DING!

It was then that the hotel staff heard that elevator door opened. While Ingrid and Lance were so engrossed in their talk that they did not notice their arrival. He clenched his fist upon seeing Lance holding her hands but Ingrid wiggled out from his grip. And he overheard their conversation.

"What?? You were the man I was supposed to marry? Oh no..." he stopped in his tracks and prevented Gary and the staff to go over for the reason that he needed to listen to their conversation.

Clifford heard Lance explanation and he could bear it no longer that he instructed Gary what to do. Gary easily understood what he meant so without hesitation he steps out and made his entrance. But he stopped again when he heard her talking to Lance again.

"Was it also you who discovered where I was hiding?" Ingrid's voice now flaunts irritation. The man's head slightly lowered.

"Yes. I did it because I pitied your parents who were longing for you for so many years."

"You don't have the right to interfere, Mr. McNaught!"

"Please forgive me. But your parents have nothing to do with anything of this. It was my own initiative and mine alone." Ingrid fell silent and calming her raging emotions.

'hmm.. Ingrid, you are such a mystery to me. How I am so eager to break down those thick walls that you keep on building and s.h.i.+elding your self from. I need to know what made you to become like that.' Clifford is now determined more than ever.

All of a sudden they both felt someone is staring at them, they both looked at their direction and a man holding a bottle of expensive wine came into view and on his side was the hotel staff carrying a tray of three winegla.s.ses.

'Why three winegla.s.ses?' Ingrid thought about it. Gary cleared his throat before speaking.

"Mr. McNaught, Miss Howard, a courtesy wine from our very own CEO," there the tall, blue-eyed, fine-looking man came into view. His eyes looked only to her full with unknown and mysterious emotion can be seen in his eyes.

Ingrid's eyes widen when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"Good evening, Mr. Mcnaught, Miss Howard..."

"Good evening, Mr. Briggs." Lance said with seriousness in his voice and his tone.

"Aaahhhh... what a nice evening we have here..." he said it after he inhaled and filled his lungs with the cold air.

"May I ask what are you doing here?" it was Lance who asked.

"Didn't you tell them Gary?"

"I did, sir."

"I think Mr. McNaught here did not hear the reason of us being here." Still his gaze lingered on Ingrid who is still wide eyed and in daze.

"Ahh, yes. We are here tonight, Mr. McNaught out of the generosity of our CEO, Mr. Briggs to give you the hotel's most expensive wine. He is thankful that you chose our hotel for this romantic date." He said smiling. But when Clifford heard his last sentence, he glared at him, his eyes twitched.

'Oh no! I'm dead!' Gary knees wobbled.

"Oh, thank you. You can put it on the table, if you please." Lance motioned to put it to their table. Gary then looked to his master waiting for his instruction.

"Gary, kindly open the wine for us. So that we'll have a toast." Lance demeanour changed when he heard Clifford's direction.

"What do you mean by 'us', Mr. Briggs? Do you plan to join our dinner date?" his countenance started to get sour.