Chapter 735
The warmth filling the kitchen gradually vanished the moment Liu arrived wearing that tense expression and asked to speak with Cale privately.
Cale rose from his chair immediately without asking any further questions. The relaxed look he had moments ago slowly turned cold, and without anyone realizing it, the atmosphere around them shifted with him.
“I’ll be back,” he said briefly to Lydia.
Lydia nodded softly, though unease had already begun creeping into her chest.
Naomi, meanwhile, watched everything in silence. Just a few minutes ago, she had finally started to feel comfortable, but now the mansion once again felt suffocating, as if pressure were closing in on her from every direction.
“Is… everything going to be okay?” Naomi asked quietly.
The question made Lydia immediately move closer and wrap an arm around her. “Don’t worry. Trust Cale. He knows what he’s doing. Besides, it might not even have anything to do with you.’
Naomi looked at her uncertainly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Lydia nodded right away. “If you’d gone with me to Cale’s office earlier, you would’ve seen how busy he is. I’m sure Liu probably brought work that needs to be handled immediately.”
“I hope so,” Naomi murmured, lowering her head helplessly. “I just… don’t want to make Mr. Miller’s life even harder.”
“Instead of worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, we should finish cooking first. That way we can bring dinner to Cale’s study.”
A small smile slowly appeared on Naomi’s face, and she nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Cale and Liu were already striding quickly toward the study on the second floor. The moment the door closed behind them, the atmosphere turned immediately serious.
Liu wasted no time placing several documents on top of Cale’s large desk. Before Cale could even ask what had happened, Liu spoke first.
“We found a name that looks highly suspicious,” he said.
Cale lowered himself slowly into his chair. “Who?”
“He’s one of Zhao Hua’s core alliance members.” Liu opened one of the files. “Some of his trusted men are suspected of welcoming Don Falcon when he arrived in Hong Kong not long ago.”
Cale’s gaze hardened instantly. “That explains why he didn’t show up at my office today.”
The study was illuminated by dim golden lighting that cast long shadows against the walls. Beyond the massive windows, the night looked calm, the city lights glittering far below in the distance. But inside the room, the pressure only seemed to grow heavier.
“They’re moving in a very unexpected direction,” Cale murmured quietly.
Liu nodded. “News about Miss Naomi spread much faster than we anticipated. And all of it traces back to Don Falcon… along with information from Zhao Hua.”
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Cale leaned back slowly in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk while his thoughts moved rapidly, connecting one piece after another.
Falcon and the old Chen family alliance led by Zhao Hua.
The man had suddenly gone quiet, waiting to see what Cale would do next. Cale was certain Zhao Hua was already arranging something dirty connected to Naomi’s presence in Hong Kong.
And the fact that she was under his protection.
“Someone deliberately manipulated this situation,” Cale said in a low voice. “They wanted Naomi’s existence exposed to everyone before I had the chance to take control of things.”
Liu appeared to agree. “If that’s the case, then they’re probably hoping conflict between the alliances erupts sooner,” he said carefully. “And they want people questioning your ability to keep everything under control.”
“Or…” Cale’s gaze darkened even further. “They’re trying to lure me out.”
Silence followed.
Neither of them spoke again, both sinking into their own thoughts, until Liu’s phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the screen immediately, and his expression shifted at once.
Daniel’s name flashed there.
“Excuse me for a moment.” Liu accepted the call right away. But after listening for only a few seconds, the tension slowly returned to his face.
Cale noticed instantly. “What is it?”
Liu lowered the phone slowly. “Someone tried to approach the mansion through the back route.”
Cale’s eyes turned ice-cold immediately. “Has it been handled?”
“Yes, Mr. Miller. Daniel already detained the person.” Liu drew a short breath. “But he said the man appears to be nothing more than a distraction.”
Cale stood up at once, his chair scraping harshly against the floor behind him.
“Tighten security on every entrance,” he ordered sharply. “Increase guards around the back garden and near Lydia and Naomi’s rooms. Starting tonight, I want them under the highest level of surveillance at all times.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And don’t let a single stranger get anywhere near this place tonight.”
Liu immediately began contacting several people through his communication device.
Outside the study, the sound of guards moving quickly through the mansion corridors soon echoed in every direction. The atmosphere that had once been calm shifted into something far more alert within minutes.
Lydia, who still hadn’t gone to sleep, stepped out of her room the moment she heard the hurried footsteps outside. Earlier, she had wanted to bring dinner to Cale, but the discussion between him and Liu had seemed far too serious, making her decide against interrupting them. Instead, she had eaten with Naomi and encouraged the girl to rest early.