Possessed No More: The True Star Returns to Claim Her Throne-Chapter 69: Probing

’Secretary Thorne thought to himself, Melanie Chenning might be the only child of the main branch of the Chenning Family, but Elder Chenning was the one in charge. The man was an old fuddy-duddy. Besides, the second branch of the family had two sons. Although one was only fifteen and the other just eight, who could say what the future held?’

’Didn’t President Sinclair take over the Sinclair Group from his aunt when he was just eighteen?’

’Three to five years can pass by in a flash.’

’Melanie Chenning?’ Riley Perry thought. ’Isn’t that the woman who was trending online with Cole Sinclair that one time?’

"Does she come here often?"

Secretary Thorne replied, "Not that often. She used to come for gatherings with friends occasionally, and after joining the Chennings, she’s come a few times to entertain clients."

After that, Riley Perry asked no more questions.

Riley had originally thought Secretary Thorne would take her to the bar, but that wasn’t the case. He led her on a tour, floor by floor, pausing for a while on each one. During their tour, she spotted several A-listers from the entertainment industry enjoying themselves.

On the 8th Floor, in room 812, the music was blaring and the atmosphere was electric. A waiter pushed the door open, leaned in close to Melanie Chenning, and whispered a few words. "They’re on the fourteenth floor now. Secretary Thorne is showing her around every floor. They’re definitely heading to the sixteenth floor next."

A smile instantly spread across Melanie Chenning’s face. She sent a generous tip to the waiter, and as soon as he left, she beckoned to a few of her rich-kid friends. "Who wants to go have some fun on the sixteenth floor?"

Clement Lee had been infatuated with Melanie Chenning for years and knew her inside and out. ’We were all suddenly called here for a party tonight, and now she wants to go to the sixteenth floor after a few words from a waiter? So, there’s someone on the sixteenth floor who’s caught her interest?’

"Sure, I’m itching for some action anyway. I’ve been slaving away for my dad lately and haven’t had a chance to get out and play in forever."

And so, Melanie Chenning and her group quickly made their way to the sixteenth-floor gambling hall.

...

Riley Perry was also led to the sixteenth floor by Secretary Thorne.

Upon seeing the bustling hall, Riley’s eyes lit up. She immediately took out her bank card. "Quick, help me get some chips. I never thought this place had such a great spot!"

"The boss said that all of Miss Perry’s expenses here are on him," Secretary Thorne said. "I can just get the chips for you. Our boss has plenty of money; it’d be a waste not to spend it. He spends at least nine figures a year on women. Considering the relationship between President Sinclair and our boss, a mere million is just a drop in the bucket."

"The fact that they’re good friends is their business. My relationship with Mr. Sinclair isn’t what you think it is. So, it’s better if I use my own card. Otherwise, I’d feel awkward."

The standard smile on Secretary Thorne’s face finally cracked. ’Not the kind of relationship they thought? Then what kind is it?’

’Could it be that Miss Perry is just President Sinclair’s date? Or... a mistress?’

’It’s true that people in the entertainment industry find themselves sponsors, but Miss Perry really doesn’t seem the type!’

’And why is she being so frank? Is she serious?’

"In that case, I’ll go get the chips for you, Miss Perry." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

While she waited for the chips, quite a few people cast appraising glances her way. She knew it was entirely because her looks were too eye-catching, and perhaps a few of them even recognized her, but she wasn’t the least bit scared.

Secretary Thorne had mentioned earlier that on the fourth floor and above at the Feast, no one was allowed to take pictures with any electronic device.

This was one of the main reasons for the club’s prestigious reputation.

The lowest-tier membership card required an annual fee of 100,000, and on top of that, the security measures were extremely strict. Even if reporters managed to sneak in, they would have no way of sending out any information they gathered.

One million in chips arrived quickly. Denominations of ten thousand, fifty thousand, and one hundred thousand didn’t amount to a very large pile on the tray.

Secretary Thorne wanted to take Riley Perry to a private room to play, where she wouldn’t have to worry about being disturbed. But after seeing that Melanie Chenning and her friends were also here, how could Riley possibly agree to go?

She deliberately chose a table closest to Table 8, sat down, and started to play.

In private room 808.

After Riley Perry left, Julian Fuller looked at Cole Sinclair with a probing expression. "Colt, are you serious about Riley Perry, or is this not long-term?"

’He hadn’t forgotten Cole Sinclair’s earlier introduction: "This is Riley Perry."’

’If she were his girlfriend, or someone he planned to marry, why would he introduce her to his friends so coldly, with just her name?’

Morgan Fisher and Ethan Page also stared at Cole Sinclair, waiting to hear his response.

"What do you mean, serious or not? Weren’t you guys the ones who advised me to get a mistress?"

Ethan Page thought, ’So you really went and got a mistress? You’re surprisingly obedient!’

Morgan Fisher shot Julian Fuller a look, his eyes clearly saying, ’See what you’ve done!’

"A contract mistress? The kind where you signed a contract?"

Cole Sinclair initially didn’t want to answer the question. He felt that if he actually said the words out loud, something he didn’t want to face would surely happen in the future. But these three were his best friends, so he still gave a nod.

Julian Fuller coughed, feeling strangely guilty. ’It seems I’ve been a bad influence on Colt.’

"So what exactly are your feelings for her?"

Cole Sinclair frowned. ’Feelings? What feelings? Theirs is a contractual relationship. She’s the little mistress he’s keeping. If feelings were to develop, the contract would have to be terminated early.’

’And, from the looks of it, once the contract is over, she... seems unwilling to renew with him. The thought filled him with a strange sense of irritation.’

Morgan Fisher reminded the three of them, "Don’t you all forget, Riley Perry is in the entertainment industry. Knowing his mother’s personality, she would never agree to Colt marrying a woman from the entertainment world."

Cole Sinclair unconsciously pressed his lips together. "Who said I’m going to marry her?"

’Given his situation, if he really married someone, wouldn’t he just be ruining her life?’

’He would never get married in this lifetime!’

Seeing his resistant expression, the other three men were smart enough not to press the issue.

’Colt’s situation was truly unique. If he couldn’t change his own mind, nothing anyone else said would matter.’

Just then, Julian Fuller’s phone rang. He glanced at it and saw it was a call from Secretary Thorne. He answered, "What’s up?"

"Boss, there’s a show to watch. Are you coming?"

Julian Fuller was surprised. ’What kind of show could there be while Secretary Thorne was giving Miss Perry a tour of the club?’

"Which floor?"

The moment he asked, he knew it was a stupid question, because he could already hear the sound of a casino dealer calling out, "No more bets."

"Sixteenth floor, Prosperity Hall."

"Is Miss Perry okay?"

Secretary Thorne glanced at the calm and composed Riley Perry, then replied to his boss with a grin, "Oh, her? She’s doing just fine."

After hanging up, Julian Fuller called out to his friends, "Let’s go, let’s go! To the sixteenth floor. Thorne says there’s a show to watch."

Cole Sinclair was already on his feet. The moment Julian had mentioned Riley Perry, he had started to worry his little mistress might get bullied. Even if no one dared to cause trouble on Julian’s territory, what if someone clueless started something?

The four of them quickly went up to the sixteenth floor. However, they didn’t enter Prosperity Hall. Instead, they went into the private room next to it. Julian Fuller had someone patch in the surveillance feed from the hall, setting them up for a close-up view of the action.