Leah's POV
The next morning, I woke up early to attend a morning briefing with Gean Lee.
I was still feeling bitter about what happened in the back alley the day before. My heart was still pounding fast as I thought of being pushed against the wall by Lucas. I had to squeeze my hands to force myself to concentrate on the upcoming business briefing.
As I walked into the garden, I saw a young man standing next to the table.
"Good morning, Miss Leah. My name is Gean Lee. I came here for the morning briefing. It's such an honor to meet you in person." He spoke in a velvety voice with an exotic oriental accent. It was like a mixture of accents. I really couldn't tell where he came from.
Like what I had imagined in my mind, he looked tall and lean. He stood with a commanding presence. It was clear that he had served in the army. His physique bore a testament to the discipline and dedication required of soldiers.
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Gean Lee!" I said and shook his hands.
Unlike his well-groomed face, his hands were coarse.
My brother said Gean had experience with rogues. He must have been through a lot.
As we were having breakfast together later on, the gentle morning breeze stroked past the garden. Gean flicked a naughty stroke of hair running loose on his forehead with his slender fingers, which were a stark contrast to his strong, masculine build.
My heart flipped.
He was so mysteriously, exotically handsome, and I liked handsome men with a good appetite, quick wit, and a sexy accent.
"Miss Lewyn, I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you. I've done a thorough background check on the Mediland Project. I don't think the Mediland market is a good place to start our business campaign."
"Why not?" I frowned and asked.
"This market is too risky for us."
"Gean, why don't we talk to Alpha Dire of Rock Growlers Pack first before we make a decision? He is in charge of the Mediland market now," I said.
"No, I don't trust that old fox." Gean shook his head. "He's very unpredictable and I don't think he will provide us with full support. If you're really determined to explore this market. I suggest looking for another safety and security contractor." Gean Lee said.
"Have you heard of the Swansons of the Eagle Tail Pack?" I asked.
Gean nodded and said, "Yes, Miss Lewyn, Alpha Derek is a very civilized person."
"His youngest son is proved to be a very capable military officer. I want to hire him to be my safety contractor," I said.
Gean paused and scratched his head, "Miss Lewyn, I don't think that Darren Swanson could be hired..."
"He will if you rescue his brother, who's in trouble right now," I said. I overheard Darren's speech in the back alley yesterday. He was talking to a man named Cliff on his phone about freeing his brother from a rogue pack.
I wished Gean could help him solve this conundrum.
"Sure. I will see what I can do," Gean said.
"Good. Solved problem number one, now to problem number two. I asked you to do an investigation on Clara. What did you find out?" I asked.
"We have collected some information about Miss Clara Farrow," Gean said. "It turned out that she does have a below-average IQ and used to struggle with all her academic subjects at school. She is also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It may lead to a series of symptoms, including extreme happiness and irritability at the same time, poor concentration and judgment, paranoia, as well as setting unrealistic goals."
Then, he took a pause and said, "Apparently, this wasn't the first time she got into trouble because of stealing. She has been arrested multiple times for misdemeanors like shoplifting, joyriding, vandalizing, and trying to set a garden shed on fire."
"A garden shed?"
"Yes, with explosive chemicals, fertilizer, and compost inside. If that plan went well, the whole house would be ruined by a blast which is equal to a small-scale hydrogen bomb."
"And the police label this as 'misdemeanor'?" I raised my eyebrows.
"She was only five at that time. So..."
"A bipolar she-wolf, my Moon Goddess." I mumbled to myself. "Can her condition be treated?"
"The symptoms can only be relieved, but it can never be cured," Gean replied. "But what I need to tell you is that Miss Clara is currently scheming with her cousin Mick Fanning to harm you."
"Harm me? They want to grab my hair and set me on fire or something?" I frowned.
"Apparently, they are considering humiliating you by making some video clips of lewd content and posting them online. Miss Clara Farrow wants to get back on you for posting her gambling video clip online and busting on her."
"She's just a kid. She's sick and she needs help." I shook my head and said.
Gean drew himself closer to me and said, "Miss Leah, I highly suggest that we take some actions regarding the sensitive nature of this situation."
"But she's my ex-sister-in-law. What do you want me to do? Call the police and arrest her for a crime that she hasn't committed?" I rubbed my temples.
Gean stared at me and said, "I'm going to be very frank with you, Miss Leah. Miss Clara Farrow is a bully and I absolutely abhor bullies. So if you could please let me deal with this issue..."
I shook my head and said, "No, Gean. You're a very talented and capable professional. I don't think you should waste your time disciplining a naughty bipolar girl. You go and take care of Darren's brother. Let me deal with my in-laws."
Gean nodded. I had a really good feeling that we would definitely enjoy each other's company.
At that time, Laura's voice appeared behind the bush, "Look whom I caught! Having breakfast without me?!"
Then, her beautiful red-haired head popped up from the bush like a small marmot on Groundhog Day.
To my surprise, Gean didn't withdraw his hands from me. Instead, he leaned closer to me and whispered, "Laura's here."
It seems that he has no problems calling everyone by their names except mine. I thought to myself.
"Miss Parrish, what are you doing here? Miss Leah is trying to have a private conversation with Mr. Lee." Mr. Carson spotted his niece from a distance and approached us.
"I'm hungry, Uncle Liam. Please bring me some food! I'll have a quick meal before going to the gallery! There's a grand opening today!" Laura pulled a chair and sat right between me and Gean.
"What are we gossiping now? Does Lycidas have a new girlfriend? Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" Laura giggled like a schoolgirl on spring break.
Gean immediately blushed. He stood up, pulled Laura's chair away from me to the other end of the table, and said, "I no longer work for Lycidas. And even if I still worked for him, I would never tell you anything about his private life. Now, you quietly have your breakfast here and let me and Miss Leah finish our conversation. If you're well-behaved, I might drive you to the gallery later."
Then, he excused himself and left.
Laura dragged her chair all the way toward us again, excited like a girl who had just learned how to ride a bike with training wheels.
"So, how's Gean?" Laura asked with a mysterious smile on her face.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Laura crossed her legs on the chair and sat like a Turk. Then, she said, "He was supposed to be the Beta of the Blazebite Prowlers, but they cast him away because they found out that he's queer. He had been a rogue for a long time when my brother found him. My brother loves him because he's sharp and canny. And man, he's a people person and he's got a knack for making money. Those rednecks in Blazebite Prowlers made such a big mistake kicking him out. But their loss is our gain."
"Not every Alpha is as open-minded as Lucian," I shrugged.
Hearing my brother's name, Laura's face blushed again.