“Master!”
Grant Rocco shouted toward the door. Could it be that this man was Grant Rocco’s master?
No wonder. No wonder Grant Rocco came looking for him personally.
The hotel waiter felt like his worldview had just been turned upside down. He remembered that man. He had checked in with an incredibly beautiful woman. Back then, when the waiter saw them, he wondered if the woman was blind to be with a man like that.
The woman was stunning-so beautiful that other women would envy her, and men would feel they didn’t stand a chance.
But now, it seemed the woman wasn’t blind. This man clearly had a powerful background.
The waiter decided he had to inform the manager about all of this!
Kayden impatiently opened the door. As soon as Grant Rocco saw him, he grinned and said, “Master, I’ve got something important to tell you.”
“What is it? Speak.” Kayden didn’t hide his annoyance toward the bothersome man.
Grant Rocco glanced at the waiter, who instantly understood and tactfully walked away.
“Master, I saw your bodyguard walking with a man! That man wasn’t much to look at-bald, ugly, and kind of creepy. I don’t know if she was bewitched by some kind of dark magic,” Grant Rocco said hastily.
“A man? Bald?” Kayden repeated the key details.
“Yes, bald,” Grant Rocco confirmed. “He looked gross-fat and sleazy. I was driving when I saw them. I tried to follow, but I lost them.”
“Fine. Take me to where you lost them,” Kayden ordered.
Grant Rocco nodded and led Kayden out of the hotel.
In the car, Grant Rocco suddenly blinked playfully and asked, “Master, how’s it going with my mom?”
Kayden couldn’t help but glance back at him. The question was odd, to say the least.
Grant Rocco chuckled. “Yesterday, after my mom got home, she started singing! She looked like a young girl falling in love for the first time. I’ve never seen her like that before. There’s no doubt-she’s into you.”
“Hey!” Grant Rocco sighed deeply. “My dad’s been gone for ten years. My mom’s been alone all this time. She’s never let a man into her life. But with you, it’s different. I’ve got to hand it to you.”
Kayden shook his head in exasperation. “Your mom knows a lot of people, doesn’t she?”
Grant Rocco nodded. “Of course, she does. She’s the manager of the Rocco family! Plenty of men have tried chasing her, even when I was a kid. But she never gave them a second glance. If I hadn’t seen how she’s been acting recently, I’d have thought she didn’t like men at all.”
Kayden didn’t say anything more. It looked like he might need to meet Mrs. Rocco soon.
Before long, they arrived at the spot where Wood Faulkner had disappeared.
It was by a lake, not far from where Kayden had been staying.
“They vanished from here,” Grant Rocco said. “It only took a second, and they were gone.”
Kayden stood on the bridge, scanning the surroundings. The sky was already dark, making it hard to see clearly.
Just then, Kayden’s phone rang. It was Wood Faulkner calling.
He pressed the answer button, and Wood Faulkner’s voice came through. “Mr. Scott, where are you? When are you coming back?”
Back?
Had Wood Faulkner returned to the hotel?
Kayden hesitated for a moment. “Where are you? At the hotel?”
“Yes, I’m at the hotel,” Wood Faulkner replied. “I just went out to grab something to eat. Did you come back yet?”
Grab something to eat?
Grant Rocco had said he saw Wood Faulkner disappear here with a man. But now, she was calling to say she’d only gone out for food. Something wasn’t adding up.
“Alright, I’ll be back soon.”
With that, Kayden ended the call. This situation was strange.
But instead of overthinking it, Kayden told Grant Rocco to drive them back to the hotel.
Kayden had already confirmed with Grant Rocco that he had indeed seen Wood Faulkner with a man. She didn’t seem coerced-it looked voluntary. This naturally made Kayden think of the possibility of being drugged.
When they returned to the hotel, Wood Faulkner didn’t appear any different. She was the same as always. This raised the possibility that Grant Rocco had made a mistake. Of course, there was a slim chance that there could be another Wood Faulkner.
“Mr. Scott, Mr. Alfredson has woken up. He wants to see you. He said his grandson is getting married and would like to invite you.”
“Not interested,” Kayden replied curtly.
Then he turned to Wood Faulkner and ordered, “Take off your clothes and lie down.”
Wood Faulkner froze for a moment. “Huh?”
She quickly remembered the injury on her back and let out an “Oh.” She removed her clothes and turned her back to Kayden.
Kayden approached her and placed his hand on her back to sense her injury. The wound was still there, which made it more likely that Grant Rocco had been mistaken.
“Commander, your hands are so warm,” Wood Faulkner said suddenly.
Kayden took a deep breath. “What did you say earlier? The Alfredson family’s young master is getting married?”
Wood Faulkner struggled to keep up with Kayden’s abrupt change of topic. They had just been discussing something else, and now he had shifted to this. After a brief pause, she nodded and replied, “Yes, their… less capable son is getting married.”
“To whom? And when?”
“A young lady from the Steele family.”
–
Meanwhile, Ryder returned home and waited for news from his men about cutting off that guy’s hand. But after waiting a long time, there was no update. Feeling anxious, he tried calling them.
He called several times, but no one picked up. What was supposed to be good news had turned into frustration. Ryder couldn’t understand what was happening.
Finally, one of his calls connected.
“Damn it! I just asked you to chop off someone’s hand. What’s taking so long? Why couldn’t I reach you?”
The other end of the line was silent. The atmosphere grew tense and eerie.
“Hey! Are you deaf or mute? Talk! I told you to deal with that guy. Are you stupid?”
Still, there was silence-an unsettling silence.
After a long pause, laughter broke the silence. It was cold and menacing. Then a chilling voice spoke: “Mr. Steele, how are you?”
“Who are you?” Ryder demanded. This wasn’t the voice he was expecting.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is this: stay away from that man. He’s not someone you can mess with.”