His Obsession Began After Losing Her-Chapter 52: Strategic Moves

Later that evening, Noran stood on his balcony, overlooking the serene expanse of the Han River.

From his vantage point, he could also see Shuri's unit, their balconies situated side by side from a distance, a constant reminder of their proximity.

He had spent a considerable sum of money to get the previous tenants to move out within a week, and today he had moved in.

The apartment wasn't fully furnished yet due to the rushed move, but Nigel and his team were already working tirelessly to get everything ready.

Noran glanced at Snowball, who was sleeping soundly on his luxurious dog bed in the living room, before looking back at Shuri's balcony.

Her light was still on, indicating she was not asleep. He felt a mix of relief and frustration—relief that she was so close, yet frustration that she seemed so far away.

Earlier, she hadn't outright rejected him, but she was clearly hesitant and wanted to avoid him.

It was evident she remembered him and still cared for him deeply, so he couldn't understand why she was building a wall between them.

As he pondered this, his phone rang. When he saw Beatrice's name on the screen, he picked it up.

"Brother, I heard from my agency that you're quitting. May I know the reason?" Beatrice asked, curiosity and concern lacing her tone.

"I've found her," Noran replied simply.

There was a moment of silence on the other end as Beatrice processed his words.

She knew exactly what he meant. Her brother had continued his music career primarily to find the girl he had been so obsessed with.

Now that he had found her, he didn't see the need to continue his public performance as Noran Kingston.

"Congratulations, brother. I'm happy for you," she said sincerely.

"Thank you. Anything else?" Noran asked, suspecting that Beatrice had another reason for calling him.

Beatrice hesitated for a while before replying, "I also heard you bought an apartment in Sol City. Will you be staying there to oversee the expansion project?"

Noran knew Beatrice understood his real reason for staying, but she had tactfully linked the topic back to work. "Yes, I've already arranged for Clifford to fully manage the company's affairs in the West."

Beatrice nodded on the other end, understanding the strategic move.

Clifford, as the acting CEO, would stay at headquarters to oversee operations in the Western region, allowing Noran to focus on expanding Paragon in the East.

"Alright, do you need me to be there with you?" Beatrice asked cautiously.

As the Chief Strategy Officer of Paragon, it made sense for Beatrice to be in the Eastern region, working alongside Noran on the expansion. Her expertise in strategic planning and execution would be invaluable in navigating the complexities of a new market.

Despite knowing this, she still felt the need to ask. Noran had relocated many brilliant people to Sol City to assist with the project, yet her name hadn't been included in the initial list. She wondered if he truly needed her presence.

"Do you want to be here?"

He hadn't asked Beatrice to come along not because he didn't need her but because he thought it would be more convenient for her to work in New Valley, where she was also the CEO of Beat Music.

Managing both roles from one location seemed practical.

However, it appeared that Beatrice wanted to stay close to him.

Beatrice didn't hesitate. "Yes! Didn't you say you already had a vision for the Eastern regions? I've been following up closely with your expansion plans and I'm confident that my strategic insight will be invaluable in executing them.

And I know you think it's more convenient for me to manage Beat Music from New Valley, but I've set up a strong team there. They can handle the day-to-day operations while I focus on Paragon's expansion. You can trust me, Brother!"

Beatrice didn't realize she had spoken a little louder than usual. Working alongside her brother had become a big part of her life and she didn't want to be left behind. She wanted to remain useful to him.

"Alright, head over here if you want," Noran replied with a subtle smile.

Beatrice was delighted. "Thank you, Brother! I won't disappoint you."

"You've never disappointed me, Beatrice," Noran said, sounding sincere.

While his foresight and exceptional intelligence had given them an edge, which was instrumental in Paragon's success in the Western region, Noran knew he owed much of that success to the brilliant team around him. Beatrice's strategic acumen and Roy's steadfast execution had been pivotal in turning his visions into reality.

He couldn't have done it alone.

His thoughts drifted momentarily to Roy.

Recently, he had been so consumed with Shuri and the expansion projects in Sol City that he hadn't kept up with Roy's situation.

He had even ignored some of his messages. So, he thought he should ask, "How's Roy doing?"

