Female Novel
Chapter 1338
Tyler's instinct kicked in at the moment he got the assignment from Ian—not to let anyone within his
circle slip by unnoticed.
His gaze casually swept over Phelps's face, catching a full view only when the man turned his head
slightly.
Nothing on his right ear.
He exhaled in relief. Lately, whenever he was around Phelps, something felt off.
Phelps claimed that the stress of surgery sometimes drove him to smoke a cigarette, but now, even
without the scalpel in hand, he was puffing away like a seasoned pro.
Phelps seemed oblivious to Tyler's prying eyes, leisurely finishing his cigarette and flicking the butt into
a nearby trash can.
"Tyler, did you use the melatonin I gave you?"
"Not yet. Been up all night writing the script; can't afford to sleep too deep. Might need to burn the
midnight oil if inspiration strikes. But tonight, the script's done, I'll use it when I get home."
"Good, remember to get some rest."
Phelps's kindness had a different flavor than Eric's. If Eric was like a gentle spring brook, Phelps was
the comforting warmth of a hearth.
Tyler had been swamped with his script-writing and now felt the weariness creeping in. Yet tonight, he
had plans for a round of drinks.
He couldn't afford downtime; it would only bring back memories of Fitch. Just seeing that black and
white profile picture made him feel suffocated.
He patted Phelps on the shoulder and strode away with a purpose.
Phelps stood there, watching his departure, an eyebrow arched ever so slightly.
After a riotous time at the bar, Tyler returned to his villa. He glanced at the bottle of melatonin on his
nightstand.
Taking one pill out, he was about to swallow it when a spark of recollection flashed through his mind.
Memories surged back to a few years ago, when Ian was being pressured by his family to marry.
He hang around with a group of friends in a bar and the topic went to their future marriage and
prospective brides.
Tyler, ever the playboy, boasted to others.
"See this mole on the tip of my nose? It’s a wanderer’s mole. I'm not cut out for marriage. Plus, no one
in my family will press me on it. I'm destined to have my fun with the pretty ladies for life."
Jeers filled the room. Ian was deeply troubled that day, wrestling with his family over marriage. Thinking
of Holden asked him to wed a stranger, Ian sat sulking in a corner, not in the mood to engage in their
banter.
Tyler, tactful as ever, didn't disturb him, instead he commented on a wealthy heir's mole.
"That mole on your finger? Not a good sign, my friend. It suggests a leak in fortune. Be careful, or your
family might hit bankruptcy."
Interest sparked in the room, and several people asked Tyler to examine their moles.
Phelps was there too, not keen on joining such frivolous discussions, he just sat there sipping his drinknovelbin
quietly as usual.
Someone chimed in at that moment.
"Tyler, quit your boasting. Why don't you read Phelps's mole? It's quite unique, right on the earlobe,
and it’s red. Could it mean a dangerously charming love life?"
Tyler glanced at the speaker and waved him off.
"Come on. A love-life mole is on my nose, like this! Get it?"
The incident seemed trivial. After all, Tyler had hit countless bars and boasted to his playboy pals more
times than he could count.
So when Ian mentioned the person with the red mole on their ear, Tyler never connected it to that little
episode.
But now, struck by the memory, he froze.
Back then, he'd taken it as a mere joke and hadn’t bothered to inspect Phelps's ear closely.
And today, Phelps's earlobe was decidedly unmarked.
Was it really just a jest?
Though a rogue, Tyler was cautious by nature.
He put the pill back in the bottle and furrowed.
After a while, he took the bottle downstairs and handed it to a friend from another hospital to get it
tested.
Tyler's complexion was ashen as he gave his instructions, dreading the possibility that his suspicions
might be true.
Such a truth was too horrifying to face, and he was nowhere near ready to accept it.