Chapter 75

Keaton wiped the sweat from his brow and swallowed hard before speaking again, “Buddy, you seriously saved my skin today!”

Tarquin remained silent.

Keaton tried to steady his racing heart and asked, “So, what’s your take now? If she’s been sent by the Bradfords, we’ve got to watch our backs. Can’t let her anywhere near Elijah.”

“I know.”

“But I heard from my sis that she’s pretty sharp. If she’s got skills, keeping her away from Elijah might be a loss for him.”

That was the crux of the matter.

Tarquin was torn between giving her the cold shoulder and considering Elijah’s well–being. He couldn’t afford to miss out on any chance to heal Elijah, no matter how slim that hope might be.

Keaton probed, “Didn’t you have someone dig into her background?”

“Yeah, but came up empty.”

“Figures. If she’s a Bradford plant, they’d have covered their tracks well on her ID. But Elijah is the last of the Bradford bloodline, and knowing how much Gideon values lineage, even if he’s not fond of Elijah, he wouldn’t harm the kid.

He sent a woman to get to you, not Elijah. So, I reckon even if she gets close to Elijah, she probably won’t hurt him.”

Tarquin flicked his cigarette ashes thoughtfully. “If she really is a Bradford pawn, then Gideon’s played a cunning game!”

An ordinary woman approaching him would stand no chance. But this woman, an expert in child psychology, who could help Elijah recover? That alone made it impossible for him. to just push her away.

Moreover, if she could truly cure Elijah’s mood swings, he’d owe her his life. In other words, if she won Elijah over, she wouldn’t need to bother with him. Victory would be hers without a fight.

He’d be completely under her control…

Keaton hesitated, “You’ve got a point, but… you can’t just assume she’s Gideon’s spy after one encounter, right? Maybe Gideon just took a fancy to her know–how in psychology and decided to meet her on purpose?”

Tarquin shot Keaton a glance, his brow furrowed in thought. His prejudice against her had deepened because DNA tests proved she wasn’t Elijah’s biological mother.

So when he saw a photo of her with Gideon, it was natural for him to lump them together. Even when she approached him to explain the meeting, he didn’t believe her.

But now, giving it more thought, Keaton might not be entirely wrong.

Her meeting with Gideon and the money he gave her only suggested a high likelihood of her being a Bradford spy.

But it was just a possibility.

Thinking deeper, how could Gideon have the resources to hack into Bradford Group’s computers? To pull off stealing so many deals overnight? Did Gideon actually have that kind of money?

If he was truly capable, he wouldn’t have been biting his tongue all these years.

The biggest doubt was, if Gideon was the mastermind, why would he go through all the trouble to find the one who stole Tarquin’s deals? He was desperate to find that person to use against him, right?

So, Gideon couldn’t be the one stealing the deals!

Meaning, Elysia might not have lied…

After a moment, Tarquin dialed Lowell’s number. “Whatever it takes, make Gideon’s confidant talk. I need to know everything Gideon and Elysia discussed at the café today.”

Once he hung up, Tarquin lit another cigarette.

Apart from this mess, Elysia’s accusations were gnawing at him. She had stood there, looking up at him with those determined eyes, spelling out her grievances word by word, even swearing oaths….