Chapter 252

Chapter 252

Sure enough, when the new supplier list landed on Emily's desk, she spotted Delbert's name buried among the others at first glance.

A faint smile curved her lips—an oddly reassuring feeling settled over her.

"Ms. Windsor, these are the best vendors we could find. Which one should we meet with first?" herassistant asked quietly.

Emily spread the list across her desk and pointed to two names. One of them was Delbert's.

She tapped another name with her fingertip. "Have someone reach out to this one. If we can close the deal, we'll lock in a long-term partnership." She paused, then picked up the sheet with Delbert's information. "This one I'll handle personally. Schedule it for tomorrow."

The assistant nodded quickly, though she couldn't quite figure out which supplier Emily actually intended to work with.

But she didn't ask. She took the assignment and went to make arrangements.

The next day, Emily met Delbert as scheduled.

Gone was the distant aloofness he'd worn at the Patel family gala. Today he was dressed in a simple tailored suit that lent him an air of refined gentility, his sharper edges from before completely smoothed away.

When he saw Emily, his lips curved into a perfectly calibrated warm smile. He dipped his head politely, without a trace of awkwardness.

Emily let a hint of hesitation show, her tone deliberately casual. "I didn't expect my supplier to turn out to be you. Small world, Mr. Loomis."

"So Ms. Windsor does remember me. I'm deeply honored."

Delbert calmly lifted his teacup for a sip, his gaze sweeping lightly over the material invoices on the table. His tone stayed composed and natural. "I believe there was some misunderstanding between us that made you wary of me. Please allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Delbert. I'm from Aetheria, though I lived in Nordkvist for a time. I wonder if your brother ever mentioned me? Daniel and I were classmates."

Emily's eyes widened slightly. This was news to her.

"My brother? You mean Daniel? He never mentioned you."

"We were university classmates. Daniel helped me out a lot back then. When I first returned to the country, he even said he wanted to introduce us. I just never imagined our first meeting would be at the Patel family gala."

Seeing her defenses soften, Delbert felt a small sense of accomplishment.

He shifted his posture and continued, "Your husband seems rather... guarded around me. Perhaps it's the natural wariness men feel toward potential rivals. But he has absolutely nothing to worry about. You're Daniel's sister—that makes you like a sister to me, too."

He finished with a casual, as if recounting something mildly amusing.

Emily's mind stalled for a beat before she slowly relaxed her brow. She reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the coldness in her eyes easing away, replaced by a trace of relieved lightness. Her tone softened. "I see. Then I apologize for my earlier rudeness."

Her manner was natural—neither overly warm nor unnecessarily guarded. She accepted his explanation the way one might acknowledge any ordinary acquaintance, picking up the conversation without missing a beat.

If Delbert truly knew Daniel, that meant he'd been laying groundwork to get close to her for some time. Someone this calculated didn't do anything without a reason.

Suppressing her unease, she continued, "Since you're Daniel's friend, I'm sure we can work together without any trouble. What are your thoughts, Mr. Loomis?"

Noticing her demeanor ease, Delbert warmed his tone, deliberately closing the distance between them. "I heard your studio ran into some trouble sourcing raw materials. As it happens, I've been in the gemstone and jewelry business for years—stable access, high-end channels. If you're open to it, Ms. Windsor, I may be able to help with your immediate supply problem."

His tone was modest and measured, not a trace of opportunistic eagerness—like someone who just happened to be in a position to help.

Before Emily could respond, he gestured to his staff to present several material samples. The quality surpassed what her previous supplier had offered, and the pricing was fair. There wasn't a single thing to fault.

Emily dropped her gaze to the samples, her fingertips lightly tracing the edge of a jade stone. She'd already pegged this as Delbert's play, yet she gave nothing away—just raised an eyebrow with perfectly measured surprise.

She examined the materials thoroughly. These gemstones were genuine. If the supplier had been anyone else, she would have closed the deal on the spot..

But whatever she was thinking, her words words stayed gracious. "Aetherian goods truly live up to their reputation—the quality speaks for itself. With Mr. Loomis's help, I'm confident our studio can get through this round of orders without a hitch"

Seeing her surface defenses come down, Delbert's eyes flickered with a barely perceptible glint of satisfaction. He kept a polite distance throughout—never pried into personal matters, never overstepped. He simply outlined the supply logistics in straightforward terms, confirmed delivery would begin the next day, and left it at that. His restraint was flawless.

"A pleasure doing business, Ms. Windsor. If there's an opportunity, perhaps we could arrange dinner together—you, Daniel, and... Mr. Howard as well. Consider it a proper reintroduction."

Delbert rose as he spoke.

Emily nodded and exchanged a few more pleasantries before seeing him out.

The moment his figure disappeared from the studio entrance, the smile dropped from Emily's face. Her eyes settled back into their cool clarity. She pulled out her phone and typed out a message to Charles—every detail of what had just happened at the studio: Delbert's visit, the classmate angle, his exact wording. Word for word.

Charles called back within moments. His voice was low, wrapped in concern and deep wariness, "He's deliberately softening his approach. The classmate connection is just a pretext to get close to you. Play along on the surface, but don't let your guard down for a second. Cressida is watching from the shadows. Report anything unusual to me immediately."

"I know."

Emily moved to the window, her voice quiet but steady. "I'm not taking him at face value. I'm just playing along so he doesn't know what I'm holding. That way, he'll tip his hand eventually."

"Good. I've got your back, no matter what. Don't push yourself too hard."

Charles's voice was both tender and steady, every word radiating reassurance.

After she hung up, Emily stood looking at the material samples on the table, something sharp settling behind her eyes.

She wanted to know exactly what Delbert was after.

"Ms. Windsor, Erica says she's already locked in the other supplier. So what do you want to do about Mr. Loomis?"

Her assistant picked up the material invoice, uncertain.

Emily smiled faintly and waved a dismissive hand. "We won't be using Mr. Loomis's materials. But keep the collaboration on the books."

The assistant scratched her head. She didn't understand why they were keeping the collaboration going but not use the materials. Were all these stones bought just to sit on a shelf??

But she knew better than to question her boss. She took the invoice and left to handle it.

Once everyone had cleared out, Emily pulled out her phone and dialed Daniel.

She had no idea where he'd disappeared to lately. He'd said he'd be back to see her, but in the blink of an eye, he'd disappeared to who-knows-where.

The call connected quickly, but it wasn't Daniel who answered—it was his assistant.

The assistant politely informed Emily that Daniel was in a meeting and would return her call shortly.

Emily wasn't in a rush. She returned to her office and began jotting down notes and sketches.

She'd set up a small blackboard, now covered in dense notations— names, lines, connections. It looked like something out of a detective's office.

These threads linked several names: herself, Charles, and Delbert.

She added Daniel's name to the edge of the board.

Then she drew a line with an arrow pointing to Delbert's name and wrote beside it: "Classmates."

She was about to organize more useful information when Daniel's call came through.