Chapter 639
Nathaniel only returned to his office after Damian stormed away. He glanced at Arianna. "That's it? He doesn't seem satisfied."
"Well, we can't always win," Arianna replied, a faintly smug smile playing on her lips despite her seemingly helpless demeanor. "If I listened to Damian, you'd be unsatisfied. All right, enough with the act. That brat is so soft around you!"
Nathaniel snorted. "Now, back to business. I'm leaving on a business trip soon. You need to keep an eye on things here."
"Sapphine?" Arianna asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Of course. That town can't afford to ignore us."
Arianna's smile faded as she glanced at the candle Nathaniel had packed. "Are you sure this will work?"
"Don't worry about my plans," Nathaniel said confidently, patting his chest. "You'd better stay out of it. Henry will trust and cooperate with me because of my history with Lily. Once he's in the company, we'll have the information we need. Then, with the Lodge family's power, we'll easily get what we want."
"Then I'll be waiting for your good news!" Arianna replied happily.
A day passed. Another quiet day for the Lodge family. There was no hint of impending trouble. Lily had been vigilant on the first day, fearing Henry's arrival, but he hadn't appeared.
Jonathan, also residing in the Lodge family home, remained largely confined due to his age.
"Honey, you haven't been to Sapphine often, have you?" Lily asked softly, gazing out the window.
Alexander, tying his tie before the mirror, replied casually, "No. Although La Beautรฉ Group has a branch in Sapphine, the performance has always been stable and well-managed. I only visit twice a year to review accounts. I never linger."
He hadn't spent much time in Sapphine. Before Lily, his interactions with the Lodge family were minimal, limited to polite greetings. "That's a pity. Sapphine is quite beautiful," Lily said, turning to him. "Why don't I take you for a walk?"
He was already dressed when she looked at him again, his dapper appearance momentarily stunning her. Even after all this time, his looks still captivated her. Alexander chuckled at her surprised expression. "Okay. I was thinking the same thing."
Though he'd agreed not to leave the Lodge residence for three days, this excluded Sapphine. The police investigation continued, listing suspects in what everyone recognized as a calculated game.
As they were about to leave, a man stopped them at the entrance. "I'm sorry, Miss, you can't leave."
Lily raised an eyebrow at the man, one of the Lodge family's trained disciples. "I can't leave? What's going on? Am I a prisoner now?"
"No, of course not! Sir said you're not allowed to leave the house for the next three days," the man insisted, head bowed.
Lily stared at him a moment, then turned and looked upstairs. She saw the curtains move on the second floor, but no one appeared. Smiling, she said, "I know we abide by rules in the Lodge family residence, but detaining me like this is a crime. I'm sure you've heard of that."