Chapter 152: Setting Him Up

The confidence in Su San’s eyes began to falter as she pulled out the photographs.

Surveillance stills. Phone records.

A complete timeline.

Each page told the same story.

Each page led back...

...to her.

Su San’s expression gradually turned to stone.

For the first time, she saw the man standing before her instead of the lad she had raised.

Richard had grown.

Not just in age, but in capability.

She had been meticulous. Every trail was erased. Every loose end was tied off. She was certain no one could trace the operation back to her.

Yet Richard had.

The realization unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Richard’s voice remained even, almost gentle.

"You believed Isobel was alone." His eyes met hers without wavering. "You believed she was an orphan with no one willing to stand between her and people like you."

He paused, letting the silence stretch between them.

"You were wrong."

His gaze sharpened.

"Even if it is not me, there are others who would protect her."

A faint, humorless smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"And they’re far more frightening than I am."

The office fell into a suffocating silence.

Su San knew exactly whom he meant.

Morgan Foster.

Kristoff Dalton.

Two men who possessed power that rivaled nations and whose methods were whispered about in boardrooms and back alleys alike. They both risked their lives to save Isobel.

That alone spoke volumes.

Su San looked up and searched Richard’s face, as though the answer might already be written there.

"So..." she said slowly. "Who is Isobel... really?"

Richard’s eyes remained on the skyline beyond the glass.

"I don’t know."

The answer surprised her.

"I know the same Isobel I always have." A faint smile flickered across his lips before disappearing. "But one thing is certain."

He turned to meet her gaze.

"She’s no longer the helpless girl everyone thought she was."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

"I told you," Su San said at last, struggling to keep her composure. "I never intended for her to be kidnapped."

For the first time that morning, doubt crept into her mind.

"Perhaps Max misunderstood."

Another chuckle escaped Richard’s mouth.

Over the years, Richard knew there had been countless occasions when his aunt had told Max to "teach someone a lesson."

Neither of them had ever needed to explain what those words truly meant.

The target would simply....disappear.

Su San’s fingers curled into a fist. Then she rose from her chair.

The sharp click of her heels echoed across the office as she crossed the room until she stood face-to-face with Richard.

The boy who used to look up at her with admiration now towered over her by nearly a head. She found herself tilting her chin upward just to meet his eyes.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice low and edged with steel. "Are you planning to hand me over?"

Richard didn’t flinch.

"No."

His answer came so quickly it caught her off guard.

"I want you to go back to Shangville."

His tone remained calm, but every word landed with unmistakable force.

"If I was able to uncover the evidence, it’s only a matter of time before someone else does."

He let the warning settle before delivering the final blow.

"Morgan and Kristoff are already investigating."

Su San’s heart sank.

Either one of those men was a force to be reckoned with.

Together...

They could tear the Learson empire apart brick by brick.

For the first time in decades, the woman known throughout Novare as the Iron Woman felt something she had almost forgotten.

Fear.

...

A knock sounded at the door before it swung open.

Jackie walked in first, dressed in a crisp white blouse tucked into a charcoal pencil skirt that fell just above her knees. Her confident stride and easy smile brightened the room.

Following closely behind her was another young woman.

She wore a simple pastel dress that accentuated her slender figure. Her heart-shaped face, luminous complexion, and silky black hair gave her an almost fragile beauty.

Large, expressive eyes completed the picture, making her look soft and approachable at first glance.

Richard’s gaze swept over her for a brief moment.

Just one.

Then he looked away, as though she were no more remarkable than another employee reporting for work.

"Cousin," Jackie said cheerfully, "this is Sharina Brown, one of my closest friends."

"She applied for a secretarial position here, and today is her first day."

Richard gave a curt nod.

"Welcome to Learson Group."

His greeting was polite but detached before his attention returned to his aunt who still finishing her coffee.

Sharina had long grown accustomed to attracting attention the moment she entered a room. Men usually found excuses to keep talking to her, eager to impress or prolong the conversation.

Richard, however, hadn’t even spared her a second glance.

It was as if her beauty hadn’t registered at all.

A flicker of annoyance flashed through her eyes.

How arrogant, she thought.

Or... is he simply pretending not to notice me?

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, President Learson," Sharina said with a graceful smile. "Jackie has told me so much about you."

Her smile was warm and effortlessly charming, enough to leave a favorable impression on almost anyone.

Richard raised an eyebrow before a teasing smile tugged at his lips.

"So," he said, glancing at Jackie, "my dear cousin has been gossiping about me behind my back."

"I was not!" Jackie protested, folding her arms. "I was just... sharing stories."

"Oh? Is that what we’re calling it now?"

Richard reached over to ruffle her hair.

Jackie let out a startled squeal and darted out of reach.

"Richard Learson!" she cried, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Don’t you dare touch my hair! I spent two whole hours getting it to look like this."

Richard chuckled.

"Two hours? I find that hard to believe."

Jackie glared at him.

"Keep talking, and I’ll tell Great-Grandma you bullied me."

That earned a genuine laugh from Richard. Their great grandma died a long time ago.

The tension that had weighed on him all morning eased, if only for a moment.

Jackie could be an endless source of trouble, loud, dramatic, and utterly impossible.

But she also had a rare gift.

No matter how heavy the day, she could always make him forget his worries—if only for a little while.