Chapter 178 Caroline’s Whereabouts
Alistair walked straight up to Gordon without hesitation.
Gordon’s assistant moved to intercept him but froze when he recognized Alistair’s face.
Gordon’s expression remained unreadable, his face cold and composed.
This wasn’t exactly the best time to approach him, but Alistair didn’t care.
Gordon stopped in his tracks and stared at him coolly.
It was the first time Gordon had ever looked him in the eye.
Alistair responded with a polite, courteous smile.
Gordon, face devoid of emotion, said flatly, “I’m not Caroline. You don’t need to smile at me like that.”
The implication was obvious. “Save your charm. Your little pretty–boy act doesn’t work on me.”
Alistair said nothing.
Gordon hadn’t bothered to sugarcoat it. His words hit like a slap in the face.
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Even the young assistant raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised Gordon would be that blunt.
Still smiling, Alistair replied, “My parents and teachers raised
me to be polite and pleasant to others. Even if you don’t appreciate it, I can’t just toss aside my manners.”
Gordon frowned, staring at him.
The assistant looked stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected Alistair to talk back.
Without another word, Alistair stepped into the express elevator and headed up to Vireon Technologies.
He wasn’t going to waste energy being warm to someone so cold, even if that someone was Gordon.
Julian was visibly surprised to see him. “What are you doing here? Carol didn’t tell you?”
Alistair glanced toward Caroline’s office.
Only then did Julian notice he wasn’t holding the usual Thermos.
“Ms. Ashbourne isn’t in,” Julian explained.
Alistair didn’t ask where she was. Instead, he asked why Julian
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wasn’t with her.
Normally, Julian accompanied her whenever she went out.
“She didn’t take me with her,” Julian said.
“She left alone?” Alistair asked.
Julian nodded.
“And Gordon? What’s he doing here?”
Julian froze.
Gordon had never said a word about Alistair, not in front of anyone. But that silence was telling in its own way. It sent a clear message that he didn’t approve of Alistair as his daughter’s husband.
Still, that wasn’t the real issue. The real issue was that Alistair had just referred to him by name. Casually. Like they were equals. The sound of it made Julian’s skin crawl.
He quickly ran through his memory. Caroline hadn’t told him to keep anything from Alistair, so he hesitated and then lowered his voice.
“He came to see Carol. Went straight to her office. I don’t know what they talked about.”
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Alistair finally asked the question he’d been holding in. “Did she say where she was going? Did she seem like she left in a hurry?”
Julian didn’t have any answers.
Still, it didn’t seem like it had anything to do with Gordon. When Caroline left, Gordon looked like he still had more to say but never got the chance.
Alistair walked into Caroline’s office and sat down alone for a few minutes. A strange sense of unease settled over him. He needed to know where she went.
He closed his eyes and started searching through the System Store, eventually landing on a useful item—“Real–Time Tracking.”
He bought it instantly.
To use “Real–Time Tracking,” he needed something that carried Caroline’s personal scent or trace.
Fortunately, he still had one of her hair ties around his wrist.
He pressed confirm, and a mental image formed instantly.
Caroline was driving.
Judging by the scenery through the car window, he was able to identify the route.
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He rushed downstairs and jumped into his own car to follow
her.
His license had come through, and he’d driven plenty of times already. His driving was steady.
Caroline had taken the car to a remote street in New York and parked in front of a nearly abandoned shopping plaza. She got out alone and walked toward the elevator to the second floor.
Alistair couldn’t shake the questions circling in his mind.
What is she doing here?
Is she in danger?
While waiting at a red light, Alistair quickly dialed her number.
She picked up.
Her face, which had been icy moments ago inside the elevator, softened slightly when she saw who was calling,
“Hey, babe?”
“Hey, I’m at your office right now. When are you coming back?” Alistair said, keeping his voice light.
The light turned green. He steered with one hand, guiding the
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car through the intersection.
“You came?” she asked, surprised.
office
“Yeah, I missed you. Figured it was better to wait at your than at home,” he said and then added playfully, “You’re not planning on being gone all afternoon, are you?”
Caroline glanced at the elevator panel. “I’ll be back in about two hours. If you’re bored, go lie down in the lounge for a bit. Take a nap. I’ll be there when you wake up.”
She didn’t sound like she was brushing him off. That put Alistair slightly at ease. “I slept like a baby last night,” he said. “I’ve got way too much energy to nap. I’ll stop by Yves‘ place, see how things are going.”
“Okay, go
ahead.”
The call ended just as Caroline reached her floor. The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out.
By the time Alistair arrived at the same plaza, Caroline had already opened a door and stepped inside, sitting down across from someone who clearly had been waiting.
It was a slender woman, frail and clearly unarmed.
There was no one else in the room.
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Alistair exhaled slightly in relief.
But not completely. He knew better than to judge by
appearances.
He parked the car farther away and approached on foot.
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The plaza had clearly seen better days. Business had dried up, and most of the shops were empty. Some areas didn’t even have lights. It was dark and deserted, like a ready–made crime scene.
Alistair found the door Caroline had gone through but didn’t enter. Instead, he stood in a dim corner nearby, watching the live feed in his mind. If anything went wrong, he was ready to charge in.
Fortunately, everything inside seemed normal.
The woman appeared to be in her fifties. Her face was gaunt, like someone who’d lived in chronic malnutrition.
Her face lit up as soon as she saw Caroline. She scrambled to make herself useful, asking if she wanted anything.
Caroline’s face stayed expressionless. “Cut the
onsense. Let’s
get to the point.”
The woman grinned, rubbing her hands together like a fly. “Ms. Ashbourne, you’re a powerful woman—
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“Thinking of cashing in on me?” Caroline cut her off with zero patience. “That depends on whether you’re actually worth anything.”
The woman didn’t waste time. She pulled out a thick file folder and handed it over.
Caroline skimmed through the contents. Her expression darkened.
“Ms. Ashbourne, I’m not greedy,” the woman said. “Give me this amount, and I’ll hand it all over. I’ll stay quiet. Like none of this ever happened.”
She held up five fingers.
Caroline gave her a frosty look. “Five what?”
“Five million dollars,” the woman said sweetly. “Come on, princess, you know exactly what this stuff is worth.”
Caroline’s voice turned even colder. “And who decided its worth? You?”
The woman looked smug. “You’re worth tens of billions of dollars, Ms. Ashbourne. Five million dollars to keep your man safe is a steal. I’m being generous here, you know? I could’ve asked for more.”
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