Luna was heartbroken, not because Cato tried to cheat her of her money, but because Cato would rather kidnap Helen than lay a finger on her even though she was basically offering herself up for him!
“Is there really so much difference between me and Helen?” she mused miserably even as she drank herself silly at the bar.
Meanwhile, Frank and Helen took a booth seat and were waiting for someone.
Around half an hour, Ned arrived. “Mr. Lawrence.”
He was no longer his meek self from before, and was brimming with energy even as he took a seat.
Seeing Helen sitting beside Frank right then, he asked hesitantly, “She’s…?”
“My ex-wife, Helen Lane,” Frank smiled as he made the introductions. “And I’ve asked you here because she needs a favor.”
“Ex-wife?” Ned appeared stunned for a moment, but got up and shook Helen’s hand politely. “You really are dazzling, Ms. Lane—I actually wondered for a moment if some top star graced this bar.”
Then, shooting Frank an upset look, he sighed in disappointment. “Honestly, you couldn’t even keep such a beautiful wife? You’re really losing your touch, Mr. Lawrence.”
“That’s not exactly true…”
Helen smiled exasperatedly, able to tell right away that Ned was as polite as he was humorous. “It was my mistake divorcing him in the first place—I really wouldn’t have done that otherwise.”
“Really?” Ned glanced between Frank and Helen, understanding that things were complicated between them right then.
Frank then turned to Helen. “This is Ned Janko. I heard his family is involved in construction and renovations, so he can help you with subcontracting.”
“Oh, that’s not an issue. Just leave it to me!” Ned patted his chest confidently, seeing that Frank was bringing him a business deal.
“Yes. So my granduncle is planning to build a mansion for his retirement. We’ve already acquired land, but the design and other details are to be decided. If there’s no issue…”
As Helen spoke, she took out the agreement from her briefcase and passed it to Ned.
“A mansion, huh?” Ned appeared interested, and chuckled. “Two billion? That’s a decent sum even here in Morhen. Well, you have nothing to worry about with Mr. Lawrence vouching for you—I’d actually do my best to help. That said, the budget…”
“It’s not enough?” Helen asked nervously.
She had no idea what influence Ned had, but judging from his mannerisms and the cut of his suit, he far outclassed Cato.
Even so, prices in Morhen might still be more expensive than other states…
“No, that’s not what I mean,” Ned waved her off and asked for a pen from a waiter, then crossed off the two billion and wrote down a billion instead.
He grinned as he looked at Helen’s stunned reaction. “Yeah. I just need a billion to build a mansion that you would definitely be satisfied with, along with the gardens and all… Oh, lakes and stables won’t be any issue either. Aside from that, what other interests would your granduncle have?”
The fact that Ned was asking for such finer details left Helen staring at Frank in shock and disbelief.
The man almost seemed too reliable, did he not?
“Oh, right!” Ned chuckled as he added, “My family will foot the bill for materials and construction service up front. You can pay everything at once after the acceptance test.”
