The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1922

Meanwhile, Wynter brought Ludovic to a nearby hotel. After checking into a room, she said softly, "Clean yourself up and take a shower first. I'll go get you a change of clothes."

Ludovic nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Quinnell."

Wynter waved her hand. "No need to thank me. You were sent by my great-great-grandfather, so I can't have you feel unwelcome. By the way, what's your name, and where are you from?"

"I'm Ludovic Ayres. I'm from the north—Tuxpool," Ludovic replied.

Wynter nodded slightly. "Alright, then, Mr. Ayres. I'll go buy you some clothes."

With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

As the door shut, Wynter's gaze darkened. After leaving the hotel, she took out her phone and dialed Antoine.

As soon as the call connected, Antoine spoke first. "Ms. Quinnell, is something the matter?"

Wynter got straight to the point. "Mr. Chamberlain, do you know someone named Ludovic Ayres?"

Antoine paused to think. "No, I don't."

Wynter continued, "Then, do you know if Grandpa Gordon sent anyone else to Havenia apart from your group?"

Antoine hesitated before replying, "Now that you mention it, I do recall someone mentioning that Mr. Quinnell Senior might have sent someone to investigate something in Havenia during our mission. But it had nothing to do with us, so I didn't pay much attention at the time."

Wynter's eyes narrowed slightly. "Alright. Thank you, Mr. Chamberlain. I won't take too much of your time. I'll end the call now."

Antoine quickly replied, "You're too humble, Ms. Quinnell. Please take care."

Wynter didn't say anything more and ended the call.

Although Antoine mentioned that Gordon might have sent someone to investigate something in Havenia, there was no concrete confirmation of how many people were sent or if anyone was sent at all.

Aside from what Ludovic himself claimed, there was no other evidence. Though his words were flawless and he even recognized the gold-eyed goldfish, it was still possible that someone had taught him what to say.

After all, Havenia wasn't like other cities. It was a place full of hidden agendas and shady dealings. It was hard to trust a stranger who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

It was still unclear whether Ludovic was friend or foe. It would be ideal if he turned out to be an ally, but if he were an enemy, that meant someone might already know her whereabouts. And if that were the case, things were about to get complicated.

At that thought, Wynter took out her phone and logged into a secret communication app exclusive to 001.

She texted Talon, "Track down everything on a man named Ludovic Ayres from Tuxpool. I want a full report, from his birth to his current situation. And send me his photo, too."

Talon replied, "Got it, Boss!"

After handling that, she put away her phone and walked toward the shopping mall. The moment she stepped inside, she spotted Dalton and the others sitting in a cafe.

Dalton sat there lazily, his gaze deep and distant. His handsome, refined features gave off a dangerously charming air. Dressed in all black, he looked every inch the corporate CEO, completely out of place in the cozy cafe.

"Hey, Mr. Leprechaun, Jules and I already ordered. Do you want anything, too?" Wolf turned around to ask him.

Dalton lifted his gaze slightly. "I'm not used to drinks like this."

Wolf grinned. "Then you can pay now."

Dalton let out a soft chuckle. "Your piggy bank is not exactly empty. Are you being this stingy over just two drinks?"

Wolf quickly shook his head. "I don't have enough! Besides, what kind of adult goes out with kids and makes the kids pay?" Then, he turned to Jules. "Right, Jules?"

Jules sighed softly. "I'd definitely pay for myself if I had money right now."

Dalton gave an exasperated smile. Just as he was about to stand up, a warm hand gently pressed him back into his seat. "I'll pay."

The voice belonged to Wynter.

Seeing her, Wolf immediately ran over in small steps. "Boss, you're here!"

Wynter ruffled his head playfully. "Next time, pay yourself. Mr. Leprechaun is meant for big expenses. Having him handle the small ones would lower his status. Understand?"

Wolf pouted. "Got it, Boss."

Dalton looked at Wynter. "You're here. Is everything handled?"

Wynter shook her head, walked to the cashier to pay, and then made her way to sit beside him.

Dalton turned slightly toward her. "Who is that man?"

"He says his name is Ludovic Ayres and claims Grandpa Gordon sent him to Havenia."

Dalton tapped his thigh with his fingertips. "He claims? Then it's just a possibility."

Wynter glanced at him. "That's what I thought, too. That was why I asked Antoine, but he doesn't know the guy. He did, however, mention that my great-great grandpa might've privately sent someone to investigate something in Havenia back then."

Dalton looked away. "Then it seems our movements may have been exposed. A beggar waiting at the mall entrance, who just so happened to spot us coming in and even recognized you? That's either a major coincidence or a trap."

Wynter chuckled lightly. "You know me too well, my dearest cultivation partner."

Dalton reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, what does Ms. Quinnell plan to do now?"

Wynter lowered her voice. "I'll wait for intel, then meet him again. If he's really sent here by Grandpa Gordon, I'll treat him with respect. But if someone had set this up... then things will get interesting."

