identity
"Milo, Mr. Dale is looking for you."
"knew."
At seven o'clock in the morning, Milo walked into Miles' office. Before he could knock, the person inside turned around to look at him.
Milo recognized the face; it was Kevin, the CEO of Contec Corporation.
Miles had a cold face, his emotions unreadable, but he was clearly not happy.
Upon seeing Milo, Kevin forced a smile and said, "I'm really sorry about what happened last night. I've already dealt with those offensive guys, and I apologize to you on their behalf."
Milo slowly approached, and Miles noticed the ring on his left ring finger. His expression softened slightly, and he gestured towards the seat opposite him: "Sit down, fiancé."
Upon hearing this, Kevin's face turned pale, and he lost his composure, saying, "Mr. Dale, you're not joking, are you?"
Miles glanced at Kevin, didn't answer his question, and calmly said, "I will announce this publicly after the conference ends today."
Miles had been single for years and had never been involved in any romantic relationships. When news broke that he was hiring a personal assistant, it caused quite a stir within the company. The backdoor was so blatantly obvious, and the new hire was a young and handsome man, leading many to speculate about Miles's sexual orientation. But while there was talk, most people assumed Milo was just a mistress being kept; no one ever imagined such an absurd thing as marriage.
“The president of the Dale Group has a same-sex partner. If this gets out, it will sound very bad…” Kevin felt that he had already put his words very tactfully.
Same-sex marriage is not legal in Lanman, and announcing this would undoubtedly be a scandal, generating countless rumors. Miles isn't a reckless person; how could he not understand the gravity of the situation? That's precisely why Kevin found it utterly absurd.
Miles clasped his hands together and glanced at Kevin: "You should get out of here."
Kevin's face stiffened. He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but look at Milo before finally pushing open the door and leaving.
The office fell silent again, and Milo remained quiet.
"Are you angry?" Miles leaned forward, looking at Milo across the office. "You colluded with Blaise to snatch Harold from me, resulting in him being shot twice and still in the hospital. I didn't hold that against you. But you actually encouraged him to use company shares to sign an agreement with a subsidiary of the Thornton Group... Milo, do you really have to go through all this trouble? Do you think you can turn your life around by acquiring those properties with him? Do you really think someone like him, an idiot who only knows how to fight and kill, can help you establish yourself in the business world? When did you become so naive?"
Milo looked up at Miles: "He's an idiot, so what are you, a piece of trash?"
"You're defending him? You're getting a bit too dramatic." Miles wasn't angry. "If I were really a bad person, you would have died ten times over for what you've done. It's not impossible for you to take Matsubara Yuuma back, but you need to understand one thing: the best way is to make him disappear. I did that to protect you. Do you want that police friend of yours to personally arrest you and put you in jail?"
Milo refused to speak.
Miles stood up and strode out from behind his seat. He walked up to Milo, looking down at him, reached out, and grabbed Milo's cheek, forcing him to look him in the eye. "You hate me, you resent me, but you have to come back to see me because you know you can't control yourself, right? What do you want? For me to bow down and beg for mercy... Milo, do you really understand how obsessive you are towards me right now?"
“Miles,” Milo frowned in disgust, “are you out of your mind?”
"How crazy do you think I should be to meet your expectations?" Miles raised an eyebrow, seemingly pondering the answer to this question. His gaze lingered on Milo's soft neck before moving downwards. "Forcing you, making you kneel, forcing you to submit—which do you think would shatter your self-esteem more?"
Milo suddenly tightened his grip.
“Giving you freedom doesn’t mean I condone your promiscuity.” Miles casually lifted Milo’s collar and touched the red marks on his neck. “If you dare to have sex with him again, I will chop off Matsubara Yuuma’s fingers and give them to you one by one. You know I mean what I say.”
Milo sat silently, and Miles casually stroked the back of his neck from behind, feeling the warm and delicate touch of his skin, which inexplicably made him feel happy.
Milo's voice was flat: "You really want to keep me like a dog on a leash?"
Miles' fingertip touched the corner of Milo's eye, feeling a dampness, and he softly denied, "Having a dog isn't as troublesome as having you."
“We didn’t have to come to this, but since we’ve reached this point, I don’t have a better way out. Six years, you can’t just let me give up like this.” Miles gently stroked Somilo’s cheek. “Alright, go pick up Joshua from the Hong Kong Commercial Building for me. I have two meetings today, I’ll be very busy.”
