Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 42

Amber's intuition was spot on. Sharif Madison had indeed ordered Julian Zeller to hire a private investigator to tail her for the day.

At that moment, Julian was giving his report in the CEO's office.

"Mr. Madison, this is the complete timeline of Miss Newman's movements today. Please take a look."

It was 11:30 PM.

Every employee at Madison Group, down to the security guards, was off the clock, except for their CEO. Sharif worked overtime until 3:00 AM every single night.

The man wore a black silk dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, offering a glimpse of tanned skin and a solid, muscular chest.

Frameless gold glasses rested on his perfectly sculpted face, making him look impeccably handsome and utterly untouchable.

His elegant, strong hands moved with precision. One hand flipped through one of the three 'interview gifts' Amber had given him earlier, while the other took the folder detailing her daily movements from Julian.

As he opened the file, his eyes locked onto a photo and a name that genuinely caught him off guard. "Lucian Juarez?"

Why did that name sound so familiar?

He lifted his gaze to look at Julian, his commanding aura instantly filling the room.

"He's ranked first in their grade, Miss Newman's childhood friend. He was supposed to be the one interviewing today, but for some reason—according to the PI's report—they had a massive falling out. She ended up asking her teacher to let her take his place," Julian explained.

Sharif paused, honing in on the most crucial detail. "Her... childhood friend?"

Julian didn't notice Sharif's slight frown or understand why he was asking, so he simply answered honestly, "Yes, the PI mentioned their parents seem to be dating?"

Sharif raised an eyebrow. "?"

"Should I have them dig deeper into the specifics?" Julian asked, failing to read his boss's confusion. He continued, "Basically, they've known each other since they were kids. Since elementary school, Lucian has always been the class president, and Miss Newman was the academic rep. It’s been that way up until now."

Sharif flipped through the document. "Are you saying they're in a relationship?"

Julian hesitated. "...I don't think so. It's just two families—one lost a mother, the other lost a father. It's a blended family situation, I suppose."

"Are their parents married?"

"No!"

"Amber..."

"Don't ask questions, please. Just consider it a loan. I'll pay you back."

Asking her dad for money made Amber feel a bit ashamed. Even though she was physically a high school student right now, her soul was from a previous life, and it had been a long time since she had asked her father for cash.

But she had no choice. She desperately needed a laptop and internet access for her plans, and she couldn't afford to wait until her freshman year of college.

It would severely delay her progress.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You don't need to 'borrow' money from your own dad. I just don't understand—your finals are right around the corner. Is this really the best time to be buying a laptop?" Arthur was worried Amber might take it the wrong way. "I'm just asking. If you really want it, I'll transfer the money right now..." He pulled out his phone, only to realize he had hit his daily transfer limit.

"Hold on, Amber, I'll just give you my debit card. You can swipe it directly or withdraw the cash at the bank. I have to head to the diner now, or I'll be late." Arthur hurriedly searched for his savings card and handed it over. Amber looked at him and asked, "Dad, aren't you worried I'll just blow it all?"

Arthur gave her a loving, exasperated look. "You silly girl, you're my daughter. Why would I worry about you wasting money? Even if you did, it's only because I'm a useless father who hasn't been able to give you the best. Buy the laptop, and get yourself some nice clothes too. Consider it a graduation gift from me."

Amber smiled. "Don't worry, I won't waste it. Every penny you earn is hard-earned money. I'm going to make you rich one day, Dad. You'll be living in a massive mansion."