Not far from them, Wolf and Jules were staring at the two without blinking.

Jules couldn't hold her thoughts in anymore. "Wolf, I feel like I'm watching a movie. They're both so good-looking."

Wolf murmured, "Yeah, I think so, too. They are like a living painting—no one could walk by without looking twice."

Jules nodded seriously. "I want to be as pretty as Ms. Wynter when I grow up. Wait, not just pretty. I want to be cool and dashing as well!"

Wolf glanced at her, then at Wynter. "Hmm... that's a tall order. My boss' genes are too good. She's one of a kind."

Jules pouted. "Then I'll just try harder! They say you become like those you're around. If I stick close to Ms. Wynter, maybe I'll become like her, too!"

Wynter sensed someone watching her, so she turned toward Wolf and Jules.

When their eyes met, she asked, "What are you two whispering about?"

Wolf quickly turned to the left. "Uh, nothing, Boss! We weren't saying anything."

Jules also looked away to the right. "Ms. Wynter, we didn't say a thing."

As they both looked away while speaking, they accidentally turned to face each other, locked in mutual eye contact.

Meeting him on the street earlier had been too conspicuous. If he were an enemy, he'd eventually slip up in a more controlled setting like a hotel room.

With that, Wynter quickened her pace. She entered the elevator, reached the right floor, and stopped at the door. Knocking lightly, she waited.

After a short pause, the door opened, revealing Ludovic.

Wynter handed him the clothes. "Mr. Ayres, feel free to change first."

Ludovic nodded. "Please, come in and take a seat. I'll change in the washroom."

Wynter hummed in response before walking into the room and sitting on the couch, patiently waiting for Ludovic to return.

After a while, Ludovic emerged from the washroom in his new clothes, looking like a completely different person, though the marks on his face were still clearly visible.

Wynter got straight to the point. "Mr. Ayres, did anyone else know my great-great-grandfather sent you to Havenia?"

Ludovic shook his head. "It was top secret. Mr. Quinnell Senior mentioned in a meeting that he intended to send someone to Havenia for a task, but never said who. So, the only person who knew I was coming here was Mr. Quinnell Senior himself."

Wynter's gaze deepened. That did match what Antoine had mentioned earlier—someone had brought up the idea that Gordon might send someone to Havenia.

Ludovic frowned slightly. "Ms. Quinnell, do you not believe me?"

Wynter smiled. "How could that be, Mr. Ayres? I just feel bad that you had to work alone in Havenia. You tried your best to fulfill Grandpa Gordon's orders and held on for all these years."

Hearing that, Ludovic's expression softened. "Ms. Quinnell, you flatter me. When Mr. Quinnell Senior gave me this task, I swore to carry it out no matter the cost. But it's such a difficult mission. After all this time, I still haven't made any real progress."

Wynter offered him some comfort. "You can't blame yourself. Just being able to persist this long is already incredibly impressive. That alone earns my deepest respect."

She continued, "By the way, you mentioned something about your son earlier. What happened to him?"

Ludovic let out a long sigh. "That's a long story."

Wynter cut in immediately, "Then make it short."

Ludovic was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Since you want to know, I'll tell you. Back when I was doing fairly well in Havenia, my son started thinking he was a big shot here, too.

"He dropped out of school and spent his days partying. That was until he met someone in a bar while drinking one night. He had a beautiful girlfriend then, and hence, naturally, other guys kept glancing at her. He thought it made him look good.

"But then a man wearing a mask walked over and asked my son how much his girlfriend cost. My son scoffed, told him she wasn't for sale, and told him to get lost. The man just smiled and said that everyone has a price.

"He started with an offer of ten million dollars. When my son didn't respond, he kept raising it—20 million, then 50. My son felt completely disrespected and finally lost his temper before punching him.

"After taking the punch, the man simply smiled and told my son he'd better get on his knees and apologize. He warned that while he might be the one hurt now, it would be my son who'd end up losing his life.

"My son just laughed in his face and kept egging him on. But right after that, a group of people suddenly appeared and dragged him away."

At this point, tears welled up in Ludovic's eyes. "From that day on, I never saw my son again. I called the police, but there were no leads. Eventually, someone found him, but he was already gone. I was furious and spent a fortune just to get that information.

"But the very next day, people from the Havenia Office of National Intelligence came to inform me that my company had been infiltrated by foreign interests. They shut everything down and seized my money, house, and car."

Through clenched teeth, Ludovic continued, "After a long investigation, I found out it was connected to Barnaby, the deputy director of the Havenia Office of National Intelligence. But his power is overwhelming, and I didn't even have a chance to fight back."

Wynter handed him a tissue. "Sorry for bringing up such a painful memory."

From everything he had said, even Wynter couldn't tell if it was the truth or not. For now, all she could do was investigate Barnaby.