Miles released his restraints, and Milo stood up.
Miles' voice sounded from behind: "Remember, be back on time. The main character can't be late when it's time to announce the engagement. Don't make me say it a third time."
*
In the height of August, amidst the sweltering heat, the Panoramic Conference Hall, where the Dale Group headquarters meeting room is located, hosted the second shareholders' meeting of the quarter.
Blaise's series of actions in signing agreements privately provoked strong dissatisfaction from the Daller Group's board of directors.
At the conference, a middle-aged man in a suit stood beside Miles and spoke loudly.
“This acquisition process did not follow the established strategy and procedures of the Daller Group at all. Blaise privately used the Daller Group’s resources and name for his own benefit, which seriously undermined the company’s internal order and decision-making mechanism. This behavior is a blatant challenge to the Group’s authority.”
"More importantly, his actions have put the group at greater risk. Although he claimed he would resolve the Thornton family's debt problems, in reality, the Thornton Group's debt was far greater than expected, and it also involved some complex legal disputes. The Daller Group was drawn into this mess without fully assessing the risks, which has raised serious doubts on the board about Blaise's decision-making ability and sense of responsibility."
"Of course, this internal conflict and division will continue to weaken the Daller family's strength. If it continues, it could lead to other competitors taking advantage of the situation. Therefore, after discussion, the board of directors decided to propose removing Blaise from the Daller Group."
Miles beckoned, and someone handed him a document. Miles tossed it over, and it thudded onto the long table.
“Tate Daller didn’t leave a will, so if you sue, you won’t get any more money. I know you’re not that interested in that money, and you didn’t choose to stir up trouble here. So, I’ve given you something you’re interested in—that cruise ship.” Miles’ tone was somewhat indifferent. “Sign the agreement, the Bethlehem is yours, and from now on, the Daller Group has nothing to do with you.”
Blaze went too far this time, and even those within the group who were willing to support him became cautious, with not a single one speaking up for him. Of course, throughout the entire meeting, Blaze maintained an indifferent expression, which disheartened those who were willing to follow him. The company was fiercely vying for power, and the followers they had chosen were so foolish as to sign contracts carelessly just to please a man.
It wasn't until Miles spoke that Blaze finally reacted, signing: "Make things clear, what belongs to me was never left by your father."
Miles's face turned ugly for a moment.
Outsiders, watching the spectacle, all assumed Blaise held shares in the Daller Group because he was Tate Daller's illegitimate son. But in reality, Blaise's shares came from his mother, not his father. If Tate Daller had truly given them to him, he would have had countless ways to oust Blaise. But unfortunately, those shares were left to him by his biological mother.
This whole affair had been a chore for Miles for most of his life, and now that he finally had the chance to kick Blaise out of the Daller Group, it felt like a long-standing festering sore had been ripped out. The thought of soon signing a contract with Green Contract Company, acquiring Lotus Machinery in no time, and then swallowing the entire Thornton Group wouldn't be far off. And then there was Milo… who would eventually be his legal partner, forever bound to him… everything was going according to plan, making it impossible for him not to feel exhilarated.
Miles stared indifferently at Blaise, not bothering to respond to his sign language. With a glance, a secretary quickly handed him a pen.
Blaise glanced at the pen, took it, signed his name, and then stood up amidst the chorus of condemnation.
No one expected Blaze to be such a bastard, so easily handing over all his shares to Miles, which made those who had previously sided with him extremely embarrassed.
Miles glanced at the signature above and smirked, "Go back to where you belong. Someone like you doesn't belong here."
The man downstairs pushed the door open solemnly and said, "Mr. Dale, the Green Contract Company's car will be downstairs in ten minutes."
“Let’s go.” Miles stood up, ignoring Blaise. The two doors to the conference room were opened, and his tall figure led the way.
*
With a "bang," the car door slammed shut.
In front of the Hong Kong University of Commerce's main gate, shuttle buses were parked in a row. Milo called to the drivers and said, "You guys go first, and call me back when you've dropped the person off."
After giving his explanation, Milo hailed a taxi and drove all the way to the police station in the main urban area.
Jesse was already waiting at the door. When he saw Milo get out of the car, he quickly went up to her and said, "Thank you for your hard work. It was quick this time."
Since the incident of intercepting Yu-chan in the suburbs became a big deal, Milo, as an irreplaceable witness, gave two statements. Jesse was too embarrassed to speak the third time, but Milo was always there for him, for which he was very grateful.
