Chapter 48

It turned out she was just throwing money around to get people to do her dirty work. Elizabeth was going to say no, but when she found out it was Esme, she got interested. She’d hated Esme for ages and never got a chance to mess with her. Now, she wanted to have some fun.

With that in mind, Elizabeth logged into the base’s account and started chatting herself.

Glory M: “One billion dollars.”

L: “Just a billion? If you get the ginseng, who cares?”

Glory M: “Let’s talk in person.”

L: “Okay!”

Glory M: “Have your boss talk to me directly.”

L: “Why?”

Glory M: “8 PM, The Midnight Owl Pub. Don’t be late.”

Elizabeth logged off. The guy on the other side was totally baffled. Felix stared at the chat on his screen, a smirk creeping up. When Elizabeth was head over heels for Alexander, she kept her cool for him. Now, she was finally showing her true colors. Elizabeth was never one to mess with. Felix gulped. Esme was in for it.

That night, a light rain started falling in Lisbon. Elizabeth stepped out of a sleek, dark purple car. Just as she was about to enter the pub, she ran into Esme. Esme, holding an umbrella and not paying attention, bumped into Elizabeth. She looked up and immediately snapped, “Are you blind?” She moved the umbrella aside, and when she saw Elizabeth, her anger flared. “Elizabeth, what are you doing here?”

Elizabeth squinted, her shoulders getting soaked without an umbrella. Dressed casually in a black T-shirt and jeans, she shot back, “Why are you here?” She glanced at the sign above, The Midnight Owl Pub, and said coolly, “Isn’t Ms. Russell supposed to keep a pure image? What are you doing in a place like this?”

Esme rarely hit up pubs, wanting to stay chaste for Alexander and maintain her pure image. She snorted, crossing her arms with a huff, “I’m here to meet a friend!”

“Really?” Elizabeth tilted her head, pushing the conversation. “Who’s this friend of yours?”

“If you knew who my friend really was, you’d freak out!” Esme shot Elizabeth a proud look.

Elizabeth just raised an eyebrow, ready to hear more. Esme glanced around, making sure no one was listening, then leaned close. “I’m meeting the famous Glory M from Hidden Camp!”

Elizabeth squinted. Esme flicked her hair, all smug. “You know who Glory M is, right?”

Chapter 48

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Esme, always acting like a spoiled princess, was clueless.

“Yeah, sure,” Elizabeth played along.

Esme smirked, even more full of herself. “Of course you do! It’s Glory M! You’ll never meet someone like that!”

Elizabeth chuckled to herself, silently thanking Esme for the compliment. Esme gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Don’t get too jealous, Elizabeth. We’re best friends. I’ll introduce you to Glory M someday!”

“I gotta run; he’s waiting for me!” Esme coughed, signaled her bodyguard, and walked off. Elizabeth watched her leave, her smile widening.

Esme pushed open the bar door and headed to their usual spot, but it was empty. The bodyguard whispered, “Ms. Russell, is Glory M really gonna show?”

“Of course he is!” she snapped back. This was Glory M, the guy who could help her find ginseng. No one was more reliable.

Esme plopped down on the sofa and grabbed her phone, eagerly texting Alexander.

Esme: [Hey Alexander, no need to look for ginseng anymore. I found it!]

She sent the message and turned off her phone, buzzing with anticipation. It was 8 PM, and Esme got up, ready to welcome Glory M any minute now. Glory M rarely showed up in public; meeting him was a big deal.

Esme smiled and paced around. Time ticked by. It was almost 8:30 PM, and still no sign of Glory M. “Ms. Russell, hasn’t Glory M arrived yet?” the bodyguard asked, stepping in from outside.

Esme bit her lip, feeling uneasy. But for the ginseng, she muttered, “Maybe he’s just busy. Let’s wait a bit longer.” The bodyguard nodded and went back outside to keep watch.

Esme thought for a moment, grabbed her phone, and clicked on a link sent by one of her team members. It opened a chat with Glory M.

Esme typed: [Glory M, are you on your way?] [I’m waiting at The Midnight Owl Pub.] [If you’re busy, no rush. I can wait!]

After hitting send, Esme felt a bit anxious. She really hoped to get the ginseng tonight!

In the next room, Elizabeth lounged on the sofa, legs crossed, a smirk on her lips as she read Esme’s message. Elizabeth texted back: [Stuck in traffic, be there in 20.]

Esme quickly replied: [No rush! I’ll wait for you!]

Elizabeth didn’t bother replying. She just opened a game on her phone and started playing. Esme paced around the private room. Twenty minutes flew by, but still no sign of Glory M. Esme felt too awkward to ask again, so she kept waiting. Minutes ticked by, and by 9:30 PM, Esme’s bodyguard started to worry. “Ms. Russell, the person you…