Chapter - 5522

Late at night, a cargo ship embarked from Bohai Bay, carrying Stephen toward Tahiti in the South Pacific.

Stephen stood at the ship's stern, gazing at the receding lights of the port in the night, a swirl of emotions in his heart.

Although he was Charlie's father's confidant, twenty years ago, Bruce had given him two specific tasks.

One was to ensure Charlie's safety should anything happen to him, and the other was to strictly adhere to the security plan and follow Lily's directives.

Over the years, while Stephen had served as the Wade family's butler, he had, in reality, been following Lily's instructions in all matters.

For more than a decade, even Lord Wade remained oblivious to whether his grandson, Charlie, was alive or deceased. This was because, prior to Bruce's tragic accident, he hadn't specified when Stephen should inform Lord Wade about Charlie's wellbeing. Lily had been the mastermind behind the scenes, orchestrating everything. Only when Lily deemed the time was right did she instruct Stephen to disclose Charlie's situation to Lord Wade.

Lord Wade grappled with a sense of unworthiness toward his son and daughter-in-law.

Moreover, his grandson had faced a troubled fate. To compensate for Charlie, he had acquired Emgrand Group and bestowed upon Stephen a 10-billion-dollar black card to deliver to Charlie. Subsequently, the events that unfolded became common knowledge.

Though Stephen felt reluctant to leave Eastcliff abruptly, he understood that a temporary departure was the best course for now. The only regret he carried was not bidding Charlie farewell.

…

At that very moment, Charlie lay alone in the guest room of the old Wade family estate, restlessly shifting and turning.

Stephen's unannounced departure urged Charlie to dig deeper into the matter. Stephen wasn't working for his grandfather, nor was he working for his father. If Stephen had been serving his father's interests, he wouldn't have left today.

In fact, he would have aided Charlie in unraveling the mystery surrounding Cole's identity and whereabouts.

After all, Cole was likely a friend of his father's, and Stephen had been his father's loyal subordinate. There was no need for secrets between them.

The only conclusion was that Stephen was actually serving a third party, one unknown to Charlie.

The mysterious third party had no intention of letting Charlie uncover their existence through Stephen. That's why they vanished suddenly, leaving Charlie with no clues or avenues to follow up on.

What confounded Charlie was the identity of this third person.

Fortunately, various signs indicated that this third person was definitely not an adversary, which offered Charlie some relief amid his uncertainties.

...

The following morning arrived with a gentle glow of sunlight, casting a warm ambience within the Wade residence.

Charlie left the guest room, clutching the photo album in his hands, and made his way to the main hall. There, Lord Wade awaited his presence.

As Charlie emerged, Lord Wade addressed him, "Charlie, Miss Clark mentioned that she went out to grab some breakfast and will return shortly."

Surprised, Charlie inquired, "She went alone?"

Lord Wade nodded in confirmation, stating, "I couldn't reach Stephen, and there are no servants left at the old house. I offered to go, but she ventured out before I had the chance."

Charlie nodded, though a trace of concern lingered in his thoughts. Morgana had always sought to capture Maria, and now Maria was without a bodyguard. Her solitary outing left him somewhat uneasy.

As he mulled over these thoughts, Maria swung open the door and entered, her hands laden with bags of breakfast goodies. A bright smile graced her face as she spotted Charlie.

"Young Master, you're up," she chimed. "Come, have some breakfast. I've picked up a variety of Eastcliff's finest morning treats."

With a quick glance at Lord Wade, she added, "Grandpa, let's dig in!"

Lord Wade acknowledged with a nod and a polite smile. "Thank you for your efforts, Miss Clark."

Then, lowering his voice, he inquired of Charlie, "Charlie, why does Miss Clark refer to you as 'Young Master'?"

Charlie pondered briefly before offering a smile. "She has a fondness for ancient culture."

Lord Wade chuckled softly. "I'm getting old and might not grasp the preferences of the younger generation."

He leaned in closer to Charlie and whispered, "But Miss Clark does exude an air of grace, even if she is a tad younger. She'd be a fine match for you, I dare say."

Charlie agreed, matching Lord Wade's smile. Inside, he thought, "If you knew Maria's true age exceeds three centuries, you'd probably be shocked."

With that, they proceeded together to the dining room, where Maria unveiled the breakfast spread she had procured. Charlie handed the photo album to Lord Wade, then turned to him with a question, "Grandpa, do you recall seeing this photo album before?"

Lord Wade furrowed his brow. "Where did you find it?"

Charlie explained, "It was in my parents' old study."

"That's peculiar..." Lord Wade mused. "I've gone through your parents' study countless times, and I'm familiar with every item in there. I've never come across any photo albums."

Charlie gestured towards the album and probed, "Are you sure you've never seen this one before?"

Lord Wade inspected the photo album handed to him, then shook his head definitively. "This is my first encounter with it, and I can confidently affirm that it wasn't among the possessions in your parents' study."

Charlie felt a growing sense of bewilderment. For twenty years after his parents' passing, Lord Wade had maintained the old house in its current state. He should be intimately familiar with every item in it. If he claimed no recollection of the photo album, it suggested that it had been introduced later.

Thinking back to Stephen, Charlie surmised that this was likely something Stephen had brought over the previous day. It appeared that Stephen knew precisely what he was searching for and had left these clues behind for Charlie to discover.

This only bolstered Charlie's conviction from the previous night—Stephen must have been working for someone else, and that someone was likely the same individual behind the two nuns at Greenwood Temple.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Charlie grew increasingly eager to unravel this enigma.

He looked to Lord Wade, who held the photo album, and asked, "Grandpa, would you mind opening it and seeing if any of the photos inside seem familiar?"

Lord Wade nodded, a touch perplexed. He opened the album and perused its contents carefully. After a thorough examination, he turned to Charlie with a shake of his head. "I've never laid eyes on these photos before."

Charlie pointed to the image featuring Cole and his father and inquired, "Grandpa, do you recognize the person beside Father in this photo?"

Lord Wade scrutinized the picture for an extended moment, then responded, "I don't recognize him, and I've never heard Bruce speak of him. I suspect this photograph was taken in the United States. Could he have been a friend from there?"

Charlie, who didn't recognize the man either, nodded in agreement. "It's quite possible."

Suddenly, Lord Wade recalled something and reminded Charlie, "By the way, Charlie, you brought Hogan back from the United States some time ago. He had a close relationship with your father before his passing, and he's spent a considerable amount of time in the United States. Perhaps you could consult him."

Charlie's eyes brightened with newfound hope. He had previously requested that Hogan spend quality time with his family in Hong Kong, awaiting Charlie's call. But in the rush of recent events, he hadn't considered reaching out to him.

At this critical moment, he hadn't even thought of Hogan! Charlie exclaimed, "Grandpa, you're absolutely right. I'll take a photo and send it to Uncle Hogan to see if he recognizes him."