Chapter 39

Derek's eyes met Milo's with a fleeting glance. Understanding the unspoken instruction, Milo responded, "Immediately, sir."

Ten minutes later, Milo returned to the conference room, his face serious. A cold tension permeated the air; someone had clearly angered Derek.

Regaining his composure, Milo approached Derek and handed him a tablet. "Sir, please review this."

The tablet displayed footage of Vivienne entering the Mitchell Group premises. As Derek observed her poised figure, his expression shifted to sharp concern. "How did her resignation go?"

"Without incident, sir," Milo replied, detailing Vivienne's resignation, though his voice wavered slightly towards the end.

Derek's expression hardened, his gaze piercing. Milo cleared his throat, proceeding cautiously. "We lost sight of Miss Hayes. After leaving the Ashto Group offices, all nearby surveillance systems appear to have malfunctioned."

It was clear someone was intentionally obscuring Vivienne's movements. The room felt instantly colder. Derek's stare was stern and penetrating, his mouth set in a thin line, exuding a dangerous aura. Milo, standing nearby, felt the force of Derek's anger, his forehead beading with sweat.

After a brief pause, Milo said, "Sir, I've deployed agents to investigate. We expect updates shortly."

"And how soon might that be?" Derek's tone was calm yet chilling.

A chill ran through Milo as he sensed Derek questioning his competence. Before he could apologize, Derek abruptly stood. "This meeting is over."

He exited the room, walking briskly. Milo quickly gathered the papers scattered on the table and hurried after Derek, contacting his team to expedite their investigation.

Reaching Derek's office, Milo received the investigation report on his phone and quickly reviewed it, his expression growing more serious. He immediately handed the phone to Derek. "Sir, please review."

Derek's stern expression softened slightly as he read the report, and the cold atmosphere gradually lightened. A slight smile touched his lips. "Ah, the Sinclair family."

"Should we proceed with the investigation, sir?" Milo asked, more vigilant than before given recent events involving Vivienne. He was now committed to reporting anything related to her directly to Derek without delay.

Milo waited for Derek's instructions, but Derek remained silent. Suspicious, Milo glanced at Derek's reflection in the large window. Derek stood with his back to him, busily typing on his phone. A slight grimace crossed Milo's face.

Though Derek had added Vivienne on WhatsApp, they hadn't exchanged messages since she requested a visit with Margot. Derek's fingers moved quickly across the screen. He typed, "What are you up to?", then deleted it, deeming it intrusive. He tried again, "Have you had lunch?", but found that too impersonal. After several attempts, he settled on sending a single rose emoji.