Outside the interrogation room, Jesse could only watch Milo talk inside through the window to avoid suspicion.
A policewoman walked by and hesitated before asking, "Has he been taking any medication lately?"
Jesse instinctively replied, "What?" He was a little taken aback.
The policewoman lowered her voice: "Actually, we've already asked him quite a bit in the previous two rounds. We're asking him again this time because the psychologist on the sidelines suspects that your friend has some mental issues. Look, when he answers questions, he has muscle tension and overcompensation movements, and he's in a very defensive state. Generally speaking, people who have experienced major changes do have this kind of behavior, but your friend is trying his best to act naturally, which means that he is severely repressed emotionally."
Jesse instinctively denied it: "How could that be?" But as he said it, he felt uncertain.
The memory of Milo's suicide attempt four years ago suddenly flashed through his mind. Looking back into the room, Milo maintained a smile, but his shoulders were hunched in and his hands were clasped together, indicating a cautious demeanor.
After finishing his questioning, Milo pushed open the door and saw Jesse waiting at the door. He walked up to him and said, "I have something to do today, and I'm short on time, so I have to go now."
Jesse hesitated, then, seeing Milo about to leave, he suddenly called out to him, "I'll see you off."
Milo asked in confusion, "Aren't you at work?"
Jesse opened the door, greeted the person inside, and after a few words, smiled and put his arm around Milo's shoulder: "You're a witness to the matter of going and coming back quickly, so it's my duty to take you there."
The two got into the car and drove along the coastal road towards the Hong Kong University of Commerce. Jesse glanced at Milo's profile and asked, "Could you tell me again what happened at the courier station that day?"
Milo repeated the same instructions he had given the police.
After listening to the whole thing, Jesse suddenly said, half-jokingly, "Could you recall it again from the end to the beginning?"
Milo hesitated for a second, then repeated what Jesse had asked.
Jesse listened intently, but the smile gradually faded from his face. He was certain that Milo's answer was spot on, yet this perfect response stirred a sense of unease within him.
No one in this world can perfectly recount their own actions, let alone in reverse chronological order. Memory is slow to register because people need to think. This is true even for ordinary people, let alone a post-traumatic stress disorder patient suspected of being sedated. Answers given without thought are often lies, especially lies that have been rehearsed countless times.
Was Milo lying to him?
Jesse had an answer in his mind, but he didn't ask any further questions.
The two drove in silence until a sudden phone call interrupted their steadily increasing speed. Jesse immediately pulled over and answered the call.
Jesse's expression clearly darkened as he listened to the phone call.
"What happened?" Milo asked in a low voice.
Jesse hung up the phone, immediately shifted gears and stepped on the gas, saying, "Someone anonymously reported that Peter, the general manager of the freight company under Lianhua Machinery, is suspected of smuggling. The technical department found that the overseas account under that person's name is associated with Miles, and found evidence of Dale Group's illegal fund transfers. This Dale Group is indeed problematic."
Milo lowered his eyes impassively. Just then, the phone rang, and he answered it. It was a call from someone in the company, saying that Mr. Joshua had been delivered to the group headquarters.
“I need to go to the Dale Group. I’ll have to drop you off at the next intersection.” Jesse said seriously.
Milo shook his head: "Take me back with you. They told me to go straight back; there's an important meeting at the company today."
Jesse's police car was parked downstairs, and through the car window, one could faintly hear a commotion outside.
A group of men in suits were waiting at the door, already arguing with the police.
Because the suspected murder weapon that killed Steven was the "Son of God" dart, the police task force leader had been trying to contact Joshua to inquire about the sale of the Captain's Dinner. So, almost before Joshua arrived, the police officers had already prepared their positions.
Milo unbuckled his seatbelt and suddenly asked, "Is there any water?"
Jesse took a bottle of water from behind his seat and handed it to Milo, watching him unscrew the cap and reflexively observing his every move.
Pupils dilate, Adam's apple bobs. This is an expression of excitement, usually seen in carnivores before a hunt.
“Milo, do you remember when I told you that you look a lot like Theo Green, the son of the chairman of the Mist Forest Medical Association?”
Milo stopped what he was doing and screwed the bottle cap back on: "What's wrong?"
