Throughout the week leading to his birthday, Calix was preoccupied with work and planning the party at the orphanage. As usual, he sought Edward’s help.
CEO Xu’s chief personal assistant was in constant contact with Director Li. The latter was genuinely surprised yet delighted to receive the request to host a party at the orphanage from Calix.
After a particularly busy Wednesday afternoon, Edward walked inside the CEO’s office. He had a few matters to report to Calix including getting the latter’s signature before the work hours ended.
Edward knocked on the door as a courtesy. He was used to entering the office without hearing any response from Calix. His boss might be swamped in a mountain of work.
But...
’What the heck is he doing?’
Edward’s expectation was torn into pieces the very mont his eyes landed on Calix. Instead of sitting behind the huge work desk, his boss was lying on the couch in the seating area.
It was just...
The way he lay was quite peculiar.
Positioning his long legs over the backrest of the couch, Calix lay upside down. He put his hands deeper into the pocket of his pants, locking his gaze to the ceiling.
With a frown marring his forehead, Edward approached the coach. Craning his neck, he looked at his boss whose face was in the upside down state.
"Boss Xu, are you dying? Of boredom, I an."
Calix clicked his tongue. Squinting his eyes, he lazily replied, "Did you just hesitate before saying the second sentence? Huh?"
Tsk tsk, how unruly this young man had been?
Edward was just a young chick the first ti Calix t him years ago. Now he dared to act haughty toward his own boss.
Exhaling a sigh, Edward stared impassively at Calix, "Weren’t you busy just now? Did you lose another brain screw? If you’ve finished your work, there are more for you now."
Patting the files in his hands, Edward arched his brows, smirking at his boss with no ounce of guilt.
Calix was irked. Edward had always annoyed him but, seeing him from this upside-down angle beca more irritating ah.
"Give those."
"Yes, Boss!"
Calix begrudgingly pulled his legs from the top of the backrest, bringing them down to the floor. Sitting up on the couch, he grabbed the files from Edward. The younger man smilingly watched the forr reading through the docunts.
"Are you that happy leaving for your sumr vacation soon?" asked Calix without looking at Edward. He scribbled his signature on one of the printed papers, "Have you decided on the place?"
Calix had already approved Edward’s two weeks of vacation leave this coming June. The younger man chose the third and fourth week of the month for his sumr holiday break.
"Why would I tell you, Boss Xu? What if you co knocking on my hotel door? I don’t want to risk that ah."
Edward’s answer received a scowl from Calix. He couldn’t believe the younger man’s sheer audacity.
"Do you really think I can’t dig up the info? Who are you talking to now?"
Edward calmly replied to Calix’s retort.
"Boss Xu, privacy invasion is a cri ah."
"...you sure know how to talk back."
Calix didn’t feel like looking at Edward’s face any longer. Waving one hand, he told the latter to hurry with his report. Edward swiftly resud his front as CEO Xu’s chief assistant.
After he was done informing the matters associated with the company, Edward brought up the one related to Mrs. Xu.
"I’ve just found out where the Li family hid Mrs. Xu that particular year."
Those words earned a frown from Calix, his gaze sharpening.
"Where?"
During Edward’s initial finding about Leslie being sent far out of the city before, he didn’t manage to discover the accurate location. The Li family wrapped anything related to her disappearance tightly.
Calix ordered Edward to continue looking for the place. He assud Leslie should be kept sowhere in Bridgeland City, perhaps closer to Frostwich Town where Harmony Haven Orphanage was.
Unless the Li family decided to play it safer.
If this was true, Leslie’s hiding should be far from the orphanage or Bridgeland City in general.
"Winburg City. It’s a small city neighboring Bridgeland, particularly Frostwich Town. I’ve checked. It will take around two hours of car ride to reach the orphanage from there."
Under Calix’s sharp eyes, Edward continued reporting the rest of his findings.
Through the discovery, Edward learned that Mrs. Xu was confined to a holiday ho in the mountains. The place belonged to Old Madam Li’s younger sister and was usually vacant throughout the year.
Because the holiday ho was far from the nearest village and other communities, it beca a perfect place to hide soone.
"The villagers don’t rember much of anything that happened that year. A few of them recalled seeing more people than usual at the holiday ho but, they’ve never faced them."
Calix’s lips thinned in displeasure. He unconsciously tapped one finger on the coffee table as he lood over it.
This was disgusting.
Calix was aware the Li family did what most families in high society would do. A number of them usually resorted to hiding their daughters who got pregnant out of wedlock.
But, that thod hadn’t been practiced much recently.
"I don’t need to ask to know how they treated her," Calix spat through gritted teeth. A dangerous glint flickered in his darkened eyes, "They simply wanted to hide her away. Not to give her the best treatnt."
Being hidden in a lavish holiday ho ant nothing if the Li family didn’t treat Leslie well during her pregnancy. Knowing how they were—particularly Old Madam Li—his guess was not far from the truth.
"I’ll keep checking, Boss. I’ll trace the ones who worked at the holiday ho."
"Do that," rising to his feet, Calix straightened his posture while smoothening the front of his shirt, "I’ll head out now. I need to pay a visit to my father-in-law."
Edward sensed danger in Calix’s irritated tone. He nodded once before gathering the files checked and signed by the latter.
"I’ll inform you as soon as I get the details."
Following those words, Edward slightly bowed at Calix. He spun on his heels, moving out of the office. He was aware of his boss’ eting with his father-in-law soon.
Calix walked away from the couch, his expression remained dark. Just imagining how the Li family treated Leslie during her vulnerable state churned his gut.
’I know that she didn’t an to get pregnant. But, couldn’t they just treat her well?’
Heaving out a sigh, Calix ran one hand across his head with the other grasping his hip.
"Ultimately... I’m the one who put her in that situation. It began because of ."
Calix couldn’t change that particular fact no matter what he did, nor did he want to.
Glancing at his wristwatch, Calix found that he had one hour and a half left before his eting with Rowan. He reached out to his father-in-law, saying that he had sothing to say in private.
"I’ll ask her about that year, yes."
Making up his head, Calix decided to spill what he had learned about Leslie to Rowan. He knew enough to alarm the older man into admitting.
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