Chapter 103: The Evidence

Melody smiled faintly and glanced at Sammy. Noticing their conversation wasn't over, she discreetly withdrew.

"You've got a pretty good secretary," Waylon remarked, clearly impressed with Melody.

Caesar, sitting opposite, chuckled. "Of course. That's Melody we're talking about."

Waylon, unfamiliar with the family business, likely didn't know Melody's name. Lemon explained, "She's number one in the secretary world. She joined two years before Sammy. Wendy and I both tried to recruit her, but she refused. Her last boss lured her back and kept her. Wendy was the one who got her out."

The corporate underhandedness was nothing new to Waylon. Feeling a pang of sympathy for Lemon, he quickly offered her an extra piece of meat.

Lemon glanced at it. "Waylon, I'm on a diet. I don't want to eat meat."

Waylon retorted, "Starve then, see if I care."

As the head of a top-tier entertainment company, her appearance was crucial to the brand. She couldn't afford to look disheveled when her artists were all so attractive.

Due to the Aimee incident, everyone left early. Next door, people were still socializing. Zynn found a moment to step out and verify some details with Chase.

At home, Wendy removed her makeup before the mirror. Chase stood behind her, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, lost in thought.

Wendy looked at Chase through the mirror. "Thinking about Aimee?" she asked.

"Yeah."

He initially believed Madeline's accomplice was in Room 316, but further investigation ruled that out. Now, with Aimee's kidnapping…

"I think it's Larry," Wendy stated.

Chase looked up at her.

In the mirror, Wendy's makeup-free face appeared slightly pale. However, she was beautiful either way, and Chase appreciated both aspects of her. With makeup, she was a sharp, stunning businesswoman, a head-turner. Without it, she possessed a soft, warm charm.

"I've had that feeling too," Chase said, enveloping her in a hug. "So many people were in that lounge negotiating with Mr. Maurice that day. The only ones I suspected were Larry and Henry."

Wendy abruptly turned, looking up at Chase. "The kidnappers didn't want money, only the hard drive. Could it be that Aimee found something abroad, and the evidence is on the drive?"

"Could be. Why do you suspect Larry?"

Recalling recent conversations with Henry, Wendy remembered his smug tone. He hadn't taken Larry's conflict with the Harrison family seriously at all. That's when she started to suspect Henry. Perhaps Henry had disrupted Larry's negotiation that day to corner him.

"The Harrison family is too deep. I still can't see clearly. And Mario's an outsider, which is why I pushed to put him in charge. If Mario takes control of the family, we'll get all the answers we need."

The contract signing went smoothly. Only two media outlets were allowed inside to film. The moment Chase shook hands with Maurice, the photo went viral, remaining a trending topic that night.

Melody handled everything efficiently. As soon as Chase returned to the hospital, he found Madeline waiting in his office. He messaged Waylon to come upstairs. While Chase was still at the signing, Waylon had already deployed a team to the hospital's underground garage. But Chase only summoned Waylon to his office.

Madeline looked nervous. The new honorary chief was handsome and composed, but there was an inherent authority about him. His unsmiing gaze felt like mind-reading. No matter what Madeline did, or how well she concealed it, he seemed to see through everything.

Chase, still in his white coat, glanced at the time. He had another surgery that afternoon and needed to manage his schedule carefully.

Once seated, Madeline anxiously asked, "Chief, you wanted to see me?"

Chase offered a small smile. "Just call me Dr. Goodman. 'Chief' sounds too distant."

Madeline sat, her eyes fixed on Chase, unable to look away.

Five minutes hadn't passed when Waylon knocked and entered. He acted as if he owned the place, pulling up a chair and sitting beside Chase, one leg crossed over the other. A flashy, expensive watch, possibly diamond-encrusted, adorned his wrist.

Madeline instinctively swallowed hard.

Waylon spoke. "Don't be scared. We just want to ask you a few things. Your chief is here too, so I'm not going to do anything to you."

He produced his badge. The moment he showed it, both men saw the shift in Madeline's expression. Her nervousness morphed into fear, and she subconsciously scooted her chair backward.

Chase called out. Melody entered from outside.

"Please wait at the door," Chase said calmly. "Don't let anyone else come in."