Chapter Thirty Nine

"Szechuan cuisine? It's not my favorite, but I don't hate it either. Why did you bring it up? Do you want to Szechuan?" Stephen turned around and gazed at Brielle. he was surprised. Why would a woman like her enjoy spicy foods? How many hidden layers did she have? Oh, she was almost like a book. The more he read, the more he was intrigued by the plot.

"Just teasing. The weather is so hot now. The Szechuan cruising fits winter." Brielle preferred spicy food, but she had to consider what was best for Ariel. "You naughty girl." Stephen chuckled when he heard the answer. He rubbed the tip of her nose and gazed meaningfully into her eyes.

Stephen always liked to rub the tip of her nose. Brielle wasn't sure she liked that. While it could be an innocent sigh of affection, she felt that he treated her like a little girl. Suddenly, Stephen's phone rang, playing a popular love song. Before answering, he helped Brielle fix her hair, which was blown wild by the wind. Without missing a beat, he took out his phone.

"Yes? What's up, Thomas?" Stephen frowned when he saw Thomas on the caller ID. Thomas didn't come to him for help often, and when he did it was something big. "Stephen, have you heard from Chloe recently?" Thomas sounded anxious.

"No. Isn't she in Paris? What happened?" Stephen was puzzled. Was she in trouble? Or had she caused any? "She's not in Paris. I haven't heard from her since yesterday. I called her hotel, but she had checked out. And she not home yet. I thought she might be in contact with you somehow..." Thomas's heart was torn. No one but his little sister could do this to him.

"Calm down man, I'll get my men right on it. If we find her, you'll be the first to know." Stephen knew how important Chloe to Thomas. Thomas's mother died after giving birth to Chloe Luo. Thomas cherished his little sister a lot -- she was all he had left of their mother.

"Thank you. Take a look at the reservations and guest histories in your hotels. If Chloe checked in, she might have used the Dragblack Card. If she did, you could find the records." Although very anxious, Thomas wasn't flustered at all. He always was a picture of calm during an emergency.

"I'll have a look. Let's find out whether she has checked-in or not." Dragblack Card was the VVIP card in Stephen's hotel chain. Few possessed it, one of whom was Chloe. It was not hard to trace.

"Okay, thanks, Stephen." Thomas rarely said thank you, but he'd say it a million times to anyone who helped him find his Chloe. "Don't mention it. She's also my sister." Stephen was an only child. So he always treated that beautiful little girl as his own sister. he was protective of her.

Stephen hung up the phone and gestured to Fan, who stood by the car, waiting for his orders. "What's up, sir?" Fan jogged over to Stephen. he was wearing a dark suit that accented his handsome features.

"Have a look at the flights from Paris to the city yesterday, and find out if Miss Luo was on the passenger list. Then send some men to look for her in the entertainment venues." Stephen decided to look for Chloe everywhere and put Fan on this.

"Duly noted, sir." Fan nodded to Stephen, walked aside, and started ringing his people. "What's happened? Can I help?" Brielle was next to him the whole time. She knew what happened. "Don't worry. The things are under control." Stephen smiled and dialed another number.

Brielle said no more. Holding Ariel's hand, she waited nearby. "Yes, Mr. Chu, what can I do for you?" Alex held the steering wheel with one hand and answered his call with the other. he hoped Mr. Chu wouldn't ask him to do extra hours.

"Alex, check all the records of Dragblack Card used in the city and find out who used it. Call me when it's done." Stephen said calmly, but the expression on his face revealed his true feelings. His eyebrows furrowed deeply, and anxiety showed in his eyes.

"Of course, Mr. Chu. I'll start now." Alex swerved the car back and drove to the company. He sighed at the overtime he'd have to pull. But why did Mr. Chu ask him to check on the user records of Dragblack Card? Was someone using a counterfeit card? It so, the culprit was really stupid. Besides the unique design of the card, they were made from rare material, and only a handful of copies were issued. Even Alex didn't have one.

"Sir, I've arranged for people to handle the flights and entertainment venues. I think they will find Miss Luo soon." Fan had worked for Stephen for many years. he knew Chloe was important to Thomas and Stephen.

Stephen nodded and turned to Brielle. She was looking at him too, with a worried expression on her face. "Let's go. You must be hungry." When he took her hand, he frowned at the cold touch. Why was she so cold in hot weather? He hoped it was not because of indifference.

"Aren't you busy? I can take Ariel to lunch, so you can deal with this." Although Brielle was not sure exactly what was going on, she could sense that he was worried about someone important to him. She had served in the army for many years and had learned to observe other people's subtle moods. She knew when something was urgent.

