Chapter 86: Chapter 85: The First Clue
North City.
The Bennetts Group, CEO’s Office.
Philip Bennett sat in an armchair, leaning forward with his index fingers interlocked at his nose bridge. The floor was covered with shattered tea sets, the spilled tea leaves emitting a calming aroma.
Upon learning that his own son had invested fifty million in the Lyle Corporation, he was so enraged his blood pressure rose, prompting him to convene the board to discuss dealing with Melody Harmony.
But what he didn’t expect was that the vote didn’t pass, making him realize his 35% share did not constitute great control.
At some point, his son had somehow acquired a substantial 20% share in the company, and the old man with a 40% share supported Norman Bennett!
His father did not support his son but rather his grandson!
Yet what baffled him was how this son managed to acquire 20% of the shares right under his nose. Where did he get the funds for acquisition? Could it have come from the old man?
Perhaps Philip Bennett would never have imagined that Melody Harmony Group was only the tip of the iceberg under Norman Bennett’s command.
...
―――Linglang Suburbs, Moonlake Villas.
Elliana Lyle lay lazily on the soft large bed, the mushroom lamp still at the bedside, with a rabbit hugging a carrot underneath.
A cat ran back and forth outside; she was too lazy to manage it, just stared out the window in a daze, listening to the crisp chirping of birds, seemingly lost in thought.
She appeared both dejected and lazy.
Buzz buzz～
Just then, her phone rang. It took her a moment to react and pick it up. She received a short video from Luna.
The content of the video...
Upon seeing it clearly, Elliana’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened in disbelief, verifying it again.
How could this be...
She raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth, tears welling up about to fall.
The video was rather explicit, featuring a girl holding her ID card; it was obviously a nude loan pledge video, and the star of the video was precisely the missing Nancy!
She was simultaneously shocked and heartbroken, wondering why Nancy resorted to a nude loan. Why didn’t she seek her help if she needed money?
Luna (Master): "This video is from three years ago, please confirm if it’s Nancy."
Elliana immediately sat up from the bed, swiftly got off, and typed: "Where did you find it?" She sent the message and watched the screen anxiously waiting for a reply.
Buzz buzz～
Luna (Master): "It wasn’t me who found it, it was Andrew Hue. Maybe you should ask Nancy’s mom about what happened back then. I can’t ask, you know."
How could she dare show something like this to Auntie South?
Three years ago... It was around their high school graduation time. It seemed she had no choice but to ask Auntie South about what happened then.
She didn’t hesitate, quickly swapped her coat for a creamy white wool one, and asked Lana to accompany her out.
There were plenty of servants in the villa, so Hannah Collins wouldn’t be left uncared for.
It only took half an hour to drive to Vicars Hotel. When she saw Auntie South, she could clearly see that Auntie South’s condition had improved significantly; her face was no longer gaunt and her skin had gained some luster.
"Oh my, Elliana, you’re back. I haven’t seen you for days."
Auntie South held a mop, raising a hand clad in rubber gloves to wipe her face. There was a noticeable tension in her expression, her eyes full of expectation, wondering if Elliana had brought news of her daughter.
Originally bearing sorrow when she met Auntie South, Elliana tried to smile, aiming not to let her negative emotions affect Auntie South.
She reached out to grab Auntie South’s arm, saying, "Auntie South, I need to ask you something. Let’s talk inside."
Upon hearing Elliana needing to ask her something, Auntie South appeared even more excited, repeatedly saying: "Okay, okay!"
...
"Three years ago..." Auntie South sat on the dorm bed, her murky amber eyes squinting towards the window, pondering deeply.
Seeing Auntie South seemingly unable to recall, Elliana quickly added: "It was the year we graduated from high school."
Upon mention of high school graduation, Auntie South immediately recognized the exact time, growing emotionally agitated, with tears instantly welling in her eyes.
"When my daughter had just graduated, her father had a car accident..."
Auntie South said, wiping her nose, continuing: "He was hospitalized for two months, leaving us in huge debt. Later my daughter brought back two hundred thousand, and when I asked where it came from, she just said saving Dad was the priority!"
At this, Auntie South covered her face with both hands, crying bitterly. That was when their family completely collapsed.
Elliana remained silent for a long time, then handed a tissue to Auntie South. After Auntie South calmed down, she continued: "What happened afterward?"
"Afterward, her father also didn’t make it. Before my daughter disappeared, she again brought back money. At that time, I sold the county house, plus my daughter’s money; we nearly cleared her father’s medical debts. You know, she supposedly went abroad, and there’s been no news since."
...
minutes later, Elliana arrived at her company.
Upon entering, she witnessed the newly renovated office space, fully equipped with office necessities like computers and chairs, all in a simple yet stylish manner, comparable to medium-sized firms in the country.
Despite having numerous office spaces, only three employees were working there.
"Here you are, so, what do you think? I did a pretty good job, didn’t I?" Luna walked out of the tea room, holding a cup of latte.
"Yeah, it’s decent." Elliana nodded briefly, then said to Lana: "Go and rest in the tea room for now."
She wished not to share many things with Lana.
"Alright, ma’am." Lana obediently headed to the tea room, feeling unexplainably guilty, uncertain if Elliana had discovered anything.
Luna steadily approached, teasingly draping an arm over Elliana’s shoulder, proudly saying: "You know what? Your husband sent people everywhere to catch me the other day, guess what happened?"
"I don’t know."
"They didn’t even find a strand of my hair." Luna raised an eyebrow with a sense of accomplishment, then took a sip of her latte.
Elliana felt a slight curiosity-grow. Managing to hide from Norman Bennett’s vigilance, she asked with a curious attitude: "Where did you hide?"
"Not telling you."
...
CEO’s Office.
Elliana possessed an excellent office environment, yet she felt that she might not need all of these things.
A few people sat across from her. They were supposed to go to the meeting room, but with just a few people, sitting in a meeting room catering to a hundred felt odd.
The meeting room lacked windows and natural light, and especially Zhang seemed restless, looking around as if seeing ghosts, making her uneasy, thus opting for the office to converse.
"Boss, I discovered it," Andrew Hue confidently acknowledged, seemingly seeking praise.
"Where did you find it?"
Andrew Hue organized his thoughts, seriously saying: "I stumbled upon it while browsing adult websites in bed..."
"That’s enough!"
Elliana immediately interrupted, wishing to know nothing further! However, it seemed Andrew Hue’s Chinese has improved considerably.
Having found it on a website implied that the website might hold further clues. After contemplating, she said: "Andrew Hue, I need you to investigate this website and the loan company."
At this moment, Luna, who had been idly checking her phone, looked up earnestly and said, "Buddy, it’s incredibly challenging to trace Nancy’s nude loan platform. Adult websites are established overseas, often illegally, without traces, and most illegal loan platforms demand nude loans from women, so identifying Nancy’s nude loan platform is a difficult task."