Chapter 183: Explanation

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Explanation

A faint smile played on Jared Hawthorne’s lips, but he didn’t say a word. Rex Lambert had known him for years and understood the man’s nature perfectly. He would never have taken the initiative to call and ask for help unless something had happened to someone he truly cared for, someone he held dear to his heart.

"When did this happen? I haven’t heard a whisper about it."

All Rex Lambert knew was that Jared Hawthorne had suddenly returned to the country three years ago to take over his family’s business. In all that time, his slate had been clean, with not a single rumor about him and a woman. His behavior now was so out of character that it truly surprised Rex.

"This isn’t the time to talk about that." A layer of indifference veiled Jared Hawthorne’s features, and the air around him grew colder. He clearly didn’t want to discuss his private affairs at this moment.

Rex Lambert understood. His thin lips curved into a cold, ruthless arc.

"Don’t worry. Bring him here, and he’ll talk."

...

Heaven on Earth, awash in decadent light.

Caleb Churchill had just hung up the phone. A bone-chilling coldness instantly radiated from him as he summoned the club’s manager, Shannon.

"Is there a man in the club called Richie?"

Shannon’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. Her tone was precise. "I’ll have to verify that. I’m not directly in charge of personnel."

"Check immediately. Find him and bring him here. I have important questions for him." Caleb Churchill’s expression was icy, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Shannon could see something was wrong with his expression. A sense of unease crept into her heart, and she asked softly, "Manager Churchill, has something happened?"

"Lord Rex just called me personally. He ordered me to find this Richie immediately and send him over." Caleb Churchill’s voice was hard. "We both know Lord Rex’s temper. If this punk hadn’t crossed a major line or done something outrageous, Lord Rex would never have bothered to call and ask for someone personally."

Shannon’s heart sank. She asked no more questions.

"One moment. I’ll check on it right away."

She turned and walked away quickly, dialing a number as she went. She crisply ordered her subordinate to check the employee records.

Not even ten minutes later, a subordinate hurriedly led Shannon to the door of a private room and reported in a low voice.

"Sister Shannon, he’s inside."

Inside the private room, Theodore was on his phone, berating someone in a low, impatient voice.

"Where the hell is the person you mentioned? I’ve been waiting by the door for over an hour and haven’t seen a soul!"

"Cousin, I’ve already spread the word that a stunner would be arriving in the next few days. You’d better not be messing with me."

"If she’s handled and trained right, she’s guaranteed to be my cash cow in the future!"

In a place like Heaven on Earth, schemes to coerce or entice women into this life were hardly uncommon. Shannon understood this all too well. She herself had been sold to this place by her own father to pay off a debt. If she hadn’t been so savvy and smooth, winning Caleb Churchill’s favor, she never would have reached the position she held today.

She raised her hand and pushed open the door to the private room. The noise instantly startled Theodore Caldwell. He hastily hung up the phone. When he turned and saw who it was, a sycophantic yet terrified smile immediately plastered itself on his face. He scrambled to his feet to greet her, bowing and scraping with utmost respect.

"Sister Shannon, what brings you here? Did you need me for something?"

"You’re Richie?" Shannon asked faintly, her tone distant.

"Oh no, no, that’s just a nickname the guys call me out of respect." Theodore Caldwell quickly offered a placating smile, his posture extremely deferential.

"Come with me." Shannon wasted no more words and turned to leave.

Theodore Caldwell quickly agreed and followed. The entire way, his heart was in his throat and his palms were sweating nonstop. He mentally replayed everything he had done recently, over and over. ’I just can’t figure out how I could have offended someone from the top, enough for Shannon to come for me personally.’

...

In the office, Caleb Churchill sat on a leather sofa, his fingertips drumming idly on the armrest. His gaze was icy as he watched Theodore Caldwell being brought in, bowing and scraping with a fawning expression the entire time.

"You’re Richie?"

Theodore Caldwell nodded hastily, the smile on his face stiff and forced.

"Yes, Manager Churchill. That’s what everyone calls me..."

"What earth-shattering thing have you done recently to get Lord Rex’s attention?" Caleb Churchill’s eyes narrowed, his tone laced with a playful cruelty.

