From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 223

She hadn't told Julian about Victor before; he'd only found out today.

Julian had been busy with international business lately, so even though he knew, he couldn't personally help.

Instead, he lent Jade a team of professionals.

Buzz—

Her phone vibrated with a new message.

"Victor is too good. He knows he's being followed. He's purposely leading us to random spots to throw us off."

Jade knit her brows, staring at the screen.

If even the pros were getting spotted by Victor, this was going to be much harder than she thought.

Buzz—

Another message followed.

"He's likely figured out who we are, which is why he's on high alert. Honestly, Ms. Merchant, you should find someone who looks ordinary. A regular person would fly under his radar much better."

Professional tails have a certain rhythm. People in the business can spot the patterns a mile away.

In this case, a civilian really would have a better shot at getting close to him.

But this was dangerous. Where was she supposed to find a 'regular person' she could trust? And even if she did, who would be crazy enough to take that risk?

After weighing her options, Jade decided to do it herself.

She pulled on a baseball cap, changed into some gender-neutral clothes, and took over the tail on Victor.

She followed him into a shopping mall, through a maze of corridors into a supermarket, and then to a series of local street food stalls...

Suspecting these were all decoys, Jade stayed sharp, sticking to him like glue until he finally headed toward a high-end hotel.

It looked like Victor wasn't planning on meeting Lyndon today after all.

She decided to head back and plan her next move.

But as she turned to leave, she walked straight into Victor.

Jade's heart leaped into her throat. She stumbled back a few steps.

"Vic..."

She caught herself before using his real name and quickly pivoted to the alias he'd given her.

"Mr. Bailey? What are you doing here?"

Victor gave her a strange look. "I'm staying at this hotel. The real question is, Ms. Merchant, what are you doing here?"

With the hat and the neutral clothes, she should have blended perfectly into the crowd.

But the fact that she was trying so hard to hide was a red flag in itself.

Victor's gaze began to shift, becoming more calculating. Jade's mind raced for an excuse.

"What a coincidence. I'm here to meet a client."

The window slid down, revealing the kind, grandfatherly face of Burton.

"Ms. Merchant, long time no see—"

"Mr. Forster! Thank God you're here. I've been waiting forever."

Jade cut him off, looking at him like he was her guardian angel. She practically ran toward the car.

Burton glanced at Victor behind her, put two and two together, and gestured for the driver to open the door.

The driver stepped out, Jade slid into the back seat, and she gave Victor a quick wave.

"Mr. Bailey, thanks for waiting with me! My client is here, so I've got to go."

Victor waved back, watching the limo pull away. The suspicion in his gut didn't fade for a second.

He immediately ordered a check on Jade's movements. He doubted she was here for a book; he suspected she was coming for him.

Inside the car, Jade gave Burton a brief explanation of the situation, skipping the more sensitive parts.

The old man just chuckled.

"Don't mention it. Call me whenever you need help. I still have a bit of sway here in Habor City. Julian is away, so I'll do what I can for you."

Jade was genuinely grateful. "Thank you, Mr. Forster."

When she got back to her hotel, she was told that Victor's people were now shadowing her.

So the next day, she informed Burton and spent the entire day at his estate, pretending to work on his collection.