Chapter 2

Nicholas Frost, Edward's personal assistant, looked alert as he saw his boss walking down the Quantum building corridor towards his office. Edward had returned from Indonesia a few months ago and decided to resume leading the Martin family's construction and mining company in London. Although he hadn't officially become the CEO, he was already busy with various complex tasks that needed to be completed.

Luckily, Edward had a capable assistant like Nicholas. Besides being intelligent, Nicholas was also highly loyal. He had made countless sacrifices to help advance the company's progress.

"Finally, you're here," greeted Nicholas as Edward stood in front of his office. "Mr. Hans has been waiting for you inside for nearly 30 minutes," he continued.

"Good Lord!" Edward whispered. "I forgot about my appointment with him this morning." He quickly entered the office and approached Hans, who was sitting on the sofa. The big-bodied man looked annoyed after waiting for him for so long.

"No wonder Mr. Alexander is reluctant to appoint you as the CEO," Hans said as he saw Edward settling down on the sofa. "You really don't value time, Ed," he added.

Rather than getting offended or angry, Edward laughed. He knew that Kenzi Osborn's personal bodyguard was genuinely irritated because of his forgetfulness about their appointment.

"I apologize, Hans. It was truly unintentional. I had too much on my mind and completely forgot about our meeting this morning," Edward sincerely apologized.

Hans shrugged. "Forget it. Let's get straight to the point now. What did you call me for? You know I have plenty of work to do. Not to mention the tasks from Kaivan are not easy to handle."

Edward understood exactly what Hans meant. He was Kaivan's right-hand man, just like Kenzi or Kenzi Osborn. Both of them often relied on Hans's ability to solve various problems. Due to his expertise, Edward was now interested in seeking help from the big man. Who knows, after this, the problems he faced might be resolved.

"I want you to investigate a woman named Chloe," Edward replied.

Hans furrowed his brow, staring at Edward as if demanding more explanation.

"Chloe? Is she your latest prey?" Hans asked casually. He spoke without any burden. "You're speaking as if I'm a womanizer, Hans," Edward felt offended.

"Everyone knows who you are, Sebastian Eduardo. So, which artist or model are you dating this time?" Hans retorted nonchalantly. It was no secret that Edward always dated actresses, models, or socialites from the same social class.

"I don't know. I think this woman is not an artist or a model. I'm just curious. Not... not..." Edward shook his head multiple times before continuing his sentence. "I'm not just curious; I really want to know who this woman really is."

Hearing this, Hans became even more puzzled. "Can't you tell the story clearly? How am I supposed to help you if you give me half-baked information like this?"

"The story is quite long, Hans," Edward sighed softly. He seemed reluctant to share the whole story with Hans.

"As long as a memory lane? I'm even ready to listen to it for you," Hans replied, undeterred.

Edward took a deep breath and changed his sitting position from leaning to sitting upright. He then focused his gaze on Hans.

"Well, a few days ago, I met a woman in Liverpool. All I know is her name is Chloe. I have no idea about her family background. Long story short, we had a one night stand. Unfortunately, she turned out to be a virgin. It's not my fault. She was heavily drunk, and even then, she seemed aggressive and took the lead in the act. For a virgin, she was quite skilled. I even felt like I was being raped, Hans."

"Uhukk..." Nicholas, who was standing not far from Edward, looked surprised and even coughed upon hearing his boss's story.

"For real, Ed!" Hans exclaimed. "There's no such thing as a woman raping a man. Especially if the man is you, a playboy." Hans shook his head.

"Good Lord, I'm telling the truth, Hans. I tried to stop her madness, but she didn't care. I could only submit to her control. Luckily, she's very beautiful."

Hans just chuckled and looked at Edward with a scrutinizing gaze. He was somewhat similar to Kaivan, claiming to be a playboy but never bringing women to his bed. Even more so for Edward, as a nobleman, he was very selective in choosing his dating partners. But after hearing Edward's recent confession, Hans became curious about who this Chloe really was. To make Edward surrender and break his own commitment.

"So, what's the problem? Is she pregnant? Asking for your responsibility? Setting you up? Or what?" Hans bombarded him without pause.

Edward sighed, preparing to answer. "Let alone asking for responsibility. I even offered her money, but she flat out refused it. She clearly stated that she's not interested in me at all. Can you imagine how I feel, huh?"

Instead of showing sympathy, Nicholas and Hans burst into laughter together. It seemed like Edward had lost his self-esteem. He was used to being adored by women, but this time he was not even noticed. It was truly a blow to his status as a handsome and wealthy man.

"I'm sorry, Ed. You must feel like you have no value. Imagine a woman who's not interested in the most handsome man in this country. Doesn't that sound ironic?" Hans teased openly.

