One Night With A Mysterious Billionaire (The Heiress's Revenge)-Chapter 84: Raymond’s investigation

Raymond’s mind went haywire.

He had only traveled for a few days, only to be told that Lena was missing. Since the moment he heard it, sleep had completely abandoned him. His mind ran wild, spinning countless scenarios, each darker than the last.

Who could have taken her?

The last time Lena was kidnapped, he had almost gone insane with rage. His grip tightened around the glass in his hand as the memory resurfaced.

Did I take it too easy on Cynthia by letting her go? Did she kidnap Lena again? But what would be her reason this time?

The last time, Cynthia had orchestrated it so the engagement could proceed without interruption. She had believed that if Lena was out of the way, she could finally have him.

A cold scoff left Raymond’s lips.

Those kinds of childish games had never worked on him.

All it had taken was a single phone call, one threat, and Cynthia had broken down, spilling everything she knew. She had insisted she only told them to keep Lena hidden until after the engagement and not to harm her.

Later

investigations had confirmed her claim, aside from the kidnappers acting on their own greed.

No... Cynthia wouldn’t dare go this far again.

She knew her limits.

"Maybe I should have killed her back then instead of making a fool out of her..." Raymond muttered darkly as he downed another glass of dry gin in one go.

The alcohol burned his throat, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside him.

"How did I become this soft...?" he asked himself, his voice low and dangerous. "That people now think they can walk all over me?"

His lips curled into a humorless smile.

"Is the name Raymond Black a joke to them now?"

Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating.

Then his expression darkened even further.

"Someone dared to lay a hand on my woman..." he murmured, his voice laced with murderous intent. "Are they tired of living... or simply begging for death?"

A dangerous smile spread across his face.

By the time dawn broke, Raymond had already made up his mind.

He bathed, dressed, and stepped out clad entirely in black, his presence as cold and commanding as death itself. His cane rested firmly in his grip, his dark glasses shielding the storm brewing in his eyes. Without a word to anyone, he left the house.

Yet something continued to bother him.

Ever since he was told about Lena’s disappearance the previous night, a particular thought refused to leave his mind.

Mr. Smith.

After everything Raymond had uncovered about the man, he wouldn’t put it past him to still be lurking in the shadows, refusing to let Lena go.

When Lena had asked Raymond to investigate her father, he had done so without hesitation. But he had never told her the truth.

He knew it would shatter her.

Lena loved her father deeply, and Raymond had no intention of destroying whatever fragile image she still held of him. Some illusions were better left untouched... at least for her sake.

He still remembered vividly the day he had confronted Mr. Smith.

It was after Lena had asked him to help remove her father from her property. Raymond had arranged a meeting and invited the man out.

The atmosphere that day had been tense from the very beginning.

"Mr. Smith," Raymond had said calmly, his tone sharp beneath its composure, "I believe we both know why I called you here today."

Mr. Smith had forced a laugh, though it lacked confidence.

"I’m afraid I’m not a magician, Mr. Black. I can’t read minds," he replied. "So I have no idea why you summoned me."

Raymond’s gaze had turned icy.

"Cut the crap," he said flatly. "I know everything about your past life in Vegas, the gambling, the scams, the women, and the petty crimes you buried so carefully."

The effect had been immediate.

A visible shiver ran down Mr. Smith’s spine, and the color drained from his face. The life he had worked so hard to erase had just been dragged back into the light.

"I don’t need to go into details," Raymond had continued coldly. "I know about you and Selena... and I also know Ashley is your daughter."

At that point, Mr. Smith had completely lost his composure.

"The thing is," Raymond went on, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper, "I could make you disappear, and no one would ever find out. Or..."

He paused deliberately.

"I could tell Lena everything."

Mr. Smith’s breathing had hitched.

"But that would do her no good," Raymond added, his tone turning almost indifferent. "I’d rather protect the little image she still has of you."

Then his eyes hardened.

"So listen carefully. I don’t intend to dig deeper into your crimes, for her sake. But if I ever see you in York City again... anywhere near Lena..."

His voice turned deadly.

"I won’t just skin you alive. I’ll make sure your entire family experiences a fate worse than death."

The threat had hung heavily in the air.

"Since Lena has already decided to remove you from her life," Raymond concluded, casually taking a sip of his coffee, "I suggest you stay gone. Take your two harlots with you as well."

A faint smirk touched his lips.

"Oh, I know about Ashley’s lifestyle too. Not surprising, she is her mothers after all."

By then, Mr. Smith had been drenched in sweat, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Raymond hadn’t even revealed half of what he knew, yet it was enough to break the man completely.

Right there and then, Mr. Smith had promised to leave York City and never trouble Lena again.

But Mr Smith never really let Lena go, how could he? after years of planning only to be told that he should let it go when it was just on his finger tips. He only retreated to attack when they were least expecting.

For a while... he had kept his word

But Raymond knew better than to trust a man like him.

Greed and hatred had a way of resurfacing.

A leopard never truly changed its spots.

That was why, as Raymond drove out of his villa, his first suspicion fell on Mr. Smith.

Before returning to Vegas, he needed to confirm there was no threat coming from that direction.

If he hadn’t uncovered the kind of life Mr. Smith once lived, he might have ignored him and flown straight back to Vegas without a second thought.

But now... that was no longer an option.

Reaching for his phone, Raymond made a call.

"I want you to check if Ashley is still in town," he ordered coldly.

Of course, if there was any loose end, it would be her.

She was reckless... and reckless people always led back to the truth.

As he got into his car and drove out of his villa, his phone rang again.

The information came faster than expected.

A photo recognition alert had picked up Ashley at a high-end restaurant on the far side of the city. She was standing just outside, seemingly waiting for someone.

A dark smile tugged at Raymond’s lips.

"Good," he muttered before ending the call and heading straight for the location.

When he arrived, he didn’t approach immediately.

Instead, he stayed back, quietly observing her. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

At first, her presence there didn’t make much sense. She seemed too focused, too deliberate.

But then, when he spotted Evans Rings, the flashy fool with the ridiculous name, it all clicked.

Raymond let out a quiet scoff.

So that was why she was here

Or at least... part of it.

He followed her inside without drawing attention and took a seat behind her, positioning himself just close enough to hear every word.

As the conversation between Ashley and the two idiots, men Raymond had long considered dealing with, unfolded, two things became clear to him.

First, Ashley had somehow come into money.

Second...

They were addressing her as the CEO of Smith Enterprises. Which shocked him because Lena was till the CEo except there is a reason she thinks lena wouldn’t be the CEO again. Raymond’s eyes darken as a thought circulate his mind

Raymond’s fingers tapped lightly against the table as he processed the information.

Knowing Ashley, she was far too impatient, always celebrating victory before the war was truly over.

That alone made her dangerous... and careless.

After they eventually left, Raymond remained seated for a moment, his gaze fixed on the empty space they had occupied.

Then he picked up his phone and dialed another number.

The call connected almost instantly.

"Check the surveillance footage around the restaurant Lena was last seen," he said without preamble. "Look for Lena’s father... and Ashley as well."

His tone turned colder.

"I’m certain one of them will show up."

On the other end, Liam acknowledged the order without hesitation and promised to begin the search immediately.

The call ended.

Raymond leaned back in his seat, his eyes dark as he stared at the direction Ashley had disappeared.

This was far from over.