Kaia had been busy eating chicken and hadn’t really paid attention to what was happening around her. Noticing Joel’s odd reaction, she asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”
Joel gave a long, suspicious squint. “I think someone was secretly taking photos of us just now.”
“Are you sure?” Kaia looked around but didn’t spot anyone shady.
Joel squinted even harder. “Can’t say for sure.”
“Maybe someone recognized you?” Kaia guessed.
“Maybe,” Joel replied.
“Don’t waste your energy on stuff like that. Come on, eat up. The fried chicken is fresh and still sizzling,” Kaia said, holding out a chicken leg to Joel.
“True. If someone wants to sneak a few pics, let them. It’s not like I’ve got anything to hide,” Joel said.
In the corner, the guy yanked down his mask and sucked in huge breaths, taking a long moment to calm himself down.
He stared at the photos on his camera, his throat making an audible gulp.
“Oh my god, that’s Joel Graham himself! I never thought I’d see him in real life,” the man muttered, still in disbelief.
While mumbling to himself, he quickly sent the photos to Andrea.
Andrea’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the photos.
“Is that… Joel? Holy crap! That’s the legendary Joel, the number one boxing master in Wustriland! Why the hell is that bitch Kaia hanging out with him?” Andrea blurted out.
She froze, her mind spinning. “Wait a second! Is Joel the reason Kaia got to eat with the folks from Dr. Bennett’s lab?”
“If that’s the case, then what’s going on between Kaia and Joel?” she muttered to herself.
Andrea kept scrolling through the photos and soon spotted one of Kaia handing Joel a chicken leg.
“They look way too close. No way! Are they dating?” Andrea muttered, her voice shaky with disbelief.
The thought totally freaked Andrea out. If that were true, then all her scheming to steal Louis would just make her look like a complete fool.
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Chapter 55
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She wasn’t even related to the Bennett family by blood. All these years, she’d busted her ass studying just to make the Bennetts look good, and that was the only reason she had any standing.
If Ruth, Lincoln, and the rest of the Bennett family found out that Kaia had gotten close to Joel, Kaia’s status in the family would shoot through the roof.
The more Andrea thought about it, the more freaked out she got.
“No, it might not be what I think. Maybe Kaia and Joel are just regular friends,” Andrea told herself, trying to calm down.
But even so, that was still a huge threat.
After a short pause, Andrea wired the guy some cash.
Andrea texted, [This is just part of your payment. Keep tailing her. Once you find out where she’s staying, I’ll send you the rest.]
The guy saw the money hit his account and was instantly fired up.
On Britera Pedestrian Walk, Devin was hiding off to the side, mouth agape, eyes glued to Joel.
Joel and Kaia were bantering back and forth, laughing and joking like old friends. Anyone watching could tell something was going on between them.
Devin had originally been tailing Frank, hoping to uncover some secrets, but lost him halfway through. As he wandered around, he didn’t find Frank, but instead stumbled upon Kaia and his absolute, all–time idol–the king of boxing, Joel–grabbing fried chicken together.
Devin quickly snapped a few photos and fired them off to Tobias.
When Tobias saw the photos, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. His expression was so cold that it almost melted into the darkness outside.
[Why the hell are they together?] Tobias messaged.
Devin couldn’t help but grumble to himself at the message.
‘Mr. Moreno is asking me, but who am I supposed to ask? I’m just as stunned as he is,‘ Devin thought, his jaw still hanging open in disbelief.
[Why don’t you just ask Miss Bennett?] Devin replied.
Devin could practically feel the stormy jealousy radiating from Tobias through the phone screen.
[Boss, want me to send you the address? You can come check it out yourself.] Devin offered.
Tobias texted back, [Better not. She’ll think I’m following her around on purpose.]
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Chapter 55
[Want me to back off?] Devin asked.
[Keep tailing them. If anything happens, report to me right away.] Tobias replied.
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Sweat was pouring down Devin’s forehead. ‘Anything happens? Man, I really hope nothing does. The last thing I want is to catch Kaia and Joel getting all lovey–dovey, he thought, feeling more and
more anxious.
He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What if they’re a couple? If I do see something I shouldn’t, do I send it to Mr. Moreno or just pretend I never saw it?‘
Tobias looked so grim that the maid bringing in his coffee almost dropped the cup just from one glance at him.
He sat there with his fingers laced on the table, lips pressed tight, looking like he could freeze the whole room with just his glare.
He thought to himself, ‘She had lunch with people from the institute earlier, so the one she knows is probably Joel…‘
Kaia and Joel finally wrapped up their meal after over an hour.
“I’ll walk you home,” Joel said, standing up.
Kaia glanced at Joel’s face. “You’re gonna walk me home like this?”
‘I’ll switch faces,” Joel said, rubbing his face.
Kaia looked around. “Didn’t you think someone was taking pictures of us earlier? What if they’re still hanging around? If you turn into Frank now, you might get exposed. We should just go our separate ways.”
“No way. It’s late, and you never know when some idiot thug might jump out. It’s not the first time, either,” Joel said.
Kaia’s drop–dead gorgeous looks were enough to turn heads and attract trouble just by walking down the street.
Kaia raised her fist. “I can handle myself.”
Joel thought for a second, then said, “I know I’m a bit of a hassle right now, but there’s no way I’m letting you walk home alone this late. Even if I have to risk my life, I’m sticking with you. Just let me come along. Relax, I’ll drop you off near Moreno Manor and head back.”
“Fine,” Kaia finally gave in.
Devin immediately messaged Tobias to let him know they were leaving.
[Looks like they’re heading back toward Moreno Manor.] Devin messaged.
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Chapter 55
Even though Devin sounded chill, inside, he was totally freaking out.
Joel? He’s Dr. Bennett’s top bodyguard! And now he’s personally walking Kaia home!‘
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‘Could it be that Kaia and Joel are actually… together?‘ Devin thought, his heart pounding.
Devin gulped loudly. He knew his boss was totally into Kaia, and if Kaia and Joel were actually a thing…
He sucked in a sharp breath, not daring to finish that thought. All he could do was pray to god they weren’t together!
When Tobias got the message, the chill in the room seemed to deepen, matching his darkening mood.
“Achoo!” Kaia sneezed.
“What’s wrong? Are you cold? You’re not dressed warmly enough. I brought a jacket with me. Here, put it on,” Joel said, his voice full of concern.
Kaia rubbed her nose. “It’s not a cold. I just… sneezed for no reason.”
“Just put the jacket on anyway. Even if you’re not sick, better safe than sorry. If you catch a cold, those professors will be all over you, nagging around you,” Joel said.
