Raphael's appearance drew the attention of those waiting in the lobby.
At that moment, a burly man in a black T-shirt emerged from the shadows. He looked Raphael up and down and said in a deep voice, "Are you Raphael?"
"Yes!" Raphael responded loudly, his voice needing to rise above the blaring music around them.
The burly man sneered and impatiently said, "Stop shouting and follow me."
Raphael's eyes turned cold, but he made no move or sound, obediently following the man while scanning the surroundings to identify any of Lance's people. Unfortunately, he found no clues.
Soon, they walked into a long, dark corridor. The soundproofing was excellent; the deafening noise from the bar was completely inaudible here.
After a short walk, they arrived at a guarded staircase. The guards stopped both the burly man and Raphael, saying formally, "Inspection."
The burly man raised his hands without complaint, allowing one of the guards to search him. Another guard moved to search Raphael, who resisted.
"What are you doing?"
"Mr. Howard, obviously, we're searching you," the guard said with a smirk. "Our boss said if you don't agree, you can leave."
Raphael's face darkened, but he eventually agreed to the search. After all, his visit today was not just for a simple transaction.
During the search, the guard found a gun and a knife on Raphael. "Such dangerous items can't be allowed inside. I'll keep them safe for you until your meeting with our boss is over," the guard said, pocketing the items.
Raphael's expression grew even darker. He repeatedly told himself to stay calm and focus on the bigger picture.
Suppressing his anger, he finally met the mysterious Duncan and a smug Emily sitting beside him. Raphael glanced at Emily, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes, before focusing on Duncan. He sneered, "Your men took my weapons, yet you don't show your true face. Isn't that unfair?"
"Fair? Does Mr. Howard have the right to talk about fairness with me?" Duncan's voice, altered by a voice changer, echoed in the office.
Emily laughed mockingly beside him. "Someone still thinks he's high and mighty after his suffering. He needs to face reality."
Duncan said nothing to her comment, seeming to enjoy the situation.
Seeing this, Raphael felt his blood boil. His suspicions were now confirmed; these two had an unusual relationship.
"Do you have any right to speak here?" Raphael clenched his fists, his gaze sharp as a blade directed at Emily.
Feeling the murderous intent in the air, Emily instinctively moved closer to Duncan and complained, "Sir, look at him threatening me even now. You must teach him a lesson."
To Raphael, this scene was blatant betrayal. His veins bulged as he clenched his fists tightly to keep himself from exploding.
Forcing himself to stay rational, he shifted his gaze from Emily back to Duncan. "When do we discuss business?"
"Aren't we discussing it now?" Duncan replied, gesturing to a nearby sofa for Raphael to sit.
Raphael sat down but kept his eyes on Emily and Duncan's interactions. At one point, Duncan seemed annoyed by Emily's closeness and frowned, telling her to move away.
Upon hearing this, Raphael's eyebrows subtly raised. It seemed Emily didn't hold much status with this man either.
With that thought, Raphael lowered his eyes, a ruthless glint flashing in them. He then took out transfer contracts and other documents from his briefcase.
"These are all prepared materials, in duplicate. Once we sign them, they take effect immediately."
"Really?" Emily questioned eagerly, reaching for the contracts.
But as soon as she touched them, Raphael stopped her by pressing down on the other side of the documents. Without sparing her a glance, he looked at Duncan and coldly asked, "What does this mean?"
Before Duncan could answer, Emily smugly said, "You don't know? Sir plans to let me manage these things. Raphael, what's the point of all your efforts to seize my Jones family's assets? You've only tarnished yourself. In the end, your Howard family's possessions will still fall into my hands."
Hearing this, Raphael glared at Emily with eyes full of murderous intent.