Yvan's fingers were clenched tight, his knuckles white as he processed the information. Criss was Eugene's brother, a fact he was painfully aware of. However, Criss hailed from the world of business, only brushing shoulders with the fashion industry giants on occasion, without delving deeper into its intricate web. Yvan had assumed Criss was going to these lengths purely out of a desire to woo Matilda, which only twisted the knife further.
Carl seemed hesitant. "Mr. Boyd, maybe... maybe we should reach out for a partnership with their firm? Just to test the waters?"
Yvan remained silent.
Jealousy was eating him alive.
Yet, he felt he had no right to voice it out loud.
It took a while before he spoke, his voice hoarse. "No need. Just keep an eye on Criss, make sure he doesn't get too close to Matilda."
"Oh..." Carl glanced at Yvan, his voice soft. "Mr. Boyd, don't take it to heart. Like I said before, maybe... they're just good friends?"
To Yvan, such consolation felt like a cruel irony now. When Matilda had eyes only for him, what was he doing? Wasn't this just desserts?
"I know my limits." With a head full of tumultuous thoughts, that was all Yvan could muster.
He couldn't afford to selfishly intrude into Matilda's life based on his whims, not anymore.
Carl could sense what Yvan was thinking, yet felt powerless. To love someone from afar was such a painful ordeal.
...
Later that night, as Matilda got home, she received a mysterious phone call.
"Is this Matilda? How do you feel about that news report?"
The scratchy voice on the other end made Logan frown immediately. "Who's that?"
When Yvan saw the number on his phone, he paused before answering to hear a young but stern voice. "Mr. Boyd, someone suspicious called my mom today, asking how she felt about being exposed in the news. I suspect it's someone deliberately tailing her."
The directness of Logan's approach caught Yvan off guard, prompting him to respond, "Alright, send me the number, and I'll look into it."
"No need. I've already found something."
Logan's expression was icy, mirroring the deep contemplation on Yvan's face. "I've traced it. It's from an international IP address."
Foreign, again!
Just like before, when a series of messages from an international IP had bombarded him. Could it be the same person?
A shadow passed through Yvan's eyes, then he instructed, "Send me the IP sequence via email."
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