Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 365

They finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Edward opened the passenger door like a gentleman.

Rose hesitated for a moment. She looked at the driver’s seat and suggested. “Why don’t I drive?”

Her brother forbade her to drive since her last accident. Rose itched to get behind the wheel again.

Edward wanted to retuse when he met her gaze The shadow of the accident still haunted him to date.

He cleared his throat and said. “Let me drive. Il send you wherever you want to go.”

Edward did not want to risk his life, fearing Rose would get into another mishap. Just because he fell

out of love did not mean he wanted to commit suicide.

He went to the church to pray out of frustration; he had no intention of leaving the world behind just yet.

Rose looked somewhat disappointed, but it was Edward’s car, and he made the call. She understood a

car was like a man’s wife and did not blame him for being protective of his. She was at fault for asking

to drive in the first place. “All right, then Take me to Athana,” she said.

.

Edward understood Rose’s destination was not downtown Athana. He thought momentarily and said,

“Tm going to the pier to look for your brother. Do you want to come along? I can take you there if you

want”

Rose was glad Edward was headed in the same direction. She planned to go to the pier anyway and

realized Atlana was far away from where they were. In any case, she had lied once and did not want to

lose face further. Rose was not proud of herself for having a lousy sense of direction. She did not want

others to know her brother had arranged a car and designated a driver for her.

In fact, Edward already knew about it that day at the pier when Frank’s car stopped before him. He was

stunned

He had sat in the car for over seven hours and could recite the license plate with his eyes closed.

However, Rose came in a cab today. Therefore. Edward did not suspect anything

“Thanks for offering. It’s awkward to address you as Mr. Landor as if we’re from a different era. I think

you are cool. Now that we have shared a few secrets, why don’t we be buddies instead? You can treat

me like a hiro,” Rose suggested. Edward was taken aback.

He was at a loss for words and did not reply to Rose. He did not agree or reject her. Edward smiled,

thinking that Rose was erratic. No one would believe she attempted suicide previously.

Nevertheless, Edward admired Rose’s straightforwardness. She had no qualms about speaking her

mind.

Rose fought hard to stay awake in the car on their way to the pier. She nodded off, hit her head against

the window, and woke up startled.

Rose looked around in a daze. “Don’t mind me,” she said quickly. “Carry on driving

Edward was about to say, “Why don’t you sleep for a while?” But he decided not to, knowing Rose

would soon fall asleep at the rate she was nodding off

Edward drove quietly and kept his eyes on the road throughout the journey.

He glanced at Rose at the traffic light junction; the latter was fast asleep. He shook his head helplessly,

thinking Rose was as ignorant as Sherri, living carelessly.

Edward thought she was unassuming and trusted others too easily. She fell asleep in his car soundly

despite not knowing

him well.

Edward closed the windows thoughtfully, as no blanket was in the car. He had not driven it for a while

and did not equip it with the usual necessities for road trips. Moreover, he usually drove alone and did

not decorate the car with accessories. Edward then turned on the air conditioner and adjusted it to a

suitable temperature to prevent Rose from catching a cold. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Edward

picked it up immediately. He glanced at the traffic lights and then at Rose. He stepped on the

accelerator and answered the call softly, “Hello,”

Knowing Edward was always punctual for work, Kyle was curious on the other end of the line. He

wondered why his boss and good friend had not arrived at the office late in the morning. “Are you

taking the day off?” he asked

Edward continued in a low voice. “Didn’t you tell me to baptize my soul? Have you forgotten what you

said?”

Kyle was shocked. “You went to church this early in the morning?”

Edward’s voice was still low, “Yes.”

Kyle sensed that something was amiss. “Is there someone with you? A woman”” he speculated.

“Did God send for a woman to redeem you?” Kyle seeined to be inquisitive today, unlike his usual self

“Don’t you have work to do? I’m hanging up now”

Before Kyle could squeeze in another word, Edward hung up abruptly.

He finally arrived at the pier and stopped in the open spare front of Frank’s mobile office.

Rose was still in slumberland. Edward fch awkward to wake her up. He opened the door gently and

tiptoed out of the car to look for Frank

Meanwhile, Frank was busy working in his office and drawing something with a stack of documents.

Some of them were in Arillion,

He looked up when he heard Edward walk in. Then he lowered his head and took a pack of cigarettes

from the corner of the table. Frank took one out and tossed it at Edward. The latter swiftly caught it.

Frank put a cigarette between his lips, lit it up, and asked, “Do you need a light?”

Edward took out a lighter from his pocket. “I brought mine.”

He then in his cigarette and took a puff. “Miss Roberts is in the car.”

Frank pursed his lips and stared at him for a few seconds as if looking for an explanation.

Edward understood what he mean “Don’t misunderstand; it was just a comcidence. I gave her a ride”

he explained.

Frank wondered what happened to Rose’s bodyguard cum driver, Tom Why would she catch a ride

from Edward when she had her own transport? Frank thought his sister must be up to no good again.

Did Rose try to repay Edward’s kindness? Taking a ride in someone else’s car was not the appropriate

gesture.

Frank remained expressionless and did not get up immediately to get his sister out of the car. Instead,

he sat calmly on the chair and chatted with Edward about the arrival of the goods.

The two continued talking for a while; there was still no trace of Rose Frank thought his sister must still

be asleep in the car.

Meanwhile, Frank reminded Edward gently, “Mr. Landor, Rose is erratic and unpredictable. She may

even puzzle you with her behavior at times. Please don’t give her a ride the next time you see her

without a car”

His words were polite with a warning undertone. Edward was no fool, he understood Frank did not want

him to get close to his sister. Perhaps he feared that there was something between Rose and hirm.

Rose knew Edward fancied Natalie. Trevon knew it, too. Frank was also aware of it; he intended to

remind Edward gently.

