Chapter 5 Person Not Found

Charlie smirked, seeing Evelyn, Landon, and Simon all riled up by the latest twist, and said with a smug grin, "You think running a company is as easy as jotting down a few plans?"

Then he got serious, locking eyes with Evelyn.

Sensing that Charlie was about to drop some serious knowledge, Evelyn focused and listened up.

"Evelyn, if you want to run the family business, that's fine. I'm not some old-school guy, I won't stop you. Business is all about profit, and those flashy tricks won't cut it in the business world. But if you want to take on the big responsibilities, it's not a walk in the park. Just look at Landon; it took him a year to get where he is now."

Charlie went on, "To be fair, I'll let you try managing the KS World Hotel in Mugden first. If you can turn that hotel from losing money to making a profit in six months, I'll think about letting you take over Landon's spot."

Before Landon and Simon could say anything, he added, "Of course, during this time, you can use the family's connections and funds however you want. The help Landon got will be available to you too."

With that, Charlie waved them off, signaling Evelyn, Landon, and Simon to leave the study. He was done dealing with his troublesome kids for now.

After leaving the study, Landon headed straight to his room to change into his cassock and reminded Evelyn, "Don't give Dad a reason to take this away from me."

Simon sighed, "Landon, you really believe in Evelyn."

"Even though Dad gave me this tough challenge, I thrive under pressure. If he thinks I'll back down, he's wrong," Evelyn said passionately, her ambition, dormant for three years, now ready to explode.

Simon and Landon exchanged smiles, and Simon patted Evelyn on the shoulders, "Evelyn, we're counting on you. Don't let us down. If you need anything, just call me."

"No way. Didn't you hear Dad say I could use the Taylor family's resources as I please? He's setting a trap for me. If I use more than he expects, he'll kick me off the heir list."

"How sneaky," Simon said, clicking his tongue.

But Landon stayed calm, "That's how business is. Profit and risk go hand in hand. Balancing them is what every businessman has to do."

For a moment, the whole Taylor family was in sync, and everyone had a bright future ahead.

But Evelyn's ex-husband, Edward, wasn't in a good mood.

It had been five days since he last saw Lily. After wrapping up his morning meeting, Edward, looking tired, called his secretary, Bart Hanks, into his office.

"Any news on where Lily is?"

Bart frowned, looking guilty, "Mr. Wellington, not yet. We've checked all the places Mrs. Wellington used to go and might visit, including her registered address in Edenbrook. We sent someone there too."

Bart cautiously watched Edward's face before continuing, "We found out that the address Mrs. Wellington registered had been demolished a while ago. After asking around, we learned from the former residents that there was no one with the last name Brown in the area."

Edward's head snapped up, "What did you say?"

Bart swallowed hard, finding Edward's expression even scarier than when he was dealing with the board. But he pressed on, "It's true. That area used to be a village with lots of relatives. Brown isn't a common name there, and the locals would remember anyone with such a special name. But there really was no one named Brown."

After a pause, he added, "I couldn't believe it either, so I used my connections to check the local government records, but there was no such person named Lily Brown."

Edward couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and, remembering something, asked, "What about Simon? What about Landon Taylor? A few days ago, Lily was involved with the Taylor family. Didn't you check that?"

"Mr. Wellington, our company doesn't have a close enough relationship with KnightSpear Group to dig into their private lives. Besides, if they want to hide something, we wouldn't find any clues." Under Edward's intense gaze, Bart's voice grew weaker.

The scene of Simon standing up for Lily that night was unforgettable. Edward didn't believe they were just ordinary friends.

But to think they had a romantic relationship? The thought made Edward feel extremely agitated.

As Edward was brooding, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr. Wellington, there's a Ms. Adams downstairs who wants to see you. She doesn't have an appointment and was stopped downstairs. Should we let her up?" asked the female employee in charge of such matters.

Nicole was downstairs? Edward frowned slightly but nodded to let her up.

Bart, being very perceptive, noticed that Edward's mood didn't improve with Nicole's arrival. He couldn't help but miss the days when Lily was still by Edward's side.

Maybe even Edward hadn't realized that although he claimed to have no feelings for Lily, every time he was with her, he would relax significantly.

Edward didn't know what Bart was thinking. He was just pondering. Although he and Lily had signed an agreement, the procedures would take some time to complete. Their marriage was well-known, and the divorce would also need to be handled carefully to manage public opinion. Nicole coming to the Wellington Group openly at this time would undoubtedly spark many rumors.

He wasn't afraid of these rumors, but he didn't want unnecessary drama to make the Wellington family think less of Nicole.

Since it was a private matter, Edward had Bart finish the remaining work and leave.

After Bart brushed past Nicole at the door, he quietly took out his phone and sent a message to the employee group.

Worker Bart: [I just saw the one who ruined Mr. and Mrs. Wellington's relationship.]