Lord... Lord Rex?!

Those two words exploded in Theodore Caldwell’s mind like a clap of thunder. His heart instantly plummeted into a bottomless abyss. A bone-chilling cold shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his whole body stiffened uncontrollably.

He was just a lowly team leader who always followed the rules. How would he ever dare to provoke the King of Hell, a man so ruthless that his very name struck terror into people’s hearts!

"Manager Churchill, I really don’t know! I didn’t do anything! There’s no way I could have provoked Lord Rex!" Theodore Caldwell’s voice trembled with anxiety as he frantically waved his hands in denial.

Caleb Churchill turned to Shannon beside him and asked in a low voice, "Did he give any other instructions?"

"No, only to find this person and send him over immediately," Shannon replied truthfully.

"You don’t need to go. I’ll take him myself," Caleb Churchill said, getting up.

"Yes."

...

The night deepened. The bright, clear moon was obscured by thick clouds, plunging everything into darkness. Even the night breeze carried a chilling, sinister air.

Caleb Churchill drove Theodore Caldwell to an abandoned cement factory on the outskirts of the city. As soon as they reached the entrance, they saw two lines of bodyguards in black, standing at attention, their presence grim and murderous.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, quickened his pace, and said coldly over his shoulder, "Keep up."

Theodore Caldwell’s legs had already turned to jelly. He felt weak and weightless, and his forehead was covered in a dense sheen of cold sweat that trickled down his cheeks. He staggered after Caleb Churchill, his steps unsteady, nearly collapsing several times.

The deeper they went into the cement factory, the heavier the oppressive atmosphere became. When he got a clear view of the scene in the courtyard, Theodore Caldwell’s pupils contracted violently. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and he was scared out of his wits.

"Lord Rex, I’ve brought the man." Caleb Churchill bowed, his tone filled with reverence, and casually shoved Theodore Caldwell forward.

Theodore Caldwell’s scalp tingled with fear, and his legs trembled. He shakily raised his eyes, his voice trembling so badly it was barely coherent.

"L-Lord Rex, may I ask... why you were looking for me?"

Rex Lambert slowly turned. His dark eyes were steeped in frost, and his icy gaze landed squarely on him.

"You have a cousin in Northolme with the surname Langley?"

"Yes! Yes!" Theodore Caldwell was scared witless. He didn’t dare hide a single thing. He knew that lying to Rex Lambert would only lead to a much worse fate.

"Were you also involved in your cousin’s little scheme?" Rex Lambert pressed, closing in on him.

Theodore Caldwell frantically wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and shook his head repeatedly.

"I wasn’t involved! I really wasn’t! She just called me out of the blue and said she was sending a woman over. My judgment was clouded, that’s why I agreed!"

"Did you know the woman’s identity?"

"I had no idea! She just sent me a photo. I saw the girl was pretty, so I got greedy and agreed to take her. The plan was for her to be delivered today, but I waited for over an hour and she never showed up..."

As Theodore Caldwell spoke, he subconsciously glanced at the two people lying on the ground, already on the brink of death. In an instant, he felt as if he’d been plunged into an icy cellar, his blood seeming to freeze in his veins. His knees buckled, and with a heavy THUD, he fell to the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Lord Rex, everything I’ve said is the truth, not a single word is a lie! I beg you, please spare me!"

Rex Lambert’s face showed no emotion, but he let out a soft chuckle. The sound, however, made Theodore Caldwell’s hair stand on end.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to beg for mercy. Tell me everything about your cousin, every last detail."

Theodore Caldwell didn’t dare to delay for a second. He spilled everything he knew, not holding back a single detail.

"My cousin’s name is Elara Langley. She’s a Northolme Resident, born and raised, and she owns a pharmaceutical company..." He even went into detail about his family history for the past three generations. "Lord Rex, I only sneak back home to visit family once a year. I don’t know her well at all! She contacted me out of the blue, said she was sending someone to me. I was possessed or something, that’s why I agreed!"

He was regretting it so much he could have kicked himself. If he had known this could get him killed, he never would have agreed, no matter the reward.

Rex Lambert turned to Jared Hawthorne beside him, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Elara Langley. You know her?"