"No, nothing to worry about. Fan can handle it. And it there's an emergency, he can call me. Besides, you've never asked me out to dinner before. How can I let you down?" Stephen never allowed accidents to wreak havoc on his plans. What was more, he had people doing the digging. He didn't need to lift a finger, and rarely got involved himself. That's what other people were for.

Chloe Luo stroked her flat belly. She'd been wandering all day without the slightest intention of doing home. She snuck back here without telling anyone. But now her big brother might have figured it out. Well, screw it. She was not ready to face his anger yet.

All of this was because of that bloody foreigner. Indeed, he was handsome. He was wealthy. He was a romantic Frenchman. But she was also pretty. She was also born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She was no worse than the Frenchman.

She kicked the little garden along the road. And stubbed her toes! Of all the rotten luck! The first day she came back, she slept with a man whose face she hardly remembered. She only knew that the man had eyes full of sorrow. That's why she was drawn to him. She was sad and lovelorn too.

She sat down on the branch beside the road, wondering whether she was really lovelorn. Did she love the Frenchman? If she loved him, why did her heart not race when holding his hands? Besides, she said 'no' to him several times, when he pressured her for sex. Her conservatism drove him away.

But she was heartbroken the moment they broke up. After all, the French man was the big boy type she fell in love with. He was bright, handsome, and, most of all, romantic like any Frenchman. That's what captivated her.

Chloe shook her head. She knew it was too late to think about it again. But why was having sex the only way to show love? her rejection was the reason he left. He said what he wanted was no platonic love, but sex. Oh, to hell with that jerk. That's why she flung herself at that guy in the bar and showed him a really good time.

Stephen stared at the traffic jam I frustration. He honked the horn, then leaned back in his seat in annoyance. Helplessly he turned around and looked at his passengers. "What's wrong? Traffic jam?" Brielle looked out at the traffic.

"Yes. it might take a while. It's my fault. I forgot how heavy traffic was about now." What Stephen hated most was waiting. Normally it was others waiting for him. This was not doing his mood any good.

"That's all right. It's still early. We can eat later." Brielle was always poised, so there was no limit of hurry in her cold face, only detachment. "Son, how about you? Are you hungry?" Stephen looked at Ariel and spoke caringly.

"No, I'm not hungry. It's okay to wait for a while." But deep down Ariel was thinking of dinner. His voice sounded a bit low and disappointed. he protested inwardly about the poise of Stephen and Brielle. After all, he was trying to create a romantic evening for them.

Stephen saw his look and smiled knowingly. he knew that look occurred only when Ariel's plans were foiled. But Stephen didn't know who he was plotting against. Ariel saw Stephen's smile and thought, 'I'm plotting against you. Sadly, it didn't work.'

Annoyed at the heavy traffic, Stephen fantasized abandoning the car. Idly, he glanced back at the road behind him, when suddenly he spied a slight girl. he thought she was an optical illusion at noon, a heat mirage. But now he knew better. Stephen swerved and parked by the curb. He got out and rushed at the figure sitting on the roadside bench.

Chloe noticed a person rushing towards her, and was confused. Was he chasing someone else? No, there was no one else around. Oh no! It's Stephen! She leaped from the bench and tried to escape. "Chloe! How dare you run away?" Stephen sported an angry look and spat out those cold and threatening words.

"Um... Stephen, well... What a coincidence! What are you doing here?" Knowing there was no escape, Chloe put on a big smile, trying to please Stephen. 'Gosh, the odds are against me. If Stephen's here, my brother will be here soon.' The last thing she wanted was to be lectured by her big brother. Strange that such a cold man could be an expert on criticizing others.

"Yes. What a coincidence. The person that should be in Paris is now in this city." Stephen looked at her teasingly, wondering what excuses she would come up with. "Wow! That's strange. I was asleep, but when I woke up, I was here. Stephen, I might have stumbled into a time machine. Chloe acted mysteriously, then pressed close to Stephen and plunged into his arms. Meanwhile, she burst into laughter.

"That's so you. You are still so mischievous. That's the lamest excuse!" Stephen knew Chloe was very eloquent. She could always conjure up various excuses. Brielle's face went pale. At first, she was just curious why Stephen parked the car aside and ran out without saying anything. As a soldier, she sensed something had happened, so she followed Stephen out of the car. When she saw him running to that pretty girl.

She could tell that girl meant a lot to him. Anyone could see that he looked at this girl with caring and loving eyes. Brielle stood there quietly and watched them...at least until that girl fell into Stephen's arms. She kept consoling herself that the hug was just a signal of friendship. it represented nothing else. She told herself again and again, 'Brielle, you should trust Stephen. He will keep his promise.'