Chapter 133: All in the Family

"Don’t worry, I’ll check every single word,"

"Which brings us back to the point," Chelsea grinned, leaning forward as her playful side came right back. "I didn’t set up this whole game and hand you the club because I’m hitting on you. It’s because whether you like it or not, I’m officially your aunt!"

Jude stared at the gorgeous twenty-something girl sitting across from him in a short skirt and gave her a deadpan look.

"I don’t remember having an aunt like you."

"Hey! What kind of attitude is that after I just poured my heart out?!" Chelsea jumped up from the couch, grabbed his sleeve, and pouted. "On paper, I’m your mom’s sister. Come on, be a good nephew and call me Aunt Chelsea just once!"

"Until my own people confirm every word on paper, forget about hearing that out of my mouth," Jude said flatly, pulling his arm away.

Seeing he wasn’t budging tonight, Chelsea backed off with a nod. "Fine, take all the time you need to check the files. The title isn’t going anywhere."

The playful mood died down. Jude paused for a couple of seconds, his eyes turning serious as his voice dropped.

"Chelsea... do you know who killed my mother?"

Chelsea’s smile vanished instantly. "From everything I’ve dug up over the past year, all the tracks lead straight to the top bosses of the Rockefeller-Vanguard syndicate."

Jude’s fingers gripped the armrest tight. "What about my father? Do you know who he really is?"

Chelsea shook her head slowly. "Even to me, your father was a complete ghost. All I know is that years ago, he was a high-level director inside the Rockefeller syndicate. If you want to know who he really was the only way is to rip that syndicate apart from the inside."

Even though Jude still found it hard to believe a woman barely older than him was actually his aunt, those last two answers changed everything...

Not only did Chelsea know about the inner circle of the Vanguard-Rockefeller syndicate, she also knew the closely guarded secret that his father had once held high command inside it.

No outsider could make up details that lined up so perfectly with the puzzle pieces Jude had already found.

"Jude, I know you’re getting ready to take down the syndicate," Chelsea said across the table. "Crushing a group that deep takes more than just bags of cash... you need eyes and ears everywhere. That’s why I gave you the Heavens Club tonight. Its network will give you the dirt you need."

"Thanks," Jude nodded slightly, about to ask her more about his parents’ time out West.

Before he could say another word, the doors opened, and General Manager Vanessa walked in wearing her sharp attire and heels.

Stepping up to the couch, she gave a bow. "Miss Lee, the front desk said you were looking for me?"

"Perfect timing," Chelsea smiled, getting up and motioning toward Jude. "Jude, you already know Vanessa. We met years ago while I was in London, and she’s run the Heavens Club for the last five years. Every VIP relationship and secret in this building runs through her. If you ever have a question about how this place works, she’s your girl."

Jude stood up and gave a slight nod. "We’ve already coordinated on the contracts, Miss Vanessa."

Vanessa offered a polite smile. "Always at your service, Chairman Lawson."

"Vanessa is one of a kind, Jude," Chelsea went on smoothly. "Once my new company headquarters is ready in two months, I’m pulling her over to run the whole show as CEO. Until then, she’s staying at the Heavens Club for the next sixty days to help you get settled. After two months, she comes back to me."

Jude knew right away how important Vanessa was.

The only reason the club had run like clockwork while Chelsea was overseas was because of Vanessa’s iron grip.

Losing a manager that sharp in sixty days was going to be a headache, since finding someone with her class and connections was basically impossible.

Still, Chelsea had just handed him a multi-billion-dollar club and a billion in cash for free.

Demanding to keep her top right-hand woman permanently would just be greedy.

"Works for me," Jude nodded. "Two months is plenty of time to learn the ropes."

"Don’t worry... for the next sixty days, Vanessa treats your word like gospel," Chelsea promised.

Jude checked his watch and buttoned his jacket. "It’s past closing, so I’ll let you two wrap things up. I’ll drop by tomorrow to look over the operations with Vanessa."

"Everything will be prepared for you, sir," Vanessa replied respectfully.

Jude gave Chelsea a nod, turned around, and walked out down the hallway to find Chloe Liu waiting for him before heading back to the Sovereign Estate.

Watching the doors close behind him, Chelsea let out a soft breath and turned to her manager. "Well, Vanessa... what do you think of our new boss?"

Vanessa paused, thinking it over. "Hard to say. Chairman Lawson hides his real cards behind that calm face. There are sides to him I can’t read yet. Give me these next two months working next to him, and I’ll tell you exactly who he is."

"Trust me, he’s way more dangerous than he looks," Chelsea said with a knowing smile. "Nobody has even pushed him to his limits yet."

"For the club’s sake, I hope your gut is right," Vanessa murmured, looking around the office she had protected for five years. "Nobody in this city put more sweat into this club than me. The last thing I want is to watch five years of work get trashed."

"Relax, Vanessa," Chelsea smiled faintly. "When it comes to reading people, I’ve never missed once."

Later that night, after settling Chloe in the guest wing of the Sovereign Estate, Jude sat in his private study on the top level.

Reading through late-night intelligence files on an encrypted tablet was his chief legal adviser and intel boss, Victoria Vance.

Hearing him enter, Victoria looked up over her screen with a grin. "So the Heavens Club is officially in your name?"

Jude stopped by the desk. "Word travels that fast?"