Rauf frowned at the document in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate on the accounting and shipping orders before him, he couldn’t take his mind off one thing.
The car that had stalked them on their way back from the mall.
He ought to have gotten a better look at it, but at that moment, he had been more interested in escaping than identifying the enemy. And with June in the car, he had no other priorities.
Now, his forehead furrowed in deep concentration. Not many things got under his skin, but this did.
Balling one hand into a fist while the other rested on his phone, he called Henson into his office.
It didn’t take long for Henson to arrive.
"Sir?"
Rauf lifted his eyes to look at him. Henson seemed to be handling several things at once, but there was no one Rauf trusted more with his affairs than him.
Not even the gang members who had started relocating to New Central State because of him.
Aware of the interviews scheduled for the day, he asked Henson, "How was the interview?"
"It went well, boss. Madam was able to select a total of three staff members."
His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the file in front of him again. "And you think that’s enough to help her feel comfortable here?"
Back at his mansion in Kansas, he had lost count of the number of staff members he employed.
He had thought June would need at least that many to feel comfortable here. And he wanted her to be comfortable.
"I think Madam is okay with just three staff members," Henson responded.
He knew the best way to divert Rauf’s attention from the matter was to tell him June was satisfied with her choices.
Rauf nodded.
If June was okay with it, then there was no problem.
"Is there any progress with the stalker at the gate?"
That was the kind of conversation Henson wanted to have.
"Yes, sir."
Rauf listened.
"During your brief outing with Madam, the man was absent from the gate for the entire period."
Rauf frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The CCTV captured him leaving the premises a few minutes after you drove out with Madam."
Rauf nodded.
That confirmed one thing: the man had been watching his building, not the Vassari mansion. Whatever he wanted, it had to do with either him or June.
"Were you finally able to capture his face?"
Henson’s face fell.
"No, boss." However, as if to prove he was still as capable as Rauf expected him to be, he added, "But I was able to get his car’s plate number."
That seemed to satisfy Rauf, who relaxed in his chair.
"And?"
"I sent it to a friend. He’s working on it, and I’ll get a response soon."
Rauf nodded.
If what Henson said was true, then the man watching his gate must have been the same person who followed him and June from the house to the mall.
Yet, it was strange that he hadn’t noticed anything suspicious apart from the woman who had wanted to take their picture together.
It wasn’t until they left the mall that he noticed they were being followed.
Whoever it was, Rauf couldn’t afford to leave him alone for too long. He seemed to be a professional at whatever he did.
"I want you to get that response as soon as possible."
Henson nodded.
He then updated Rauf on the progress of their relocation to New Central State.
It wasn’t an easy task to move the majority of his businesses from Kansas to New Central State, but so far, there hadn’t been any obstacles.
"And, boss?" Henson added after recounting the business affairs.
"What?"
"According to the report from Rugged Lips, Mrs. Salvador Sr. has been meeting with Samir more frequently."
Rugged Lips was one of the men working under Henson. Just as Henson worked for Rauf, Rugged Lips worked under Henson.
Rauf paused.
If he hadn’t learned to remain composed at all times, he would have shouted.
"What?"
A strange sensation filled his body. He couldn’t quite put a name to it. It wasn’t simply anger. It was something far worse.
How could his mother ally herself with the enemy?
His mother hated Samir.
He hated Samir.
They both hated him.
After all, Samir was the reason he had lost his father. So why would his mother suddenly start meeting with him?
It was already strange enough that she had conspired with them to lie to him, but he hadn’t thought much about it until now.
"I want you to keep tabs on my mother and report all her activities to me."
"And Samir?" Henson asked.
Rauf had always kept tabs on Samir, but since Serena intended to punish him, he had considered him unworthy of his attention.
Rauf rubbed his forehead.
"I don’t want every piece of information about Samir. I only want to know what he’s doing with my mother."
Rauf didn’t care about anything else.
He wanted to know why his mother would work with his father’s murderer.
Henson nodded.
"And one more thing," Rauf added before Henson could leave. "If possible, I want a full list of the guests invited to the introduction party."
He needed to know who was who.
What if the Monterrios weren’t the only enemies they had to worry about?
He wouldn’t take that chance.
Henson didn’t respond immediately.
He might be capable of handling many things, but he also knew when to respect his boundaries. He shifted on his feet, avoiding Rauf’s gaze.
"Boss, you can easily get that information from Mr. Vassari."
Rauf knew he could.
But considering the relationship he had been developing with Chris recently, asking for the guest list behind his back might be a breach of trust.
"I don’t want the Vassaris to know about this."
Henson frowned.
Rauf could read his thoughts without him saying a word.
"Are you afraid you won’t be able to get it because they’re the Vassaris?"
Not bothering to hide his feelings, Henson nodded. There was no point pretending otherwise. Rauf knew him better than anyone else.
Rauf stared at him, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Fine. I’ll get it myself. Just a little visit to the Vassari mansion, and I’ll be able to get it."