Edward smiled. He took a drag on his rigarette, exhaled the smoke, and extinguished it in an ashtray

on Frank’s table. “Don’t worry, Mr. Roberts. I’m not interested in your sister. I’m sure you know there’s

only room for one in a person’s heart.”

Frank leaned back in his chair casually as he studied Edward. He gazed at the latter with sincere

gratitude. I’ll take good care of Rose. My apology to have troubled you today, Mr. Landor”

Edward suddenly thought of how that man stared at Rose in the church, his sly gaze filled with malice.

Since Sherri was Rose’s friend, Edward thought it was his duty to give Frank a heads-up. He told Frank

as the latter walked out of his office to fetch his sister.

“I suggest you keep an eye on Miss Roberts’s safety in the future. We bumped into her ex-boyfriend by

chance today. That guy did not look decent and kept bothering Miss Roberts intentionally. Thought I will

bring the incident to your attention

for her sake.”

Frank’s eyes darkened and turned cold. He thanked Edward politely. Thanks for your advice, Mr.

Landor. I’ll take the first delivery as a test run and waive the shipping fees,” he offered.

Frank was a clear-cut inan who differentiated gratitude from grudges distinctively. He did not like to owe

favors and preferred to keep matters above board in all his dealings. Therefore, he managed to keep

the Roberts family from unnecessary hassles for years.

Edward understood his intention. It was Frank’s gesture of repaying his kindness so he would not

expect any other gains. from the Roberts family in the future.

Aware that Frank wanted to draw the line, Edward accepted his offer graciously. “Thank you for your

generosity. Mr. Roberts,” he said sincerely.

“You’re most welcome,” said Frank

Then he strode toward Edward’s car. Frank pinched between his eyebrows and leaned against the car

door. He knocked on the window, there was no reply. Then he knocked again.

Frank swiftly opened the door and carried his sister out of the car. The sudden movement startled Rose

and woke her from her slumber.

She hugged her brother’s neck and exclaimed, “Oh my god, I’m flying!”

Frank gritted his teeth m disappointment. “I want to blast you to the moon if I could.”

Rose was fully awake at this point, aware of the surroundings. She realized she was in her brother’s

territory. She smiled obsequiously. “Hey, don’t you dare! I woke up too early in the morning and was

exhausted. By the way, I said a prayer for you and Ava in church,”

Frank lightened up when he heard that. He put Rose down unceremoniously. “Where’s the car I gave

you?”

Just then, Tom hurried over from afar. “Frank, I’m here! Tm here!”

Frank glared at Tom and understood what happened. Edward did not offer Rose a drive deliberately.

Rose was the one who did not want others to know she had a driver in the first place.

Rose leaned agamist Frank’s ear to butter him up. “Give me some face, Frank, on the account that I

prayed for you and Ava for a lasting relationship*

“Are you saying we won’t last if you didn’t pray for us? Frank asked sarcastically.

“Of course not! I merely tried to reinforce it more by applying another layer of glue on you both. You two

will be stuck together for eternity”

Rose lifted her chin and fawnrd at her brother, trying to please lum)

Edward was tickled silly by Rose’s acting skills, knowing she was putting on a show as her eyes

wandered.

Meanwhile, Kyle received Edward’s message and came to the pier to check on the goods. He saw a

few people chatting in an open place when he arrived.

Kyle saw Edward looking on at the siblings with interest. He had not seen such a look on his gloomy

boss for a while.

Frank grabbed the back of Rose’s neck and dragged her into lus office. He slammed the door behind

him and started to lecture her. “How did you meet him? Spit it out!”

Rose sat on the sofa, tired from climbing the mountain today. “In the church, of course! We met

coincidentally,” she said truthfully

“Don’t look at me like that, Frank. We did not contact each other beforehand. Aren’t you a computer

expert? Why don’t you check if you don’t believe me?”

Frank would not stoop so low as to invade his sister’s privacy; that was his bottom line. Otherwise, the

bodyguards would have reported on her every move with such access,

Frank softened his tone Tve already extended some benefits to Landor Group for our cooperation. Its

shipping fees are lower than other companies as a gesture to repay Edward’s kindness. Stay away

from him from now on. He’s not suitable for you!”

Although Frank trusted his sister, he looked at things from a man’s perspective. Edward Landor’s

gentle disposition could make others easily fall for him unknowingly. He was not sure his sister would

always have a clear mind when it came to matters of the heart

If Edward did not fancy Trevon’s wife, Frank would not have interfered with his sister’s relationship in

such an authoritative manner. However, knowing that Edward’s heart already belonged to someone

else, he could not let his sister be a third

party

Rose was stunned. Frank’s words meant nothing to her as she had no feelings for Edward. “Frank, do

you think everyone else is in a relationship just because you’re in one, huh? Edward and 1 are more

like bros. We have no romantic notions for each other

“Let me tell you something else, Frank. Edward admitted liking Natalie to me today. I want to keep it a

secret, but you already know. Therefore, I didn’t leak a secret after all. Anyway, don’t you worry! I don’t

like him, and he doesn’t like me.” Rose spilled her guts.

Frank gave Rose a disdainful look and reminded her again. “You’re no superwoman and can’t fix the

world of its ills, let alone fill the gap in Edward’s heart. Don’t get involved in something you cannot

manage.”

“Don’t overestimate me, Frank. I’m not that great. I’m quite comfortable being alone.

“I don’t have the halo of the Virgin Mary, and I cannot perform miracles. Don’t get so worked up over

nothing”

Rose looked like she meant every word she said. Moreover, Frank could tell if his sister lied. She would

try desperately to change the topic and wave her hands frantically whenever she felt guilty. Rose did

not display any telltale signs this time

around.

Therefore, Frank did not bother with his sister’s self-pity.