This was a place similar to a warehouse, and Jane couldn’t imagine why Patrick kept several people here.
Seemingly imprisoned for a while, these people’s eyes lit up with hope upon seeing Patrick, each pleading to be released.
Jane looked around and quickly noticed someone in the corner.
A young man, slender, with somewhat long hair almost covering his eyes, completely out of place among the swollen-faced men around.
Sensing Jane’s gaze, the young man raised his head and smiled at her.
Jane’s eyes flickered, and she turned to Patrick. “Is it him?”
Patrick, who had noticed the young man earlier, nodded. Among these people, only this young man recognized him.
It was him who informed Patrick about some collaboration targets of their organization.
Patrick raised his hand, and the bodyguard behind him immediately brought the young man in front of Patrick. However, unlike last time, this time the young man’s gaze remained on Jane’s face.
He had a faint smile on his lips, giving off a strange vibe.
As if they were close friends for many years.
“You should know why I’ve come to find you,” Patrick said coldly.
However, the young man ignored Patrick and turned to Jane. “I know you, Jane.”
Jane raised an eyebrow. “Many people know me, but I know only a few. So, using the term ‘know’ might be a bit misleading.”
Hearing this, the young man chuckled, adding a few more degrees of strangeness to his already gloomy expression. “Then let me introduce myself. I’m Tristian Duncan.”
Upon hearing this name, Jane recalled for a moment and spoke slowly, “I’m not interested in these things.”
“Why are you looking for me? I’m just an ordinary citizen. What you’re doing here counts as illegal detention.” Tristian wore an innocent and submissive expression, making it really challenging to link him to any criminal organization.
“What is that thing? What did you do when Patrick came to find you?” Jane crossed her arms, staring directly at Tristian. This person in front of her gave her a faint sense of danger.
However, Tristian blinked and remained silent.
Amber, who hated people playing mysterious, stepped forward and spoke coldly, “If you don’t want to talk, I have a hundred ways to make you talk.”
“Miss, you’re so beautiful but so fierce. Are you single?” Tristian interjected with a smirk.
Tristian teased Amber intentionally, but before she could react, he turned to Jane. “Looking at Jane again, gentle and beautiful. She must have a boyfriend.”
Amber twisted her wrist and was about to say something when Jane stopped her with a hand gesture. “Maybe we can talk alone,” she said with a smile.
Tristian heard this and smiled even wider. “Sure.”
Patrick saw what was happening and pulled on Jane’s arm, clearly not wanting any further interaction with Tristian.
But Jane shook her head and whispered, “I feel like Mr. Duncan has a lot to say to me.”
Tristian listened and his smile grew brighter. “I just love people like Miss North – beautiful and gentle.”
“Perhaps I really am as gentle as you say,” said Jane as she raised her hand for someone to take Tristian into another room. The bodyguard tried to follow but was stopped by Jane.
Patrick remained silent, his gaze fixed firmly on Jane. Seeing this, Jane reassured him with a comforting look.
“Don’t worry; I’ll be fine.”
With that, Jane entered the room.
Tristian was bound to a chair, his body swaying slightly as if trying to find a way to untie the ropes. When Jane entered, he showed no reaction, continuing his attempts.
“He’s really a strange person,” Jane commented as she took a seat and observed Tristian with her arms crossed.
Hearing this, Tristian stopped struggling and looked up at Jane. “Is that so? People have said that about me since I was little, but I don’t feel that way.”
As if recalling something, Tristian’s lips curled into a smile.
“Because those people are just too foolish.”
Jane raised her eyes but didn’t say anything. When she noticed Tristian’s gaze on her neck, she made no attempt to conceal it.
She wanted to see what he would say next.
“You’re still following Patrick even though things are like this? Aren’t you afraid he’ll strangle you in your sleep?”
Though his expression seemed exaggerated it appeared comical in Jane’s eyes.
“So, what did you use?” Jane stood up and approached Tristian.
“Jane, you’re quite bold, getting so close to me. Aren’t you afraid I might do something to you?” Tristian’s eyes flickered.
“I’m actually curious,” Jane squinted, observing Tristian’s expression. “You’re different from the others; you took the initiative to come here.”
Jane remembered clearly that she hadn’t encountered Tristian during the café incident. However, he was initially present there and had a change of heart for some reason.
“Your purpose is Patrick, Pansy Group, or perhaps…” Jane paused, standing upright and parting her red lips, “perhaps you want to use us to get rid of something, like the Duncan family’s Duncan Group?”
As these words were spoken, Tristian’s pupils contracted for a moment, captured by Jane.
“You must be the illegitimate child of the Duncan family.”
In fact, Jane’s deduction was merely a guess. She had heard from her grandfather that the Duncan family was the most chaotic among those families, full of power struggles, with almost everyone engaging in internal strife. Years ago, there was a scandal involving an illegitimate child of the Duncan family’s head, causing quite a stir.
Although her grandfather paid little attention to such chaotic affairs, he had mentioned it casually to Jane before. It was just a bold speculation that unexpectedly turned out to be accurate.
Tristian remained silent, but his facial expression became increasingly peculiar.
“You don’t have to deny it. Patrick probably has found out your identity by now. Should we bring him in to ask?” Jane said nonchalantly.
“Jane, I’m starting to like you more and more. How about not marrying Patrick?” Tristian lifted his head, smiling.
“So, what is it? What did you do?” Jane got back to the point.
“Well, since you’re so clever, you can guess everything. Why not try guessing what I did?” Tristian lounged lazily in the chair, swaying his body. “If you get it right, there might be a reward.”
Jane pondered for a moment but couldn’t come up with any ideas. After all, she and Patrick had been together, and whatever Tristian did, she would have been exposed to it as well. It didn’t make sense for only Patrick to react.