The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 71: The Trap and the Countermove

Julian Sterling had already steeled himself to engage in a prolonged verbal sparring match with Gabriel Cole. He even planned to play the innocent fool, pretending he knew absolutely nothing and denying everything no matter what the man said.

Who would have thought that Gabriel Cole would be so easy to talk to? When Julian claimed ignorance, the man simply stopped asking. On the contrary, Gabriel appeared incredibly solicitous, inquiring about Julian’s recent life, asking if living at the Caldwell residence was good, if he was happy, and whether Ethan Caldwell was treating him well.

Julian smiled brightly, chatting happily with him as if they were two old friends catching up on the past. However, his heart sank. It was obvious that Julian did not believe the man’s purpose today was merely limited to this. There was undoubtedly a follow-up move waiting in the wings.

Yet, right up until they said their goodbyes and Julian stepped out of the coffee shop, Gabriel Cole made no further mention of the collaboration.

Julian smoothed the bag at his waist, his expression unchanged, save for a slight furrow of his brows. Just then, his phone vibrated. Julian picked it up to check. The screen displayed an unfamiliar number. He pressed the reject button and slowly walked toward the pedestrian crosswalk. But his phone rang again. Julian glanced suspiciously at the screen, then cast a look back toward the coffee shop out of the corner of his eye. Even though he couldn’t see the man’s silhouette, he still suspected that Gabriel Cole was watching him.

Julian pressed answer. A rather hurried female voice came through: "Mr. Sterling, I am President Caldwell’s assistant. Something has happened to him. Please come to the City People’s Hospital immediately."

Julian froze for a moment, narrowing his eyes. His expression remained perfectly calm, yet his voice feigned panic: "What did you say? What happened to Ethan?"

"President Caldwell rushed back today, but unexpectedly, after leaving the airport, he was involved in an accident on the turn toward the highway. He has been taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. Please hurry."

"Okay, okay, wait for me a moment." Julian’s voice was frantic. He hurriedly hung up the phone, scanned his surroundings, and then rushed across the street, seemingly intending to run back home. Then, he suddenly stopped, appearing to think of something, and tapped furiously on his phone before pressing it to his ear, his eyes slightly reddening.

He looked as though he was hurriedly trying to contact someone.

Across the street, Gabriel Cole sat in the coffee shop, observing Julian’s panic and his constant, anxious backward glances at the road. He smiled. He picked up his phone and sent a message to someone.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Julian had connected with the person he needed to reach. He spoke hurriedly: "Thomas, drive out to the intersection near our house quickly to pick me up. Something has happened to Ethan!"

Thomas was Ethan Caldwell’s dedicated private chauffeur, but since Ethan knew how to drive, Thomas rarely had to work. Later, Ethan Caldwell had arranged for Thomas to be Julian’s private driver.

But the person on the other end of the line was not Thomas. Helen Lloyd looked up at the contact name on her phone in confusion. She wasn’t mistaken; this was Assistant Sterling, who was also her little boss. What could possibly have happened to her boss? The plane hadn’t even landed yet; it couldn’t have crashed.

Perish the thought, what was she thinking!

However, she quickly realized something was amiss; after all, Ethan Caldwell’s head assistant was no fool. Helen Lloyd quickly asked: "Mr. Sterling, did you receive news that something happened to the boss? But the boss is currently on the plane. The flight is normal and is expected to land in about half an hour."

Julian silently said as expected in his heart, but he continued speaking into the phone: "That is right, Ethan’s assistant just called saying he was in an accident and was taken to the City People’s Hospital. Thomas, drive quickly and take me there!"

Hearing this, Helen Lloyd began to suspect something: "Is someone deliberately setting a trap for you? Is there someone monitoring you right now?"

"Yes, hurry up!" Julian’s voice was full of anger, seemingly furious that the driver was wasting time with questions instead of driving. Just then, a taxi stopped in front of him, and the driver stuck his head out to ask: "Young man, do you need a ride?"

"Yes! Yes!" Julian hurriedly pulled the car door open, shouted "To the City People’s Hospital", and then spoke into the phone: "You do not need to come out anymore; I am in a taxi. Later, drive over and tell Seraphina that something happened to Ethan, so we cannot meet her. Just call me if there are any issues."

Then he hung up, his face full of worry as he urged the driver: "Driver, please drive a bit faster!"

On the other end of the line, Helen Lloyd’s mind raced. Naturally, being the head assistant for Ethan Caldwell required her to have her own set of skills. Although she was young, she had encountered situations like this a few times before. Very quickly, Helen Lloyd contacted personnel under Ethan Caldwell’s private operations to deploy along the route to the City People’s Hospital, and even stationed people at the hospital entrance.

At that moment, Helen Lloyd thought for a second and sent a text message to her boss, ensuring that as soon as Ethan Caldwell landed, he would receive the news immediately. Only then did she press her phone to call Julian back.

Very quickly, Julian’s panic-stricken voice came from the other end: "Seraphina, something happened to Ethan. We cannot make it to your place. I am sorry."

Helen Lloyd hurriedly said: "Personnel have been deployed along the route and at the hospital. What do you want to do, Mr. Sterling?"

Julian said: "I know, I am not panicking. I am just a little worried about Ethan. Huh? Oh, yes, you can come too. Me? I am sitting in a taxi; I do not know how to drive. Where am I now? I just left a little while ago. I am reaching the large white commercial center on the right side, Ring Road 7. Probably about ten minutes to reach the central intersection, then turning toward the hospital."

Julian finished speaking and hung up. Helen Lloyd sat there, murmuring his words to herself.