Chapter 538 Astralton City (2) Meeting
The next day at 8 PM, Cecilia, Cassius, and Augustus hit the road from Serenovia City in a sedan with Astralton City plates.
As usual, Augustus was behind the wheel.
Cassius took the front passenger seat, and Cecilia settled in the back.
"When we get to Astralton City, we'll check into the Literati Premium Club. It's my family's place, so we won't need any ID to check in. That way, we can keep a low profile," Cassius arranged. "I've also got someone working on getting Gideon's schedule. We should have it by the time we get there, and then we can figure out the best time to meet him."
"Okay," Cecilia nodded.
Cassius was always thorough with stuff like this.
Despite his rough exterior, Cassius was actually super meticulous.
If he wasn't so detail-oriented, he wouldn't have picked up on Alaric's hint about his phone when he mentioned a birthday.
Cecilia stared out the window at the highway leading to Astralton City, watching the dark sky.
She couldn't help but think of Alaric in prison, so thin he was practically a skeleton.
Cecilia bit her lip. She thought, 'No matter what, I have to get Alaric out safely and make sure Dominic pays.'
The car was quiet.
Cassius leaned back in the front seat, probably not asleep, while Cecilia kept staring out the window.
Thanks to Cassius's careful planning, the trip went smoothly.
By 9 AM the next morning, they arrived at the Literati Premium Club in Astralton City. They used a private entrance to get into a luxury suite.
"Do you want to sleep first or eat something?" Cassius asked.
After a night in the car, they were all pretty tired.
"Let's sleep first, then eat when we wake up," Cecilia said, exhausted.
Cassius didn't say much more.
The three of them each went into a room and crashed.
When Cecilia woke up, it was already 3 PM, and she was starving. She opened the door and saw that Cassius and Augustus were already up.
Men always seemed to bounce back faster than women.
Every time they were wiped out, the guys seemed to recover quicker than she did.
"We've already eaten. I had someone bring you a meal," Cassius said as he watched Cecilia walk out of her room.
Cecilia said, "Thanks."
Soon after, a waiter brought the meal, and Cecilia dug in.
After eating, she sat on the suite's sofa.
Cassius handed her a document. "This is Gideon's usual preferences and daily schedule. Take a look and see when it would be best for us to meet him."
Cecilia took it and started reading.
Gideon, 31 years old, unmarried but had a girlfriend.
His girlfriend, Nicole Dixon, was a diplomat. They were classmates who fell in love and were about to get married. According to the info, they were tying the knot next year.
Besides handling various matters for the Hotchner family, Gideon also worked at the State Office in Astralton City, mainly in the prosecutor's department. So it made sense for him to be involved in Alaric's case.
Cecilia read silently, thinking deeply as she continued to look ahead.
After a while, Cassius couldn't hold back any longer. "When exactly are we going to meet Gideon?"
"The day after tomorrow," Cecilia said. "The day after tomorrow is Nicole's birthday."
Cassius said, "Will they even pay attention to us during a birthday celebration?"
"At other times, they wouldn't even give us the time of day," Cecilia said confidently. "Find out if Gideon usually throws a birthday party for Nicole or if they have a candlelight dinner. Once we know, we can figure out how to meet them naturally!"
"Got it," Cassius replied, not needing to say much more.
After all, following Cecilia's lead was never a mistake.
Cassius picked up the phone and stepped aside to make some calls.
As Cecilia continued to read through Gideon's personal info, she realized just how complex the Hotchner family was.
The Hotchner family had always kept a low profile, but Gideon's skills far outshined those of any Monroe family member. Given that, the Hotchner family would never let the Monroe family dominate the Yakurosean Empire's territory. The only reason must be that the Hotchner family was indeed biding their time, planning a sudden attack on the Monroe family!
If that was the case, then teaming up with the Hotchner family now would be perfect.
"I found out," Cassius said, walking back over to Cecilia.
Cecilia snapped back to reality.
"The Hotchner family is always low-key, unlike the Monroes. So Gideon does everything discreetly. For Nicole's birthday, he usually has a private dinner with her at the same place every year," Cassius explained. "The Literati Premium Club."
Cecilia frowned.
"Yeah, right here," Cassius laughed. "We're really lucky!"
Cecilia laughed too, feeling that luck was indeed on their side. "So what do we do now?"
Cassius said, "What else can we do? Just wait."
Wait for Gideon to come to them.
On the third day, Cecilia and Cassius dressed as Literati Premium Club waitstaff and showed up at the private upscale restaurant Gideon had reserved.
Gideon was indeed low-key. Even when he reserved an entire venue, he chose the least conspicuous way to do it. The small restaurant he booked could only accommodate a handful of guests, with a maximum of five tables per day. Reserving it for one night wouldn't cause much of a stir.
The Hotchner family clearly cared more about their reputation than the Monroe family.
Gideon brought Nicole for dinner at 7 PM.
From a distance, Cecilia saw Gideon. He was tall, wore refined glasses, and had a noble, gentlemanly vibe.
Up close, Gideon's features weren't much different from what was occasionally seen in the media. In fact, he looked even better in person. The media often made him appear too stern, but perhaps because he was with Nicole, Gideon seemed more gentle.
Cecilia didn't dare to look at him for too long.
She just kept her head down, standing there respectfully.
Cassius stood beside her, along with several other staff members.
Gideon gentlemanly pulled out a chair for Nicole. After she sat down, he returned to his seat and said to the nearby waiter, "One person staying is enough."
Cassius turned to look at Cecilia.
Cecilia nodded slightly.
Knowing Gideon's preferences, they had already planned for Cecilia to stay.
Naturally, Cecilia had also crammed on how to be a waiter in the past two days, to the point where Cassius found it a bit unbelievable.
After all, Cassius, who was pampered by Alaric, was now serving someone else.
If Alaric knew, his heart would probably break.
Cassius thought as he waited at the door.
Of course, his main concern was whether Cecilia could persuade Gideon.
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