Whispers of Destiny: His Belated Love

Maxwell clammed up, shooting her a look that screamed she was "playing dumb".

Rosemary, "No way!"

Like hell she'd let him stay here!

"10 grand for one night."

"No dice, who knows what you're scheming."

"Where do you get the nerve to think I have designs on you?"

Rosemary couldn't help but think back on some sour memories, and with pouting lips, she said, "No can do."

She was already mulling over taking this to court, thinking about splitting for two years and then getting an automatic divorce decree.

Maxwell, with a stone-cold face, grumbled, "Mom's caught wind of our separation."

"That's still a no-go."

"100 grand."

"Cash up front every night, no checks, wire transfer only."

Rosemary flipped her stance faster than a weathervane in a tornado, gritting her teeth as she agreed. She couldn't help it; the offer was just too good to pass up.

In the few seconds he was speechless, Rosemary had already whipped out her bank card and thrust it at him.

He glanced at it and looked away, "Can't be bothered; just text me the details."

Half in doubt, Rosemary unblocked then sent him her account info, and minutes later, she got a text confirming 100 grand had been deposited.

Maxwell's eyes landed on her finger, which was poised to block him again, and he growled a warning, "If I find out you've blocked me again, you can kiss the rest of the money goodbye."

Rosemary sheepishly retracted her hand and stood up, "Goodnight."

By the time Maxwell caught the hint, the bedroom door had slammed shut and was locked from the inside!

She had thought Maxwell would make a fuss about moving in, but surprisingly, the night passed without incident.

The next day, off he went on a business trip. Rosemary didn't care how long he'd be gone; she was just focused on that daily 100 grand hitting her account.

Soon enough, the word about her helping Nelson with the appraisal spread like wildfire in their circles.

That day, she hit the Night Club, gave the server the room number, and got whisked up to the fifth floor.

Somebody had rung her up the day before, said his dad was there during the appraisal and was super impressed with Rosemary's skills. They wanted her to take a look at something they had.

Rosemary initially refused; appraisals weren't really her gig, but they named a price she couldn't turn down.

The room was crowded, but the lights were normal, nothing shady about the atmosphere or the crowd's behavior.

Scanning the room, she recognized a few faces. The middle-aged man in the center stood up immediately when he saw her, bowing slightly, "Ms. Chambers."

That level of reverence almost unbelievable.

"Darren?"

Darren nodded eagerly, clearing the prime spot for Rosemary, "After hearing from my dad about how Ms. Chambers helped Mr. Gellar with his appraisal, I wanted to ask for your help too. I just didn't want to impose, so I waited until last night to contact you."

Being pals with Nelson meant they were loaded, always looking down from the clouds. His respect for Rosemary was largely because he'd heard she was Mrs. Templeton and was trying to cozy up to the Templeton family.

Rosemary didn't bother with Darren's motives and simply said, "Let's see the item."

Darren carefully presented a rosewood carved box; inside were a pair of jadeite earrings, "A debtor gave them to me; claimed they're a family heirloom."

Rosemary inspected them - the jadeite was clear, valuable for sure, but hardly an antique. She put the earrings back, "Darren, the jadeite's top-notch. Keep it in good shape, and who knows, it might become an antique someday."

Darren didn't really care about their antiquity; the earrings were just his way of getting a foot in the door with Rosemary. Now he had to feign disappointment, "Looks like I've been had."

After getting paid for the appraisal, Rosemary was ready to bounce, but Darren tried to keep her there, "Ms. Chambers, since you're here, why not stay a bit longer? My daughter's been studying art since she was young and admires your field."

After that, he tossed a look at a young lady nearby. He'd been trying to get chummy with Rosemary, but she wasn't biting, and he couldn't just throw money at her like he would with others, so he switched tactics.

The girl was all friendly smiles, dimples and all, "Rosemary, stay a bit longer; let's go pick some songs. I'm a junior at Greenwood University's art department. Can I join your line of work after I graduate?"

