He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 437

Franklin's expression tightened slightly. He stepped away from the crowd to answer the call.

A lazy but sinister voice drifted through the receiver. "Mr. Flynn. I've got a lead on the man you asked me to look into."

Franklin's pulse quickened. "Talk."

"After Sean Bishop embezzled the money and fled to Country A with his sister-in-law and son, they got hooked on gambling and blew through all the cash. They used their only son as collateral to pay off a debt to a local underground syndicate. The kid vanished after that. Off the grid. However..."

Franklin's heart leapt into his throat. "However what?"

The man let out a dark chuckle. "I found out something else. Usual rate, you know the drill."

Franklin frowned. "Don't worry, you'll get your money. Give me a number, I'll have my secretary wire it right now."

The man rattled off a hefty sum. Franklin immediately texted Irene, and the funds cleared seconds later.

"When Julian Croft was in Country A, he got very close to a massive player in the global financial sector named Bill. They meet privately all the time. Bill has an obscure background—nobody knows his real name, and he keeps a very low profile. But his age matches the kid Sean Bishop sold off all those years ago. I managed to get my hands on a private photo of Bill. I'll send it over now."

After hanging up, the photo popped up on Franklin's phone.

The moment he tapped on the image, his eyes widened with sudden realization. The puzzle that had been tormenting him for weeks finally clicked into place.

Outside the boardroom, Veronica walked right up to Yardley. Right in front of her father, she intimately looped her arm through his.

"Yardley. Looks like I got here right on time."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet. Looking past him to the shocked board members inside, a smug smile played on her lips. "Does this count as saving the day?"

Yardley stiffened slightly, trying to discreetly pull his arm away, but she only tightened her grip.

She was incredibly bold. Even though they were standing in the middle of his company, she reached up and draped her arms around his neck, whispering seductively in his ear. "I've had a crush on you for a long time. If you agree to be my boyfriend, I promise to convince my dad to partner with the Flynn Group on this premium tourism project."

"This deal will singlehandedly pull your company out of the mud. Plus... once Scarlett takes the bait, I absolutely have ways to utterly destroy both her and Julian."

Veronica lazily traced a manicured finger across Yardley's chest. "Tell me... I'm offering you the world, and all I'm asking is for you to be my boyfriend. That's not too much to ask, right?"

Yardley's pupils contracted. Looking at the raw calculation and ambition in her eyes, he felt a strange revulsion.

He never liked women who were overly manipulative. So, even though Veronica was gorgeous and built like a model, he felt absolutely zero chemistry with her.

But right now, he had to admit—the lifeline she was offering was exactly what he desperately needed.

Taking a deep breath, Yardley didn't say yes, but he didn't say no. "We can start seeing each other and see where things go. After all, building a relationship takes time, don't you think? Besides, my divorce isn't legally finalized yet."