Chapter 240: The Investigation Deepens and Secret Obsession

While Eric, Katie, and Norman were still outside, they saw Emma, Ruby, and Jade escorting Tania, who walked with her head bowed down between them. Right behind them strode a tall, solidly built young man with a buzz cut, muscular arms, and a handsome face that was etched with deep worry. Eric pocketed his smartphone and walked over to greet them.

"You guys made it down," Eric noted.

"Sorry we took so long. Greg called us, so we had to hit the parking garage first before coming up," Emma explained.

"Sorry, dude, I was just super worried about how Tania was holding up," Greg, the tall young man, chimed in.

"No worries at all... let’s head inside," Eric invited.

They all stepped back into the cafe. Norman led Emma, Ruby, Jade, Tania, Keisha, and Greg over to a separate table to conduct a private and detailed debriefing, while Eric, Katie, Mike, and Kyle remained seated at their original table. Melissa dropped off fresh drinks for Emma, Ruby, Jade, Tania, and Greg before heading back behind the counter, flashing Eric a quick wink as she passed his table.

While Tania and Greg recounted the details of the viral hit piece to Norman, Katie turned her attention to Mike and Kyle.

"Mr. Kyle, Mike, I want you both to listen to this," Katie instructed, placing her smartphone flat on the table and pulling a pair of earplugs out of her bag.

Mike and Kyle listened to the voicemail from Ingrid that Eric had previously forwarded to Katie’s phone. Mike darted a sideways glance at Eric; he already knew the name E.R Holdings from case archives, but he had no idea Eric was the man behind it. Meanwhile, Kyle simply crossed his arms over his chest and nodded thoughtfully. Once the recording finished playback,

"Would you like me to look into this woman, Ingrid Watson?" Kyle asked immediately.

"I love how fast you operate, Mr. Kyle. Exactly—please run a full investigation on Ingrid Watson and her father, Thomas Watson," Katie replied with a smile.

"Hmm... alright, give me one week," Kyle said, standing up.

"Where are you heading, Mr. Kyle?" Mike asked.

"Straight to work. Now that we have a name, everything gets a whole lot easier," Kyle smiled.

Without another word, Kyle turned on his heel and walked toward the exit. As he passed Norman, Kyle gave a subtle nod, which Norman returned in kind. Chime. Kyle pushed the door open and stepped out into the street, leaving Eric, Katie, and Mike watching his departing figure.

As the door clicked shut behind him,

"Mr. Kyle always delivers. His work is lightning-fast and hyper-efficient," Melissa chimed in, walking over to stand by Eric’s table.

"I know. He already proved it during your old case over at CJR," Eric noted.

"Yep... absolutely," Melissa agreed.

"Well, now I need to gear up for a storm. Since I’m officially your legal counsel now, Eric, we’re going to squash this problem together," Mike declared.

"And this time, I’ll be stepping in to handle any legal angles for E.R Holdings," Katie added with a confident smile.

Melissa pulled up a chair and sat down next to Eric. Together, they watched Norman continue scribbling furiously on his notepad, with Keisha sitting quietly beside him, while Emma, Tania, Greg, Ruby, and Jade answered questions across the table.

***

Meanwhile, at that exact same moment, inside a sleek executive office located in the same city as Eric’s building, a young woman who looked to be around twenty-one or twenty-two sat in a plush leather chair. Dressed in a sharp navy blue blazer dress over a white top, she sported striking silver-blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Resting her chin on the armrest of her chair, she stared intently at her smartphone screen.

A melodic tune titled "One Man Band" drifted softly through the spacious room. On the smartphone screen played a video clip of Eric performing the song live on stage with a guitar. A wide, dimpled smile lit up her gorgeous face as she rhythmically tapped her fingers against the arm of her desk chair.

Knock... knock.

"Come in."

The young woman paused the music and tossed her smartphone onto the desk, sitting up straight with both hands neatly folded in front of her. A secretary opened the office door to allow a sturdy, middle-aged man wearing a custom gray designer suit, a gold watch, and neatly combed white hair to step inside. The man walked straight to the desk and pulled out the chair opposite her.

