Chapter 402 More Than Just Mutual Benefit
Alaric and his security team had been searching all night, but Anne's trail had gone cold.
Wind City was huge, and Nicholas had his fingers in every pie, from the underworld to the government.
Even though Alaric's team was top-notch, finding clues in such a sprawling place was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
By dawn, we were almost done sorting through the documents.
Lila stretched and let out a big yawn, her face lighting up. "Diana, with the info Anne gave us, we've saved a ton of time."
David, overhearing, couldn't hide his excitement. "If we can use this to take down Nicholas, the Wilson family might finally get out of this mess!"
But Edward just stared blankly at the pile of documents on the table, lost in thought.
Everyone quickly noticed his unusual behavior. I reached out and gently touched his arm. "What's on your mind?"
Edward snapped back to reality, a hint of unease crossing his face. "Nothing."
Even though he tried to play it off, I could see right through him. Edward was clearly worried about Anne. She was his sister, someone he'd cared about for nearly twenty years. Despite everything, he still had a soft spot for her.
I glanced at my watch. "We've been at this all night. Everyone's exhausted. Let's get some rest."
Almost in unison, everyone asked, "What about you?"
I replied firmly, "I'm going to see Jeffrey. He's close to Anne and might know something useful. We might find out where she is."
Concern spread across their faces. Lila frowned. "Diana, Jeffrey's connections with Nicholas are messy. Going there could be dangerous."
David added, "Yeah, we're already on Nicholas' bad side. If we push him, we could be in big trouble."
I shook my head, my eyes resolute. "Anne's life is at stake. Every moment we delay, she's in more danger. Jeffrey is our best lead right now. I have to take this risk."
Edward looked up, his eyes filled with urgency. "Diana, I'll go with you."
I wasn't sure if his urgency was for Anne's safety or mine. I patted his shoulder. "I have a bit of a connection with Jeffrey. It's better if I go alone. You're not in the right state of mind and might act impulsively. Stay here and wait for my news."
After reassuring everyone, I set out. I couldn't figure out why Jeffrey was so entangled with Anne.
Jeffrey had arranged to meet at a secluded bar, with few people around. I kept a careful eye on my surroundings, wary of Nicholas' spies.
When I pushed open the door, the smell of alcohol hit me. Jeffrey was already seated in a corner and stood slightly when he saw me.
Jeffrey sat across from me, the dim light casting shadows on his face.
I cut to the chase. "What's going on between you and Anne?"
Jeffrey let out a cold laugh, indifferent. "Nothing complicated, just business."
He casually swirled his drink, the ice clinking in the glass. "I had no beef with Nicholas, but in this game, who doesn't want more profit? Anne came to me, saying she could help."
I frowned, puzzled. "How could she help? Just because she's Nicholas' lover?"
"Exactly."
A hint of pride flashed in Jeffrey's eyes. "She knows all about Nicholas' dirty dealings and has a lot of key information. I've been looking for a way to move up, and she was my ticket."
He took a big gulp of his drink and continued, "She wanted out from under Nicholas, and I wanted to use her intel for my gain. It was a win-win."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Aren't you afraid Nicholas will find out and come after you? This isn't a game. You know how ruthless he can be!"
"There's always risk."
Jeffrey shrugged, his face nonchalant, but his eyes showed a hint of conflict. He lowered his head slightly, his fingers tracing the edge of his glass as if weighing the pros and cons.
"Chasing money means taking risks. Anne said she could secretly give me the evidence. If I played it right, it could ruin some of Nicholas' operations and boost my reputation. It was too good to pass up."
I frowned deeper, pressing on. "And Anne? She just wanted to help you? Knowing her, it can't be that simple."
Jeffrey was silent for a moment, looking uncomfortable. He avoided my gaze, rubbing his nose awkwardly. "At first, it was just mutual benefit, but then she seemed to develop feelings for me."
I raised an eyebrow, my tone skeptical. "Anne told me she loved you. If you knew, why didn't you set things straight? Why make it so complicated?"
Jeffrey took a frustrated swig of his drink, muttering, "She's a handful. At first, she only cared about the deal, but then she started asking about my life, looking at me differently."
He paused, reminiscing, his eyes distant and conflicted. "She even said as long as I was safe, she wouldn't care about the evidence. It made me think she was falling for me. I just wanted to use her, but now she's like this."
I sighed deeply, not understanding. "Anne's missing now. Aren't you worried the plan will fall apart? You seem too calm about this."
"It's a bit of a problem."
Jeffrey frowned slightly but quickly regained his composure.
He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto mine, probing. "She gave you some of the evidence, didn't she?"
His words, though unfinished, were cold and urgent, like a bucket of ice water, sending a chill through me.
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