Other than Stuart, the three people pursed their lips as soon as they heard Valerie ask them about Charles. It was not that they did not want to comment about this matter to them. But the problem was that they did not know how to disclose the truth to them when it would only bring more problems to them in return.
But they had no choice either. They had to have someone from the Intelligence, someone who held authority and command as their support, and Valerie was the best choice they had. Keeping things a secret from her when all they wanted was her help was not what they had in mind. It would only ruin their plans.
So, eventually, they decided to pull Valerie and Preston into their plans, and just like that, Stuart too entered their group without any knowledge of what was happening around him.
"There a few matters that you are yet to find out Miss Evans. But we would not reveal them to you here, for the walls have ears and we do not anybody else to find out about it. How about we meet elsewhere?"
Valerie sensed the seriousness in Ian's tone, making her narrow her eyes skeptically. All of a sudden, a strange feeling entered her mind. But she brushed it away as quickly as it had come to here. She trusted Aria and Ivy to be honest and just, and she trusted the people they trusted. So, for once, she pushed back all her suspicions and decided to follow Ian's suggestion.
"Fine. I'll follow your plan this once. And I hope it is worth it." Valerie did not hide her suspicion from the team, and Ian nodded at her in understanding.
"I will text you the address, although you might already know Noah Carter's address," Ian stated, making Valerie and Preston frown at him in confusion.
"Noah Allen Carter? How is he involved in this?" Preston's frown deepened as he tried to comprehend what was happening, only to end up with a blank mind.
"You will find out everything this evening. And I am sure that you will not regret it. We have to lot to tell you and a lot more to reveal to you. All we need is your cooperation." Aria explained, and Preston just stared at her blankly.
"We will cooperate with you if we deem you to be trustworthy." Valerie made her stance clear, and none among the three objected to it while Stuart just look at all of them puzzled.
"I presume you would like to know one thing before that, Miss Evans." Ian folded his head, his eyes filled with a strange confidence which Valerie could not discern. It was as though the man was sure that they would cooperate with them and join hands with them by the end of the day.
"And what might that be?" Valerie too folded her hands, not backing off in the presence of such a domineering man. Her aura was no less strong than Ian's, and both of them gave such a powerful vibe around them that their audience kept blinking at them in wonder. They resembled nothing less than a power couple, one that could handle and support their partner in any situation or problem thrown at them.
"It is about the man you are speaking of, Charles. Miss Evans might know him to be the businessman Charles Miller."
"Charles Miller?" Valerie found the name to be familiar. But she could not put a face to it. Her face scrunched up as she tried to recall him. But in vain.
"He is a small time businessman. But he is quite resourceful and more powerful than Jared himself. He is the man behind Jared, instructing him behind the scenes, and apparently, to Jared he is his Godfather."
As soon as Ian addressed the familiar man as Godfather, it struck both Valerie and Preston. They had heard about the so-called Godfather and now they remembered the man's face clearly.
"Is Charles Miller Jared's Godfather?" Valerie asked in disbelief.
Charles was a businessman too. But unlike Jared whose net worth was more than anyone could comprehend, Charles did not have much in his name. He could not even hold a candle to Jared, and to think that he was the Godfather they were looking for rendered her speechless and lost.
'How did Jared get accustomed to Charles?' She wondered and was just about to voice her question when Ian beat her to it.
"You will find out all about Jared and Charles in the evening, Miss Evans. But before you need to know where Charles is right now."
Valerie raised an eyebrow, urging him to continue, and for the first time since he had met the woman, Ian found her reaction to be adorable. A smile replaced his pursed lips and for a moment, he remained silent before he regained his composure.
"Charles is right in our hospital and currently, he is in the ICU, waiting to gain his consciousness."
Preston, who had not shown any of his reactions until then, finally, could not control himself and his jaw dropped in shock. It was completely not what he had expected, especially when it was the first time he was hearing about Charles's involvement in this organ trafficking mafia.
To think that the man was right here, in the hospital, the man who commanded Jared to carry all those dreadful and heinous activities made Preston giddy with excitement. All he wanted to do was find that old man and drag him, showing the world how much of a criminal he was before hauling him inside the prison, for that was where he belonged, at least until he was strapped to the execution chair.
"This was unexpected." Valerie too could not handle the shock and she held the table edge for support. Seeing her condition, Ian handed her a bottle of water which she took with a grateful smile. She really needed to calm her nerves, for the day had been more than surprising, with unbelievable events happening one by one at a pace she could not even comprehend.
Right at this moment, a knock at the door broke the silence that had filled the room after the shocking revelation, and Ian opened it to find a nurse waiting for him outside.
"Dr. Davis, the patient in ICU III has gained consciousness."
"I understand. I will be there in a moment." Ian nodded and closed the door again. "How coincidental!!" He did not reduce his volume, allowing everyone to hear him.
"What is it, Ian?" Ivy, who had been silent for quite some time, asked him immediately.
"Amidst all this drama, Charles has finally chosen to wake up. He has chosen a perfect time indeed to make his presence known."