Chapter 261 Compensation

The mood inside the car was romantic. Phillip in the driver's seat, and K,

sitting next to him in the passenger's seat, were momentarily forgotten by

Norah and Sean.

Norah moved to the side and pressed something beneath her hand. When she lifted it up, she discovered it was a black robe.

She questioned, "Isn't this the black robe from Sacredice? How come there's something from Sacredice here in the car?"

The revelation surprised everyone else in the car.

K silently questioned Phillip, "Why didn't you remove the robe?"

Phillip responded with a helpless look. He had assumed Sean would use it, but they all got distracted when Norah called, leaving the robe forgotten.

Without any change in his expression, Sean took the robe and stashed it under the seat. "Remember those four bodyguards from Sacredice I assigned to you? My plan was to disguise as one of Sacredice to come and save you, which is why I had their robe."

Norah trusted his explanation. "I'm just relieved you didn't go through with that plan, or I would have been so worried."

Norah didn't know much about Sacredice. If she examined the black robe more closely, she might have noticed its unique significance.

"But if the black robes are so alike, how do members of Sacredice recognize each other?"

K answered, "The robes might look identical, but they're marked with a unique anti-counterfeiting symbol. Not just anyone in a black robe is associated with Sacredice."

That was right. If every person in a black robe was a member of Sacredice, Lochdeer would be in chaos.

The concern was understandable. Sean had even planned to disguise himself as a member of Sacredice.

"I've heard that Sacredice would take action against anyone misusing their name to commit deeds. Thankfully, you didn't succeed. Being marked by them would pose a far greater challenge than dealing with Breaker."

Impersonating one of Breaker might be resolved with money, but Sacredice operated on a different level. Norah understood that to set an example, Sacredice would not only reprimand those masquerading under their banner but also share the footage on forums to instill fear and respect towards Sacredice among others.

Seeing Norah's worried face, Sean offered a comforting smile without further comment.

He planned to gradually introduce Norah to the world of Sacredice.

Sean looked at her tenderly, caressing her wrist with affection.

Thankfully, Breaker hadn't injured Norah. Otherwise, as Sean had previously stated, he would expend every resource at Sacredice's disposal to eliminate Breaker.

Upon their arrival back at the hotel, they were welcomed by the hotel's manager.

"Welcome, esteemed guests. We regret the incident at our hotel entrance. Thankfully, you've returned safely. As a gesture of our apologies, the hotel has decided to cover all your expenses from now on."

From the moment he saw Norah and her companions, the hotel manager had been very respectful, anxious not to upset them.

Sean looked at the manager with a cold expression.

"A kidnapping right at your hotel entrance. What, is your security just for decoration?"

Sweat formed on the manager's forehead as panic set in.

Sean had reserved the entire top floor, intimidating the manager with just his presence, let alone his grievances about the hotel's attempt at making amends. It felt like the manager was just here to get yelled at.

The person in charge had just talked to Norah this afternoon. At this moment, she weakly leaned against Sean, with no expression on her face.

The manager explained weakly, "The security team... They didn't react on in time..."

By the time the manager heard the commotion and came down, Norah had already been abducted. It all happened so swiftly. Afterward, Sean had lingered at the hotel entrance before driving off.

It wasn't until now that Sean had returned.

The hotel's compensation scheme discussed was exactly what the person in charge had just said. He had no choice but to relay it to Sean as it was.

"Tomorrow morning, I expect to see real commitment from your hotel."

Sean's look sent shivers down the manager's spine. The pressure was immense.

In the elevator, Norah's curiosity got the better of her, so she asked, "Sean, if their apology doesn't please you, what will you do to the hotel?"

"I'll simply have Phillip buy the hotel."

Norah was stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter.

"Ha-ha."

She couldn't help but smile, realizing just how powerful her boyfriend was If he didn't like any company, he would simply buy it.

Norah's laughter caught Sean's attention. Her joy was radiant, lighting up her features. He cherished moments when she smiled like this.

Dinner was set up on the hotel's top floor by Phillip. As the elevator doors opened, the chef, Harvey, came out to present their meal.

Harvey was thrilled to see Norah but froze upon spotting the three formidable men with her, respectfully stepping aside.

Norah gave Harvey a brief look and continued following Sean.

"Are you hungry? Let's eat something."

Sean offered Norah a seat and sat close by after she did.

Exquisite dishes were spread out before them, yet Norah had no appetite at all.

The evening's intended romantic dinner had been spoiled by Breaker's interference, along with the staggering loss of thirty million dollars.

The mere thought of it filled Norah with irritation. How could she possibly think about eating?

Noticing Norah's disinterest, Sean thoughtfully sliced the steak into bite- sized pieces before sliding the plate back toward her.

"Try some."

Despite her initial reluctance, Norah was still hungry. The first taste of steak revealed the undeniable appeal of the meal.

Her empty stomach soon made itself known with a growl. Only after the flavors hit her did she begin to eat more eagerly, without needing any further encouragement from Sean.

At Silver Boulder Private Hospital

Holding a fruit basket, Susanna wondered whether she'd encounter Duncan during her visit to Joanna today.

The few times Susanna had been here, every time she'd run into Duncan taking care of Joanna. He'd prepare fruit slices and buy her treats. Susanna felt somewhat out of place standing to the side.

Dressed in a lovely white and pink dress, complete with a decorative pink

flower in her hair, she looked every bit the princess, her dress swaying

gracefully as she moved.

Who was that woman in the hallway that seemed so familiar?

Susanna paused, eyeing the corridor with a puzzled look.

The three stood there, with the woman at the center wearing a fitted white dress, bowing her head to listen to her parents' words.

If her memory served her right, this woman was the one who had disrupted Norah's marriage. Her name was Madeline.

Even though Madeline's actions led to Norah and Derek's separation, allowing Sean to step in, being the mistress was indefensible. This was an act that everyone should condemn.

The very notion of a mistress was hateful.

Susanna stuck her head out to have a look. Obstetrics and gynecology? Was Madeline here because she was pregnant?

"Madeline, we haven't even met Derek's parents. How come you're pregnant already?"

Rhoda felt that Madeline didn't live up to her expectations. Pregnancy < before formal family introductions placed a woman in a less favorable position.