The All-Seeing Security Guard

Chapter 008

"Thirty million?" Julian ground the words out between clenched teeth.

"Did I calculate that wrong?" Cade pulled out his phone with a puzzled frown and tapped at the calculator, then turned the screen toward Julian. "I don't think I made a mistake, did I?"

Julian lunged for the phone, intending to smash it, but Cade was faster. He yanked it back out of reach and muttered, almost to himself, "The mayor's son can't do basic math."

A few guests nearby couldn't hold back their laughter and let out a snort before covering their mouths.

Mr. Pike, watching Julian's face darken toward fury, hurried forward to smooth things over.

"Ms. Sinclair, Julian was only joking!" Pike pressed on. "How about this. I'll offer four million for the jadeite myself. What do you say?"

That number was not pulled out of thin air. If the stone cut well, a dozen bangles and some loose pendants could fetch close to six million on the market, but once labor and time were factored in, the deal would barely break even. Still, smoothing things over for Julian made it worth the loss.

While Lila hesitated, Dana jumped in to help ease the tension.

"Right!"

"Mr. Pike's right, it was just a joke!"

She tugged at Lila's sleeve.

"Four million is nothing to sneeze at, Lila. Mr. Pike is being more than fair. Why not just sell it to him?"

Lila turned instead to Cade. "You picked the stone. What do you think?"

"You're the one who bought it. My opinion doesn't matter." Cade shrugged, his tone casual.

Then he added, almost as an afterthought, "Although I have to say, it's eye-opening to watch how little a word means to the mayor's own son. Guess that's just how the upper class operates."

The words landed like a knife to the gut.

Every eye in the room swung toward Julian. This was no longer his problem alone. Cade's comment had tied the whole crowd together, and if Julian backed out now, it wasn't just his reputation on the line. It would reflect on the entire elite circle of Rivermont.

Of course, the real reason nobody objected was simple: none of them had to pay a cent of it.

"Desmond!" Julian snapped. "Who told you to open your mouth?"

Cornered and humiliated, Julian had nowhere to vent except at Pike standing beside him. Pike felt the weight of every stare in the room and flushed despite his thick skin, retreating a step behind Julian without another word.

Julian took a breath, composed himself, and walked slowly over to Lila.

"When I give my word, I keep it."

"I told you ten times the price. That hasn't changed."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a black-and-gold card, handing it to Dana.

"There's seven million on this card. Consider it a down payment."

Dana stared at the card, clearly torn over whether to accept it. Cade simply reached out and took it himself.

"Much appreciated, Julian."

"Seven million, just like that. Guess the mayor's son really doesn't do things halfway."

Julian fixed Cade with a long, measuring look. "What's your name?"

"Cade Merrick."

Julian let out a short laugh, though there was no warmth in it.

"Cade. Good name." He repeated it quietly, as though testing the sound. "I'll remember it. Let's go."

With that, he turned and walked out, Pike trailing after him in silence.

Lila watched them disappear through the door, a flicker of worry crossing her face. "Cade, is this going to cause trouble for you?"

Cade pressed the card into her hand. "Don't worry about it. Just hold onto this for now."

Lila looked down at the card, hesitated, then tried to push it back toward him. "You're the one who picked the stone. I can't take this."

"Keep it." Cade closed her fingers around the card. "You paid for the stone. The money belongs to you."

Before she could argue further, a voice cut in from across the room. It was Professor Thorne.

"Your friend is right."

"Ms. Sinclair, you should keep the money."

Cade turned at once and gave a small, respectful bow. "Professor Thorne, good to see you."

Lila and Dana quickly followed suit, bowing their heads. "Professor Thorne, good evening."

"Good, good." Thorne chuckled warmly, but his gaze lingered on Cade a moment too long to be casual.

Cade offered an uneasy smile. "Professor, is there something you wanted from me?"

Thorne glanced back at the young woman standing behind him, then turned to Cade again.

"If you have any interest in jade or antiques, young man."

Before he finished the sentence, the woman stepped forward and handed Cade a business card. Thorne continued, "That's my card. Feel free to reach out anytime."

A ripple of envy passed through the room at those words. Cade accepted the card with both hands and murmured his thanks.

Thorne nodded once more, then left with the young woman at his side.

Cade tucked the card carefully into his jacket. Beside him, Lila still held the bank card awkwardly, unsure what to do with it. Cade broke the silence first.

"How about this. You give me seventy thousand as a finder's f*e, for helping you pick the stone."

"Fair?"

Dana answered for her before Lila could speak. "Deal. Lila, if Cade is offering that little, turning him down would just be awkward."

Lila glanced between the two of them, then slipped the card into her bag without further protest.

Dana, convinced that everyone at the gathering was either wealthy or influential, insisted this was the perfect chance to network and began pulling Lila around to make introductions.

Lila, still rattled from the confrontation earlier, would rather have gone straight home, but she couldn't resist Dana's persistence and ended up drifting through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with one guest after another. Cade kept a few steps behind her, close enough to be useful and far enough to stay out of the way, watching how smoothly she slid from one conversation into the next: a laugh here, a compliment there, every name remembered and every question deflected with the same bright smile.

To her credit, Lila played the part well. Guided by Dana, she kept up a bright, sweet, endlessly energetic front for every stranger who approached her. She collected a dozen new acquaintances along the way, and not one of them seemed to suspect how badly she wanted to leave.

By the time the night wound down, Cade drove them both home. In the back seat, Lila leaned against Dana's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

Listening to her faint, even breathing, Cade caught a glimpse of her in the rearview mirror: long lashes trembling slightly with each breath, her small nose twitching, her cheeks still flushed pink from the night's excitement. She looked smaller asleep, the polished star of the evening reduced to a tired girl in a rumpled dress, one hand still curled loosely around the strap of her bag.

Dana had dozed off as well, her cheek resting against the top of Lila's head, and for a few minutes the car held nothing but the hum of the engine and the soft rhythm of two people finally at rest.

He was still looking a beat too long when it happened.

The screech of tires cut through the quiet, and Cade felt a chill race up his spine. A wry thought surfaced before he could stop it: so this is what they mean by a beautiful woman bringing trouble. If it weren't for a full year of driving during his police internship, tonight could have ended very differently.

"Ah!" Lila jolted awake with a startled cry, yanked straight out of sleep.

"Cade!" Dana's voice snapped with alarm. "What happened?"

"Lila, are you hurt?" Cade asked over his shoulder.

"I'm fine." Lila steadied her breathing. "I'm okay, really."

"It's dark out, safety first. Slow down," Dana said, still unsteady.

"Sorry about that," Cade said, a little sheepish. "There's a car stopped in the middle of the road up ahead. I didn't see it in time."

"I'll go check it out."

He stepped out of the car as if fleeing the awkward moment, but before he could even catch his breath, the side door of the van blocking the road slid open. Eight men climbed out, armed with clubs and long blades.