Chapter 173: Eavesdropping

When Felix Ford heard this, he was a little skeptical at first. He didn’t think Jean Vance was that friendly to him. But on second thought, it seemed Jean did indulge him at times. For instance, Felix had originally wanted to switch back, but the moment he acted a little weak, Jean had agreed.

’He looks as cold and aloof as Dad, but he clearly responds to a soft approach, not a hard one.’

At this thought, he cheered up again. "Then I’ll be nicer to my brother from now on."

Hearing him say "brother," Amanda Vance’s gaze softened. She naturally hoped the two children could get along peacefully.

Meanwhile, Samuel Ford returned to the room. He saw the child sitting at the desk reading a book and walked over. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

Jean Vance didn’t look up, replying faintly, "I’m not."

Samuel Ford didn’t press the issue. He glanced down at the time. "I’m heading downstairs for a meeting in a little while. Stay in the room and don’t run around. If you need anything, tell Rocco."

"Okay."

He merely nodded, his attitude exceedingly cold.

Seeing this, Samuel Ford narrowed his eyes. ’He was cold before, but he at least remembered to act like Colt, so it wasn’t this obvious. Why the sudden change? Isn’t he afraid I’ll figure out who he is?’

’Or maybe... he just doesn’t care anymore.’

Tapping his fingers together, Samuel Ford shot him a probing glance. But Jean Vance kept his head buried in his book, his expression unreadable. After a moment’s contemplation, Samuel walked out and spoke to Rocco, who was standing guard at the door. "Watch him. Don’t let him wander off."

"Yes, sir." Rocco acknowledged, his expression grave. "Don’t you worry, Sir. I’ll be sure to keep a close eye on the Young Master."

"Good." Before leaving, Samuel took a couple of steps back. "Call me immediately if anything comes up."

Rocco was a bit surprised to hear that. He knew his boss was a complete workaholic who never took calls during meetings. Now he was saying to call him anytime? ’Does that mean he won’t be putting his phone on silent this time?’

He was puzzled. ’Is the Young Master going to act up again? No wonder he’s been so quiet. It was just the calm before the storm.’

Rocco, thinking he had figured it out, put on an even more serious expression. "Yes, sir. Absolutely."

Seeing his subordinate’s resolve, Samuel relaxed slightly. ’He’s just a child, after all. No matter how smart he is, he can’t make any real waves.’

He took one last, long look at the closed door, then paused for a moment before finally striding away.

Inside the room, Jean Vance’s ears twitched. As he heard the footsteps fade into the distance, he closed his book and pulled out his phone. A moment later, two dots appeared on the screen.

One red, one green. They were very close together.

Staring at the screen, Jean Vance’s eyes darkened.

He hadn’t been interested in accompanying Samuel Ford to this meeting, but then he’d unexpectedly spotted Miss Lynch here. She was bundled up, acting furtively, and clearly up to something she didn’t want anyone to see.

That’s why he had tagged along—to see what she was doing. But after she entered a room, she hadn’t come back out.

A single night here cost a five-figure sum. The pay at the Ford Family estate was good, but not so good that Miss Lynch would be willing to spend that kind of money just for a one-night stay.

Clearly, it was more likely she was here to meet someone.

Seeing a breakthrough in the case he’d been investigating, he certainly wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by. That’s why he had come.

However, glancing toward Rocco outside, he rubbed his chin, pondering how he could slip past him.

The red dot on his phone suddenly shifted. A flicker of movement crossed his face. Jean Vance hopped off the chair and pulled the door open.

"Young Master, what are you doing out here?" Rocco asked, surprised. ’Sir just left, and he’s already starting something?’

At that thought, he grew more vigilant.

Jean Vance naturally understood his reaction. The hotel’s soundproofing was excellent, so he hadn’t overheard anything, but from Rocco’s behavior, he could guess that Samuel must have said something to him.

His expression remained neutral as he said, "I’m hungry. I’m going downstairs to eat."

"Oh, right. I’ll go with you, then."

"Okay." Jean didn’t say anything more and just started walking, with Rocco shadowing his every move.

When they reached the downstairs restaurant and Rocco saw that he was, in fact, just eating, he breathed a sigh of relief. ’Maybe I was overthinking things. He’s being perfectly well-behaved.’

"This is delicious. Let’s get another one to bring back for Dad. He can eat it after his meeting is over," Jean said, pointing to a small cake.

Rocco was actually touched. ’The Young Master has really grown up. He even remembers to bring something back for Sir when he finds a tasty treat.’ Seeing Jean about to hop down, he quickly said, "You stay here and eat, Young Master. I’ll go get it."

"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Rocco."

’See? Not only is he more sensible, but he’s also more polite than before.’

It had to be said, Jean Vance’s cute face gave him a huge advantage. When the child looked up with his cherubic face and spoke in that soft voice, no one could resist him—not even Rocco, a bona fide tough guy. Right then, he felt like he would pluck the stars from the sky for the boy if he asked.

It was the dinner rush, so the restaurant was a bit crowded. Rocco weaved through the people toward the dessert station. It was tucked in a corner, diagonally across from their table, with a large pillar obstructing the view between them.

After leisurely taking a sip of juice and dabbing his mouth with a napkin, Jean Vance hopped down from his chair and vanished in an instant.

When Rocco returned with the cake, he froze, staring at the empty table. He was dumbfounded.

’Where did he go?’

At that moment, Jean Vance was stepping into an elevator, key card in hand, his eyes glued to the red dot on his phone.

The red dot had only moved a tiny bit. The distance was maybe six or seven meters—just about the distance from one hotel room to the next.

The floor number hadn’t changed; it was still the twenty-eighth floor.

DING— The elevator arrived.

Jean Vance stepped out. His key card only granted access up to the twenty-third floor. He found a service stairwell and climbed five floors. On his phone’s screen, the red and green dots were now almost on top of each other.

The tracking system now served as his GPS. Following its directions, Jean stopped in front of a hotel room. He glanced up at the room number, then bent down as if to tie his shoelace. As he did, a minuscule object shot from his fingertip and slid through the crack under the door.

After patting his pant leg, he continued down the hall, slipping into a nearby restroom he passed.

He pulled an earpiece from his pocket and tapped it twice. A familiar voice immediately came through.

It was Miss Lynch, her tone obsequious. "You’re truly brilliant, sir. You predicted everything. She really showed up."

’Predicted what? Who showed up?’

Jean narrowed his eyes and listened intently.

A deep male voice followed. "As long as the bait is there, you don’t have to worry about the fish not biting. Since she wants a Jade Pendant, I’ll give her one."

’Jade Pendant?’ Jean’s eyes widened slightly. He pressed his lips together, a suspicion already forming in his mind.

Sure enough, the next moment he heard the man let out a cold laugh. "Heh. Amanda Vance and Samuel Ford... this is getting more and more interesting."

Immediately after, footsteps grew louder. It sounded like the man was about to leave.

Jean was just about to put the earpiece away when a sudden burst of static screeched in his ear. He winced, instinctively clenching his jaw.

Then, he heard the man’s sinister laugh again, and his expression turned grim.

’Damn it,’ he thought, ’I’ve been discovered!’

The hotel layout flashed through his mind. There was a stairwell right next to the restroom; he could escape that way. Plus, the restroom was around a corner, out of their line of sight.

With that, he scrambled to his feet to leave. His hand was just reaching for the doorknob when someone suddenly grabbed him by the collar from behind.

A woman’s shrill voice pierced the air. "Well, well, you little bastard. I’ve finally caught you!"