Elena would only befriend people who were wealthy and influential. She was, indeed, the very definition of a successful hostess. Emmanuel knew nothing about Elena, but the moment Sheldon told him she was the top hostess in the nightclub, he walked toward her directly. Fro told him that Samuel would always come and look for her, so he was confident that he could get information about Samuel's whereabouts from her. Emmanuel's sudden presumptuous move left Sheldon dumbfounded. Is he trying to hit on the top hostess? What makes him think he could go after a woman who's clearly out of his league? After standing in front of Elena to stop her from leaving, Emmanuel greeted her, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Lyle!” Elena knitted her brows. If any man had interrupted her like that, she would have ignored him or even had the bouncers throw him out. Nevertheless, as someone who placed great importance on appearance, Elena was impressed with Emmanuel's looks, physique, and calm demeanor. She concealed her impatience. “Yes?” “I'm working for Mr. Webber and was told to wait here for you, Ms. Lyle!” he replied. Sheldon was rendered speechless by Emmanuel's audacity. If his true identity is exposed, he'll be doomed! Elena felt disappointed when she learned that he was just Samuel's subordinate. Her brows creased even more deeply. “Tell him to wait patiently in the private room. I'll go over in an hour!” “All right, then!” Emmanuel was pleased to hear that. Nice! I'll be able to locate Mr. Webber if I stay with her! After Elena left, Sheldon walked up to him. “You've got some nerve, Emmanuel! What gave you the courage to strike up a conversation with the top hostess of this club?” Emmanuel's boldness left Sheldon astounded. Being able to talk to the top hostess of The Paradise was the dream of every man in Yeringham! Yet, Emmanuel let out a cold snort. Elena might exude a cold and distant aura, but she was nowhere near as haughty and aloof as the missus in his house. If I had the nerve to marry McKenzie, I surely would have the courage to talk to this woman. “Hey, where are you going?” Sheldon asked. When Emmanuel was about to enter The Paradise, he could not help but exclaim, “Are you really going to follow Ms. Lyle's lead and scheme your way into The Paradise just to track down Mr. Webber?” The thought of Emmanuel's plan sent chills up his spine. He's just trying to get himself killed! Emmanuel hummed in acknowledgment. “Go home if you're scared. I'll take it from here!” He strode confidently into the nightclub's lobby, not once glancing over his shoulder. As Sheldon gazed at Emmanuel's back, he was impressed by his suave demeanor, which seemed to come naturally without any pretense!