Chapter 130
Chapter 130:
Lionel’s pulse jolted the instant he recognized the caller, and he quickly forced out an apologetic laugh. “Not at all. I was just scolding my daughter and didn’t check who was calling. I hope you won’t take it the wrong way, Mr. Owen p>
Ryan skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. “Did you see Kailey p>
“I did,” Lionel replied at once, already heading toward the parking area. “I didn’t expect her to be so capable. She stepped straight into a designer role right after graduating p>
“A designer?” Ryan repeated, his voice dropping slightly. “What kind of designer p>
A crease formed between his brows. Hadn’t he made it clear that no one was supposed to smooth Kailey’s path — that she was meant to work her way up from the ground level?
ѕa𝘃𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝘂𝗋 𝗳av𝗈𝗋𝗶𝘁𝘦 𝘯𝗼𝘷𝖾ls on
Lionel brushed it off as Ryan being forgetful and explained, “Kailey works as a jewelry designer. That was her major, right? From what I’ve heard, she’s been doing very well. Her superiors value her work, and she’s already helping choose designs for the next season. Opportunities like that are rare for someone fresh out of college p>
Ryan had no patience to hear more. He offered a few vague responses, then ended the call without lingering.
Reaching for the internal line, he summoned his assistant, Jarred Barker, to his office.
“Mr. Owen,” Jarred greeted respectfully.
Fixing him with a hard look, Ryan said flatly, “You have ten minutes. Find out which branch Kailey joined, who approved it, and whether anyone gave her preferential treatment p>
Kailey had always been sharp, and those who worked closely with her often showed her leniency. Even so, Ryan could not accept that anyone would ignore his explicit instructions and take that kind of risk for her.
Caught off guard, Jarred paused before answering, “Understood. I’ll look into it immediately p>
After ten minutes, Jarred stepped back into the office, his expression uneasy. “Mr. Owen p>
An uneasy feeling settled in Ryan’s chest as his brows drew together. “Speak up p>
“I contacted every branch manager. Miss Evans hasn’t joined any of them. No one has seen her,” Jarred replied, his voice trailing off as his head dropped.
The tension in the room thickened until it felt unbearable. Ryan stayed perfectly still, his gaze unreadable and heavy. One second passed. Then another. After what felt far too long, he finally spoke, his tone sharp. “What exactly are you saying? She isn’t employed p>
Steeling himself, Jarred answered again, “Miss Evans has not joined any branch under Owen Group p>
“Then where is she?” Ryan demanded, tugging at his tie as his irritation surfaced. “It’s been half a month already, and her uncle just claimed she’s working as a designer.” Anger surged through him as he gestured toward the phone on the desk. “I spoke to him myself just now. And yet you’re saying she isn’t employed anywhere. So explain it to me — where is Kailey p>
Jarred had never seen Ryan in such a volatile state, and the tension sent his pulse racing. “I’ll look into it right away!” he blurted out. Without waiting for a response, he spun around and rushed out of the office.