Edward exhaled a long breath. He was truly frustrated now. Moreover, Hans and Nicholas were not helping but busy laughing at him.

"Oh, come on. I called you here for your help, Hans. Can't you be professional now?"

Hans stopped laughing, his face turning serious. "Alright... alright, forgive me. Now, I ask again, do you have a picture of her? I'll track her down today."

Edward shook his head in response. He didn't even have a picture, let alone her full name. Their encounter was very brief yesterday.

"So, you don't have a picture? Then how am I supposed to find her? I'm not a psychic who can guess, Ed."

Edward sighed softly. "I stayed at Kaivan's hotel in Liverpool yesterday. You can ask the hotel to show CCTV footage. Her face should be clearly visible there."

"Good Lord, you're crazy!" Hans exclaimed. "It's like you're asking me to work extra."

Edward responded to Hans's remark. "Come on, Hans. I know I can rely on you. You've unraveled mafia networks before. Now, I need you to find information about this woman. It's not much compared to your expertise. Don't worry; I'll pay you right away. Just name your price."

Everyone knew who Hans was and what his abilities were. He had been an elite force in the army unit for years before becoming Kenzi Osborn's most loyal bodyguard. He was skilled at tracking and uncovering secrets with ease. Somehow, Hans met Ferdy Osborn, Kenzi's father, and eventually became the most faithful protector of the Osborn family.

Hans leaned forward. "Okay, deal. Give me a maximum of 2x24 hours to find all the information. I'll contact you

Alexander Edgar Martin was enjoying green tea in the CEO's office. Today, he deliberately visited Edward because there was an important matter he wanted to discuss. Accompanied by his bodyguard, he waited calmly while reading a thick book he had brought along.

"Why did you suddenly visit me, Dad?" Edward asked as he entered his office.

Alexander lowered his reading glasses, closed the book he was holding, and looked at Edward, who was now seated in front of him.

"In the near future, I will hold a general shareholders' meeting. There, I will also announce the transfer of the CEO position. And the next step is to announce to the public who the newest CEO of Quantum will be."

Edward gazed closely at his father's face without saying a word. Alexander still looked healthy and fit at the age of fifty. Apart from maintaining a healthy diet, he regularly exercised. However, that was not what was on Edward's mind. When he thought about it again, Alexander was still capable of leading Quantum for another five or even ten years. So, why should Edward rush to replace him?

"I'm asking you to find a potential wife soon, Ed. One of the requirements to be a CEO is for the man to have a companion. If you can't find one yourself, don't blame me for arranging a match for you."

Edward was taken aback by his father's threat. "Why does it have to be this soon? I'm only 30 years old. Isn't it too young to get married at this age?"

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Then at what age do you want to get married? 40? 50? Or perhaps you're not even marriage material? Just pretending to be a playboy?"

Hearing the mockery coming from his own father, Edward sighed in exasperation. "Good Lord, what kind of father insults his own child like this? You should be proud to have a son as handsome as me, Mr. Alexander."

"Tsk, handsome but not marriage material, it's still useless. What's there to be proud of?" Alexander sneered.

"Oh, my God!" Edward shook his head in disbelief. "You're really insulting me, Dad."

"I don't care, Ed. You must find a potential wife by your mother's birthday party. I'll give you one month. If within that time, you still haven't brought me a prospective daughter-in-law, be prepared to accept whatever decision I make." Alexander was serious this time. He felt he could no longer postpone the transfer of the CEO position.

Meanwhile, Edward remained composed and looked at his father with an incredulous expression. Despite often speaking harsh words, Edward respected Alexander deeply. He had always been his role model and guide in making important decisions. No matter how harshly the old man spoke, Edward was never offended.

"I will try my best. Just pray that when I return, your handsome son will have found a good woman on the side of the road and will be willing to be a potential wife," Edward replied half-heartedly.

Alexander shrugged dramatically. "It's okay. You know, even though we come from a noble lineage, I'm not a picky man. Even if you pick up a woman from the side of the road, it's up to you. You're an adult, Ed. You can differentiate who's good for you and who's not."

Edward swallowed his saliva. Alexander's response had hit him hard. He was well aware that one of the requirements to be a CEO at Quantum was to be married. Of course, his father was concerned. How could he pass on the CEO position to Edward if he was still single until now?

Being too immersed in playing around, he considered marriage not essential. Until he didn't realize that he was no longer young. And now, he was getting into trouble.

Could Edward find a potential wife that met the criteria within a month? Shouldn't that be possible for someone of his Playboy stature?

Ah, suddenly he felt sorry for Richard now. The man was in the same situation as him. Having to find a companion within a month.

No, this wasn't just sorry. It was clearly Edward's karma. Because in the past, he and Kenzi provoked Aunt Cassandra to pressurize Richard to find a potential wife. Now, he felt déjà vu with what he had done in the past.