“Speaking of which, I was just bored, so I looked up Theo Green’s file and found something really strange. There was a series of corroborating pieces of evidence at the scene that proved Theo Green must have died in that disaster. It’s very rare for a plane crash.” Jesse’s throat tightened. “Don’t you think that the more cleanly Theo Green ‘died,’ the more it seems like someone deliberately wanted him to live on in a ‘dead’ way?”
Milo turned to look at Jesse and laughed: "I don't understand these things, but this sounds like a ghost story."
Jesse, as usual, laughed along.
"Alright, I have to go up." Milo pushed open the car door, only to find it locked. He turned around. "Jesse?"
Jesse's voice was soft: "Are you sure you want to go up?"
Milo's smile remained perfect: "Of course."
His pupils dilated, his hunting desire growing stronger, a murderous intent lurking beneath his calm and gentle exterior.
This expression was not the Milo he knew.
Who exactly is this person in front of me?
Jesse's smile faded, replaced by a rapid increase in her heartbeat.
With a click, the car door unlocked, and Milo stepped out.
Before going upstairs, Milo suddenly stopped and turned to look at Jesse: "When I see Joshua, I'll ask him that question for you."
Jesse smiled and watched Milo go upstairs. Once Milo's figure disappeared at the building entrance, Jesse quickly got out of the car, his agile figure weaving through the crowd of police officers. He picked a police car, inside which sat two detectives holding laptops, looking bewildered.
"Hold on tight." Jesse immediately turned the car around.
The young officers in the car were confused. Jesse had clearly told them that Joshua was very important and that they must stake out him. Now that they were about to see him appear, Jesse was retreating.
"Get the tracking map. I need surveillance footage of all routes from the courier station to the Wudong Port area on the day Matsubara Yuma was kidnapped, especially comparing one person's movements. We need to be quick; Matsubara Yuma's life is the most important thing right now."
"Whose whereabouts are we comparing?" the junior officer asked tentatively.
Jesse gripped the steering wheel tightly and said coldly, "Milo."
*
A Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly drove up, followed by five black cars. A valet jogged forward, the car door was pushed open, and the man stepped out.
This was a Western man with a standard build, black hair, sunglasses, and refined features. In August, when Lanman was sweltering, he was still wearing a neat linen-colored designer suit.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light and entered the room at a leisurely pace. Several security guards in black and his entourage quickly followed behind him.
"Hello, Joshua." In the lobby of the Dale Group headquarters, the elevator doors opened, and Miles, who was waiting at the door, took the initiative to extend his hand to greet the young man who was a generation younger than him.
"Hello, Miles, we finally meet." The man took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of clear, bright blue eyes, and a faint scent of bergamot perfume about him.
The two walked side by side, followed by a group of people.
Just before the two were about to enter the conference room, a series of commotions suddenly broke out in the office building, with people peeking out to look down.
Miles frowned and asked the person next to him, "What's wrong?"
"It seems like people from the drug administration came to our door, saying they want to investigate... to investigate Peter's disappearance."
Miles' voice was steady: "Have someone from PR stop them for now. We'll talk about it later." Then, as if remembering something, Miles asked, "Where's Milo?"
The person who answered pointed in a direction: "Over there."
Miles followed the direction and spotted Milo outside the crowd. He sat quietly in the rest area, head down, turning the ring on his ring finger, looking out of place with the world around him. Seeing him sitting there, Miles felt his momentary restlessness suddenly calm down, as if an invisible hand had soothed his unease.
“Sorry, there were some unexpected circumstances, but it won’t affect our cooperation.” Miles opened the door for the man himself. “Please come in.”
The blue-eyed man didn't go in, but said thoughtfully, "Wait a moment."
Miles asked, puzzled, "Wait for what?"
The blue-eyed man's eyes suddenly lit up, a smile spread across his face, and he stepped forward respectfully.
In the huge conference hall, the crowd parted in a daze, like two rows of waves split open, until one person stood at the end, motionless, like a nail driven into the ground. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought this person was blocking the way.
Miles frowned slightly.
What kind of occasion is this? Does Milo really want to throw a tantrum at him in a place like this?
The blue-eyed man stretched out his hands, strode forward, and bowed respectfully to the person in front of him.
Amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd, Milo extended his hand to accept the handshake and nodded in acknowledgment: "Hi, Glenn."
The blue-eyed man smiled, led Milo, and turned to face the crowd: "Please allow me to introduce you all. This is Joshua, the president of our Green Contract Company."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
