“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.”
“Asking for payment after you finished construction? What even is this godly business?”
Helen could hardly believe that there was a subcontractor company that was this reliable.
Did Ned not care that he might not be paid?
Seemingly seeing Helen’s confusion, Ned smiled. “I understand that you might be confused, but I can tell you that it’s Mr. Lawrence’s character that I trust. His judgment is above question, and he vouches for you—not to mention that you’re his ex-wife. And given my partnership with Mr. Lawrence, a billion is really nothing. Hell, I wouldn’t mind footing ten!”
Helen’s mouth was hanging wide open, understanding profoundly how reliable Frank was just then.
“In that case, I must thank you before all else,” she exclaimed, ready to bow.
Ned quickly stopped her, chuckling. “Please, Ms. Lane! No need to get so formal on my account… but I must ask, when will you be remarrying? Do inform me, Mr. Lawrence. I’ll definitely be there for the ceremony.”
“You’d be invited, don’t worry.” Frank smiled.
He was grateful toward Ned too—the man was a real friend.
“Huh? What was that?”
That was when a drunk Luna wobbled up to their booth seating, her cheeks flushed from alcohol. She planted herself beside Ned, grabbing his arm as she mumbled, “Your name is… Ned Janko?”
“Guilty as charged,” Ned was repulsed by the rotund, drunk woman but refrained from snapping right then since he could see that Luna knew Frank and Helen.
He politely pulled his arm out of Luna’s grasp and kept his distance, when Luna suddenly laughed out loud, still holding on to her bottle.
“What’s so funny, Luna?” Helen was obviously upset—they were here on business, but Luna had to embarrass them with her sorry state.
“Oh, nothing…” Luna pointed at Frank’s as she laughed, while sneering at Helen. “So this is the subcontractor Frank introduced to you? Ned Janko, Ciril Janko’s second son?”
Ned looked up, scowling. “What, do you have a problem with me, lady?”
“No, of course not,” Luna shook her head and snickered at Helen, “I’d never dare mess with Ciril Janko’s second son. I’m just being sympathetic to a willful victim of a scam!”
“Scam?” Helen gaped in shock.
“What scam?” Frank was actually curious as to what the woman would say too, especially now when she was drunk and incoherent.
“You’re being scammed, Helen!”
Luna pointed at Frank smugly as if she had won, her tone then changing sharply as she said, “I’ve done my homework before I came to the city, y’know. The Four Families of Morhen each control a different field in the country—military, business, martial arts, and showbiz.”