"When did you get back, Dad? I thought you were supposed to be at the Southwest Bridge site?" the young woman asked.

"Derek’s got everything handled over there. I came straight back because Martin called me, which is why I’m here to see you, Ingrid," replied her father, Thomas Watson.

"Oh? What did Uncle Martin want?" Ingrid asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

"He wanted to know why you invited his son to attend the Southwest Bridge reopening ceremony. Surely your goal isn’t just to hunt for investors, is it?" Thomas asked, locking his gaze onto his daughter’s face.

"I just wanted to invite him... is there a problem? Besides, he hasn’t even replied to my voicemail yet," Ingrid replied casually, though her tone carried an undercurrent of seriousness.

Sigh. Thomas let out an exhausted breath, running a hand through his hair before leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. Meanwhile, Ingrid popped open a folder on her desk and flipped through its contents with a subtle smile.

"Don’t tell me you’re actually planning to cozy up to Eric, a guy who runs his own company, writes music, and produces tracks for both The Empress and Nobelia," Thomas warned.

"Hmm... and what if I am, Dad?" Ingrid asked, closing the folder and meeting her father’s gaze head-on.

"Ingrid, your wedding to Derek is literally two months away. You aren’t planning on pulling any stunts, are you? I acquired Martin’s assets when his company collapsed specifically to give you and Derek the capital to build your own business and family. Your marriage to Derek is paramount, you understand that, don’t you?" Thomas pressed.

Ingrid remained silent. Her expression didn’t shift by a fraction of a millimeter, though a calculating glint danced in her eyes. Slowly, she leaned back against her chair.

"I understand, Dad. Relax," Ingrid replied smoothly.

"Glad to hear it. I don’t mind you inviting Eric to the event, but strictly as a prospective investor or business partner, nothing more, understood?" Thomas demanded.

"Yes... I know. That was my intention all along, to bring him on as a business partner," Ingrid lied smoothly.

"You’ll be coming to the event with Derek, won’t you?" Thomas asked.

"Obviously. You don’t even have to ask, Dad," Ingrid smiled.

Thomas studied his daughter’s blank, unreadable expression for a moment before standing up and adjusting his suit jacket.

"Alright then, I’m heading out," Thomas announced.

"Okay, Dad. Drive safe if you’re heading back to that city," Ingrid said, rising from her chair.

She stepped around the desk to give her father a brief hug before letting him go. Thomas turned and walked toward the door; the secretary opened it for him and closed it firmly the moment he stepped out.

Left alone once more, Ingrid sank back into her chair. Without missing a beat, she reached out and pressed play on her smartphone. Eric’s melodic voice echoed through the office once again. She picked up the folder from her desk and opened it back up.

Inside were the results of her private investigation into Eric: his full financial profile, personal identity documents, and dozens of secretly captured photos of him. She traced the edge of each photo with her finger, a wide smile spreading across her face while her eyes took on a soft, longing, and covetous sheen.

"He’s nineteen and I’m twenty-two... if we got married, that age gap is nothing, right? He’s handsome, on equal footing with me, and best of all, he can sing... he completely stole my heart," Ingrid thought to herself, a rosy flush dusting her cheeks.

She flipped the page over, revealing a candid photograph of Eric walking alongside Emma, Priya, Chloe, Monica, Heidi, and Laura, all of them laughing brightly. Following that were promotional shots of The Empress and Nobelia performing on stage.

The warm, dreamy smile instantly vanished from Ingrid’s face. She turned to another photo, one showing Eric and the six girls walking together at a mall from behind, where she had meticulously drawn red circles around the members of The Empress and slapped a bright red arrow pointing directly at Emma, labeling her as Emerald, Nobelia.

"What kind of relationship do these six girls really have with Eric? I need to dig deeper and find out," Ingrid muttered to herself.

Unaware that her secretary had quietly slipped back into the room and was watching through the glass door panel, Ingrid stared intently at the pictures. Seizing the moment, the secretary snapped a photo of Ingrid gazing longingly at Eric’s pictures and instantly messaged it to a mysterious contact saved under the initial Boss D.