Chapter 173: Help Me Monitor Someone
The next day at work, I had the legal department speed up debt collection from the Pemberton Group.
Just after finishing that discussion, I suddenly received a call from an unknown number.
When I answered, a strange man's voice came through.
"Ms. Lockwood, long time no see."
I frowned and asked, "Who is this?"
"You can't even recognize my voice anymore?"
The man on the phone laughed in a frivolous and unrestrained manner. "It's Zane."
It's him!
My expression instantly darkened as I said coldly, "I don't remember ever giving you my contact information. Where did you get my phone number?"
Zane on the phone chuckled lightly. "We're both businesspeople in Starwave City. It's naturally easy for me to get Ms. Lockwood's contact information."
"Is that so?"
I said coldly, "Mr. Lancaster, you went through all this trouble to find my phone number. I don't suppose it's just to chat with me?"
Zane laughed lightly. "Of course not. I have a business deal I'd like to discuss with you."
He and Atlas were practically enemies, so I didn't think he'd be kind enough to introduce business opportunities to me.
I said coldly, "No need."
"Really not necessary? Or is Ms. Lockwood afraid of me?"
Zane seemed to see through my thoughts, pressing with every sentence. "Is Ms. Lockwood really that timid? If so, then you shouldn't marry Atlas. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll end up as nothing but a corpse."
I knew he was deliberately provoking me, but I was still provoked.
"Location."
"What?"
Zane on the other end seemed caught off guard.
I repeated, "Location. You want to meet, don't you? Surely you're not too scared to even tell me where?"
"How refreshing. Twilight Lounge, tomorrow night at eight. Don't stand me up."
After Zane finished speaking, he hung up.
After the call ended, I thought of Atlas and wanted to call him, but as I was about to dial, my hand paused.
This small matter wasn't worth bothering Atlas with. I'd check out the situation first.
With that thought, I called Quincy instead.
I could tell from the sound that Quincy was in a meeting. She gave a few quiet instructions, then I heard the sound of a chair scraping the floor, followed by the sound of high heels leaving.
After a moment, when everything around her had quieted down, Quincy's voice came through.
"Helena, what made you think to call me?"
"Zane asked me to meet him at Twilight Lounge. I'm worried he's up to no good. Do you know anyone at Twilight Lounge?"
After hearing my words, Quincy frowned and said, "I don't, but I have a friend who knows the owner of Twilight Lounge. What time is your meeting?"
I said, "Tomorrow night at eight."
"Tomorrow night? Hold on, let me check my schedule."
Quincy paused on the other end, and soon her voice came back. "I have a dinner tomorrow night too. I'll just change the location to Twilight Lounge. Don't worry, I'll be there myself. You can go to your meeting without any concerns."
Hearing this, warmth flooded through my heart.
"Thank you, Quincy."
"No need to thank me."
Quincy then said hurriedly, "Alright, that's settled then. I need to get back to my meeting."
"Okay."
After hanging up, I finally felt at ease.
After handling work matters, I called Giselle over to ask about yesterday's progress with Clifton.
"No one's complaining, and no one's planning to quit midway. Everything's going smoothly so far, but we haven't found anything useful yet."
Hearing her words, I reassured her, "That's fine. We've just started. Though honestly, we're hoping not to find any problems."
"Thanks for your hard work these days. If you notice anything unusual, report it immediately."
"Yes, Ms. Lockwood."
Not long after Giselle left, York pushed open the door and walked in with a cheeky grin.
"Ms. Lockwood, is there anything I can help you with?"
"What, looking for work?"
As I spoke, I picked up an apple from my desk and tossed it to him.
He caught it with both hands and sniffed it under his nose. After a moment, he gave a thumbs up. "The fruit you give always smells sweeter than what we buy ourselves."
"What are you buttering me up for? Do you have nothing to do?" I said with a laugh.
York quickly replied, "How could that be? Helena, I'm busy monitoring suspicious people in the company. Don't worry, I'll definitely root out the bad apples."
I nodded dismissively. "Alright, alright. I wish you all the best then."
At this point, I suddenly thought of Ivan.
He'd probably start work in a few days. With this in mind, I said, "In a few days, someone named Ivan will start working here. I want you to get close to him, become good work partners, and then help me keep an eye on him."
Hearing this, York's expression became more serious. "Who is he? Is he Mr. Lockwood's illegitimate son from outside, here to fight you for the inheritance?"
"What are you thinking?"
I was amused. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell my dad what you said and have him fire you?"
"Even if you fire me, I'll stand firmly on your side."
York put his fist over his chest in a show of loyalty. "I will defend Ms. Lockwood's interests to the death."
He made me laugh. "Alright, you're such a drama queen."
Seeing me happy, he quickly leaned over, holding up his pinky finger. "So can you tell me just a tiny bit about this Ivan's identity?"
"He's Natasha's younger brother. But you were right about one thing—he is here to fight for an inheritance. Not his family's property, but mine."
Hearing this, York's expression changed instantly.
"Rich families really do have so many conflicts. But he's an outsider—how can he have any right to fight you for the inheritance? How shameless!"
"Can't really blame him. After all, my dad only has me as a daughter, so some people get ideas they shouldn't have. But these people's plans won't succeed."
I looked at York with a smile. "I won't let these people succeed. The Lockwood Group will be mine, and can only be mine."
After hearing my words, York took a moment to process.
He clicked his tongue. "I didn't realize you had it so tough. But don't worry, I'll definitely help you."
"Thank you."
Then I added, "Do a good job, and your bonus will double!"
Hearing my words, York grumbled unhappily, "I'm not after your money. I just think you have it pretty rough."