Rosemary replied, "You could try applying at a museum."

Talent was scarce in their field; if someone wanted in, she was happy to point them in the right direction.

"Any special requirements? Like, do I have to know antiques?" Before Rosemary could respond, she found herself being dragged to the karaoke console, "What song do you want, Rosemary? I can pick for you."

"No, I'm good."

She was about to decline when the door opened. Rosemary raised an eyebrow at the two people who walked in. Talked about a small world - she knew them both, quite well at that.

Victoria and her agent - clearly, they were here for Darren. Tracy flashed a sickly sweet smile, none of her usual arrogance in front of Rosemary, "Darren, I thought I saw you, and sure enough, it was you."

While talking, she was busy pitching Victoria, "Victoria is hands down the best dancer in the country. You investing in our dance troupe is a sure bet."

"The best dancer?" Darren's eyes flickered. He'd heard that Rosemary and Victoria weren't exactly chums, so he saw a chance to score some points with Rosemary, "Well, we've gotta see her dance to know for sure."

Tracy uttered, "Victoria’s show is on the 9th of this month, and I'll have someone hook you up with VIP."

Darren cut her off, "Everyone's already here; why bother chasing rainbows? Let's just see some moves right here. If she's really got the moves, then I might think about forking over some investment cash."

Before Tracy could say a word, Victoria firmly rejected, "No way, I'll never dance in a place like this."

Dancing in a nightclub? What did that make her? Some kind of private room princess just to please the guys?

Darren's face darkened, "What's the matter, you got a nail in your foot here? People dance on the streets; you think you're too good or you got one leg up on them?"

Rosemary had never seen a guy who could dish it out like this; she couldn't help but take a couple more glances at Darren.

Feeling her admiring gaze, Darren was convinced he was on the right track, about to hit the big time, so he looked at Victoria with growing impatience, "Dance or get lost; I'm not here to throw my money away, sponsoring some high and mighty act!"

Victoria, with her high standards, certainly couldn't take this kind of insult. She was about to storm off but Tracy quickly grabbed her, "Victoria."

She pulled Victoria aside and whispered, "Just pretend this place is the Grand Theater or the Havenbrook Dance Theater. Without new investment, our fledgling dance troupe is gonna fall apart."

As speaking, Tracy sighed wearily; if only Victoria hadn't insisted on returning to her home country, or if she could have landed Maxwell, they wouldn't be in such a tight spot.

This was undoubtedly the most humiliating dance for Victoria. Not only was the venue a dump, but the audience was a bunch of philistines who didn't know art from a hole in the ground.

And to top it off, in the middle of a spin, she caught sight of Rosemary seated in a corner. Rosemary was watching her dance with a detached gaze, as if she was just looking at a street performer.

Victoria stiffened, abruptly stopping her motion, and then called out to the woman in the corner, "Rosemary, we've known each other for a while; are you just going to stand by and watch me get humiliated?"

Rosemary's response was indifferent, "If that's how you see it, I actually feel sorry for Darren. You shop around even for one-buck pair of flip-flops, and you're calling it humiliation to show a little of your craft for an investment worth hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions? Maybe you should just quit chasing investments and get out of the scene altogether. And don't try to guilt-trip me, whether you're humiliated or not is none of my business. I'm not your mom to care whether you're being bullied or not."

Tracy noticed Darren's changing expression and jumped in, "Ms. Chambers, if you're being so harsh because Mr. Templeton has got Victoria's back, there's really no need. If Victoria was looking to ride on Mr. Templeton's coattails, she wouldn't be here seeking investment herself."

With this, Tracy not only tried to drive a wedge between Rosemary and Maxwell but also hinted to Darren that Victoria was Mr. Templeton's woman, and he better get his head straight about who to

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Just then, the closed door of the private room swung open again, and in walked Maxwell, cool as a cucumber. His eyes swept over everyone before finally resting on Rosemary.