Chapter 250

Chapter 250

Charles's hand froze mid-stroke, his pen hovering above the paper. He looked up at Sean, leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a grave tone.

"He talked? Who's pulling his strings?"

"The guy's slick. He never gave Roy his real identity."

Sean frowned, frustration creeping into his voice.

"Roy just said some stranger approached him privately. He offered him a deal he couldn't refuse—wait for a chance to corner Ms. Windsor and rough her up a little. Nothing fatal. Just enough to teach her a lesson."

Charles's grip tightened instantly. The pen tip gouged a deep line across the paper as icy fury flashed in his eyes.

The target was crystal clear. This was a deliberate attack on Emily. Vicious and calculated.

"Did Roy describe what the guy looked like?"

Charles forced down his rage, focusing on the critical details.

"Yeah, he remembered pretty clearly."

Sean nodded, reciting Roy's statement word for word.

"Roy said the guy looked to be in his mid-twenties. Tall, well-built. Handsome, but cold. Dressed expensively—designer everything. Obviously rich. Spoke with a slight foreign accent. But here's the kicker—he had pale green eyes."

"Pale green eyes!"

The words hit Charles like a lightning bolt. His pupils contracted sharply. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet.

The description matched perfectly. That man from last night's gala at the Patel estate—Delbert. Those unsettling green eyes, cold and hostile. At the time, Charles had found him oddly familiar and disturbing. Now, with Roy's testimony, every suspicion pointed straight at Delbert.

"It's him. I knew it."

Charles muttered under his breath, certainty hardening his tone. His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fist.

"Last night at the party. The man who approached Emily. His name's Delbert."

"Delbert?"

Sean's frown deepened. He immediately pulled out his phone, ready to pull up intel.

"I'll have someone dig into his background right away. Figure out who the hell he is."

"Mike's already on it."

Charles raised a hand, his expression darkening further.

"What did you find?"

Mike stepped forward, handing over a slim file. His voice carried a note of concern.

"Mr. Howard, this Delbert character is extremely secretive. We found almost nothing on him. All we know is that he recently returned from abroad. Publicly, he's an independent businessman dealing in jewelry and gemstones. He runs a few jewelry companies overseas. He just got back to Nordkvist not long ago. Clean record. There are no red flags in his social circle. It's like he deliberately erased his past."

"Jewelry?"

Charles stared at the sparse information on the page, his chest tightening. A wave of unease crashed over him.

Delbert dealt in jewelry. Emily was a top-tier jewelry designer. Their industries overlapped significantly. This couldn't be a coincidence.

The man's background was like a ghost. Untraceable. Yet he'd targeted Emily almost immediately after returning. Now he operated in her exact field. It was obvious—he planned to exploit that professional connection to get close to her, to find a way in.

"Deeper information—family background, specific overseas addresses, company financials—it's all locked down. Someone's covering his tracks on purpose."

Mike added, his brow furrowed.

"Our people spent hours digging. They hit nothing but dead ends."

Sean spoke up immediately.

"Let me handle this. I'll reach out to Gregory. He works on international cases. Got connections everywhere. He's better equipped to crack this kind of thing. And he'll definitely help."

Charles hesitated briefly at the mention of Gregory. But he nodded.

"Alright. I appreciate it."

Sean scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Boss, don't be so formal. Everyone's missed you since you left. We're happy to help."

Charles nodded slightly, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes.

But he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Not now.

Delbert's mystery. Those green eyes. His jewelry business. His deliberate targeting of Emily. Every thread wove together into a tapestry of suspicion. Charles's wariness toward Delbert intensified instantly.

This man was no ordinary returning businessman. He was hiding something sinister.

"Tell Gregory to dig up everything. Family. History. The real reason for coming back. Every last detail."

Charles rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the endless stream of traffic below. His voice was ice-cold.

"And double the security detail on Emily. Twenty-four-seven coverage. Wherever she goes, someone shadows her. Most importantly—make absolutely sure she has zero chance of being alone with Delbert."

"Understood. I'll arrange it immediately."

Mike responded crisply.

Sean's expression turned serious as well.

"Don't worry, boss. I'll keep my eyes on this too. Anything suspicious, you'll know right away. We won't let anything happen to Ms. Windsor."

Charles nodded faintly, fingertips pressed against the cold glass. The chill couldn't suppress the turmoil burning inside him.

Delbert had surfaced. But the man remained a cipher. His conspiracy was still hidden. Charles had to stay one step ahead—uncover every card in Delbert's hand before he could play them. He would protect Emily. No one would harm his family. No one would threaten everything he held dear.

 

That evening, Charles didn't hide anything. He told Emily everything.

Even with his protection, she needed to stay alert.

When he finished, Emily fell silent, thinking.

The revelation didn't surprise her. What puzzled her was why Delbert would go to such lengths. What grudge could he possibly hold against her?

She thought back to her visit with Laura earlier. Could Laura have put him up to this?

But Delbert didn't strike her as someone who took orders. If Laura had hired him, Roy would've been far more brutal. This felt personal.

"I don't know this man. His whole appearance is bizarre..."

Emily bit her lip as she murmured. Then she looked up and recounted her prison visit.

Hearing that she'd gone to the prison, Charles frowned instinctively. But her story quickly pulled his attention away before he could scold her.

"If Laura's involved, that makes things easier. I'll have Sean pull her visitation records. That'll tell us when Delbert started watching you."

After a moment's thought, Charles made his decision.

Emily nodded. Strangely, she didn't feel afraid of being stalked. Instead, having Charles by her side made her feel braver. Safer.

More determined than ever.