The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1923

Wiping his tears away, Ludovic spoke with resolve. "All I want is to drag Barnaby down from his throne and avenge my son!"

Wynter hesitated before replying, "I understand your pain. But you mentioned Barnaby is the deputy director of the Havenia Office of National Intelligence—a high-ranking position. Things don't work here the way they do on the mainland."

"I know. I just can't let it go." Ludovic sighed.

Lifting her gaze, Wynter comforted him. "But that doesn't mean we've hit a dead end. If we uncover solid evidence, we can bring him to justice."

Ludovic shook his head, resigned. "I've tried everything you just said. But in Havenia, he gets the first look at any piece of evidence."

Wynter gently drummed her fingers against the table. "I'll keep an eye on things on my end. Maybe it'll help. For now, you can rest at the hotel. I've extended your stay. If anything turns up, I'll contact you immediately.

"You did well on the mission Grandpa Gordon entrusted to you. Get some rest. I'll arrange for your return to the mainland soon."

Hearing that, Ludovic shot up from his seat. "I can't, Ms. Wynter. Though my son's death still weighs on me, my mission isn't over. I'll continue the search until I see this through!"

"Grandpa Gordon would appreciate your persistence. Here, I've bought you a new phone. I've already saved my number in it. Call me if you need anything." As she spoke, Wynter handed the phone to Ludovic.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Wynter," Ludovic said, accepting the gift with immense gratitude.

Wynter merely waved a dismissive hand. "No need for formalities. Just call me Wynter. I've got things to take care of, so I'll take my leave. Rest well, Mr. Ayres."

Seeing Wynter turn toward the door, Ludovic hurriedly opened it for her. "Alright, Ms. Wyn—I mean, Wynter. Take care. I'll call you as soon as I find anything."

Wynter nodded in acknowledgement. "Got it. No need to walk me out."

After seeing Wynter off, Ludovic closed the door. A quiet smile crept on his face.

The pristine phone still rested in his palm. Without hesitation, he began dismantling it. Examining the phone closely, he found a tiny listening device hidden beneath the battery.

Instead of removing the listening device, Ludovic reassembled the phone and switched on the television, cranking the volume to full. He then retrieved a second phone from the drawer and stepped into the bathroom to make a call.

Once the line connected, Ludovic reported, "I've made contact with Wynter Quinnell, as you instructed, sir."

"Did she suspect anything?" came a voice on the other end.

Shaking his head, Ludovic replied, "No, but she was very cautious, probing around the edges. Luckily, I had the answers memorized and didn't slip up."

"Stay hidden. I have a feeling Ms. Quinnell is after the Celestial Force as well. She wouldn't have come to Havenia without a reason," the voice said, voicing his speculation.

Ludovic pondered for a moment before continuing, "Understood, sir. She's asked me to remain in the hotel for now. I think she's trying to verify my background."

The voice chuckled. "Don't worry. You're in the clear. For now, lie low. The moment she agreed to your involvement, the plan was set in motion. Perhaps, she may lead us to the Celestial Force."

Ludovic gave a flattering reply. "Always three steps ahead, sir. I'll report back if I learn anything new."

The voice reminded again, "Remember—wait for her to come to you. Don't act on your own."

"Understood. You can count on me," Ludovic replied firmly. The voice gave a hum of approval before the line went dead.

After ending the call, Ludovic returned the phone to its hidden compartment and switched off the television. He lay down on the bed to rest, as if nothing at all had happened.

…

At that moment, Wynter walked out of the elevator into the hotel lobby. She pulled out her phone and sent a message to Ajax Pickart, a Special Unit member working under the codename "Talon".

001: "Can you hear him?"

Talon: "Loud and clear. We've got ears on Ludovic Ayres 24/7. I'll update you if anything comes up."

001: "Okay."

Talon: "But right after you left, he blasted the TV volume. All we got was a wall of noise."

001: "It doesn't matter. Keep listening. Also, dig deeper into his background. I'll send you his photo. Track down his friends and relatives—anyone who can confirm his identity."

Talon: "Understood, Boss."

After the message went through, Wynter tucked her phone away. Something about Ludovic's story didn't sit right with her. It was just too perfect, not a single detail out of place. Even the tears he shed seemed so sincere and convincing, almost enough to lower one's guard.

A story that neat was rarely the truth. Things would work more easily if they could find a single crack in Ludovic's background. Yet, if he truly was part of the chamber of commerce, then Wynter might have just shattered his trust—not that she cared.

Though Wynter had never worked with Gordon, one thing was certain—he could easily wipe one's past clean, so long as they mattered to him. For now, all she could do was wait and see whether Ludovic would prove to be an ally or foe.

With that in mind, Wynter raised her head to find that she had arrived at the mall. She tracked Wolf's location to the third floor and took the escalator up. As she stepped off, she spotted Dalton—holding a child in each hand—completely surrounded by a crowd of women.

Wynter couldn't help but sigh. Pretty men always drew attention wherever they went.

"Hey there, handsome. Can I get your number?" A woman asked, flirting with Dalton.

Another woman squealed, "I've never seen such a handsome, classy man in Havenia. He's just my type, like, dangerously my type!"

"Out of the way! He's mine. Be my boyfriend, and I'll give you 30 thousand dollars a month!" An aggressive woman shoved forward.

"30 thousand? How are we supposed to compete with that?" Someone gasped.

Jules, never having faced such a situation before, was completely baffled. She turned to Wolf and asked, "What are they doing, Wolf?"

Wolf whispered back, "They want Mr. Leprechaun to be their boyfriend. Well, they can keep dreaming! They're not even a match for Boss. What's that idiom again? Like they're punching something…"

"They're just punching above their weight!" Jules helpfully answered.

"Yeah, that's the one!" Wolf gave a firm nod.

Narrowing his eyes, Dalton was about to speak when a voice cut through the crowd from behind.

"He's my fiance." It was none other than Wynter.

The women were ready to retort until they saw her. It was simply human nature to admire beauty, and Wynter was undeniably gorgeous. She outshone the women in both figure and beauty, prompting them to slowly back away in quiet defeat.

"You came just in time, my lady." Dalton chuckled as he turned to face Wynter.

She shot him a glance and sighed again. "I shouldn't have let you come to such a crowded place. You're drawing too much attention."

Dalton arched a brow. "Are you worried someone might steal me away?"

Wynter shook her head with certainty. "Put all of them together, and you still wouldn't spare a glance."

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