Beatrice was overjoyed to hear a rare compliment from her brother, so for the first time, she sounded rather cheerful despite delivering bad news.

"Oh, it appears he's in deep trouble now. Ms. Powell seems to have obtained evidence of his affair and is using it against him in the settlement."

...

Back in New Valley.

Earlier that day, Karlene received a call from Adolf, informing her that they had secured damning evidence of Roy's alleged affair. He even sent her photos of Roy entering a hotel with a woman.

Karlene clicked her tongue in frustration as she looked at the photos and immediately called Roy.

As the phone rang, she knew she wasn't the only one on edge.

Anne had likely already contacted Roy, using these photos as leverage. When Roy answered, his voice was tense.

"She isn't an affair. She's just a friend," Roy blurted out, trying to explain. "You know how our chairman is always absent and keeps me busy with his work. How would I find the time to have an affair?"

Karlene's voice was sharp. "Then why did you go into a hotel with her?"

Roy sighed heavily. "I bumped into her when I was on a business trip in Macau last year. She happened to stay in the same hotel as me, so we went back together. I'm truly innocent!"

Karlene was silent for a moment, contemplating the situation.

Then she said, "Don't you find it odd? How did Ms. Powell get these photos? If she had them before, she would have used them against you long ago. Someone must have taken these photos back then, kept them, and now handed them over to Ms. Powell. They probably sold her the information."

Roy was taken aback. "You think there's a mole?"

"Highly possible," Karlene replied. "We need to find out who's behind this and also try to contact your friend and have her testify. As long as she can confirm your story, it will weaken Ms. Powell's claim. If she can provide evidence that you two were just friends and nothing more, it could make a significant difference."

"I'll contact her immediately," Roy said, determination in his voice.

After they ended the call, Karlene sighed.

Thankfully, the Lloyd family wielded considerable influence over the media in New Valley. If not for their power, Anne would have leveraged the media to pressure Roy more.

Meanwhile, Roy asked one of his assistants to contact Maylin Fang, the friend he was photographed with. If he could find her and she was willing to testify on his behalf, this issue could be resolved.

Reflecting on Karlene's suspicion of a mole, Roy thought deeply. He was known for his caution, a trait honed from growing up in the Lloyd family, owners of one of the country's biggest media companies.

Trusting people didn't come easily to him.

He called HR to send him a list of everyone who knew about or was involved in his business trip to Macau.

With the list in hand, Roy began to scrutinize each name, labeling a few suspects. He then called his most trusted assistant, Tom Murray, whom he had brought over from Lloyd Media Company to Paragon.

"Tom," Roy said seriously, "I need you to investigate these people. Check their accounts, backgrounds, finances, and recent interactions. Use any resources necessary, even from Lloyd Media. I want this done as soon as possible."

Tom nodded, understanding the gravity of the task. "I'll get on it right away, Mr. Roy."

After Roy put down the phone, his secretary called him. "Mr. Roy, Miss Carter wants to meet you."

Roy furrowed his brows.

Sophia Carter?

Didn't they turn her down before? Why was she here again?

He had no interest in meeting Sophia, someone he didn't have a good impression of and whom Noran saw as an enemy.

He remembered the last time they had crossed paths; it had been anything but pleasant. Sophia had a reputation for being ruthless in her pursuits, and Roy had no desire to engage with her.

Before he could turn her down, his secretary added, "Miss Carter left another message. She said if you wish to get in contact with Maylin Fang, she could help you with it."

Roy's eyes widened in surprise. His mind raced as he processed the information.

Maylin Fang was the key to disproving Anne's allegations, and now, out of the blue, Sophia had the means to connect him with her.

He clenched his fists, feeling a mix of anger and suspicion. Was the Carter family behind this all along?

He leaned back in his chair, contemplating his next move.

Sophia's sudden appearance and her offer of help were too convenient to be a coincidence. He needed to find out what her true intentions were.

Roy couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being manipulated, but he couldn't afford to ignore the opportunity to clear his name either.

"Alright," Roy said, his voice firm. "Arrange a meeting with Miss Carter. Let's hear what she has to say."