Chapter 359 - Thorny Exterior

Reuben nodded at the head of security who had called Lina with the right name but the anger in his heart had not abated in the least.

"Did you get any information from him?" He interrogated as he needed to know who it was that had ordered the man to keep an eye on him.

Trigger nodded, giving him a positive answer as that was the first thing his subordinates had done.

Once the man who was keeping an eye on their boss was discovered, it did not take much time for them to apprehend him and bring him to their secret base.

Of course, they had made sure to not create a scene which might garner the attention of the passersby, leading to any further complications.

The two guards were swift and clean in their actions as they transferred the paparazzo to their base, a hidden location where Reuben's men rested and spent time in between their shifts.

The paparazzo, a young man in his mid twenties, was scared out of his mind when he was abducted in broad daylight.

The men who had snatched him from his car had stolen his camera and also placed a dark cloth over his head as they dragged him along.

He could hear the sound of traffic while under the dark hood and after many minutes, he was dragged out of the car and into another place.

He had only seen the light after he had been brought to a new location that he had no clue about.

Trigger was present there to personally interrogate the man who had dared to snoop around their Emperor's personal life.

The moment the dark hood placed over the young man's head was removed, Trigger and the other two guards who had apprehended him were surprised to see his snot filled face.

Tears kept rolling from his eyes and the snot from his nose had even flowed down to his lips but he was not bothered about it as he was fearing for his life after taking a look at the big muscular men who were standing before him.

"He confessed in a second, Master." Trigger sighed as he shook his head at the youth who cowered and was on the verge of fainting due to fear.

This development had stunned the Boss and assistant alike after they heard everything that the head of security had to say.

"He had received a tip that the Emperor had come to dine with a lady and had rushed to get the first picture for himself." He revealed the information the youth had blurted out in an instant.

Apparently, he was a freelance photographer who was strapped for cash and his friend had introduced him to a media house which needed dirt on the rich and famous people in the city.

The more famous the person was, the higher the price of the photographs he took.

The allure of the quick method to earn some cash for the debts he had to pay had brought him into the paparazzi business to which he was still a newbie.

He had received a call informing him about the Emperor's date with a woman and he did not think twice before rushing to the site.

To his surprise, it was not a prank call and he had witnessed the Emperor exiting the car with a woman.

In the next second, he set up his camera equipment and began clicking pictures of the two entering the restaurant.

He even waited for them to finish and leave to get more shots and this was when he had been caught by Reuben's hidden guards.

"We tracked the number he had received the call from." Trigger added after retelling this incident.

Reuben waited to hear who it might be but there was already a name in his heart and that name was Fredrick Ming, his uncle from the side branch.

"Sorry, Master. We could not track the number as it was unavailable. The hacker thinks that the number was activated and then deactivated soon after the call was made." He bowed in apology.

"They wouldn't be dumb enough to leave tracks that would lead back to them." The Emperor let out a mocking chuckle as only an idiot would do that.

"Was that man given any instruction? What to do with the photos or where to send them, any particular place?" Mathew spoke for the first time after his former silence.

In answer, Trigger shook his head as he too had the same doubt and had questioned the paparazzo about it.

"No instructions. Only information he received was that Master would be at the restaurant with a woman." He shook his head once again.

Reuben nodded his head and fell into deep thought, trying to decipher what these incidents could mean.

He was sure that the one who was caught near his house was sent by his Uncle as Priscilla had knowledge about the incident.

But after listening to the latest information, he was doubting whether it was the same man who had a hand in this or it was someone else entirely.

However, the person who was at the top of his list of suspects was none other than Fredrick Ming.

"Let the man go and send someone to keep an eye on him. Track his calls to see who he talks to and find out if he knows more than what he is letting on." He ordered as it was never wrong to be cautious.

Trigger nodded and was on the same page as his Master.

'He appeared to be new to this but we can never judge a book by its cover.' He decided and would call his subordinates soon after this meeting.

"If he is truly ignorant of everything and in need of money then help him out." Reuben added after giving it a moment's thought.

Mathew stared at his boss in surprise for the first few seconds and soon the surprise turned into awe and admiration.

'Emperor looks like a meanie but he has a tender and caring heart within that thorny exterior!' He remarked while gazing at him with his sparkling eyes overflowing with veneration.

Trigger shook his head at this younger man who was asking to be yelled at.

The Emperor was at the center of those glittering eyes and fluttering eyelashes felt nauseated within a few seconds.

'What is he looking at me for? I only think that the man has a talent for photography!' He scowled at his assistant for thinking too much into it.

Reuben had observed the images keenly and he was impressed with the way the photos had turned out.

If the paparazzo was innocent as he claimed to be then the Emperor might have some use for a talented photographer like him.

'He captured Kitten and me perfectly and in each picture, we looked great.' He smiled as he recalled the images he had sent over to his drive before destroying the phone.

The paparazzi could have a 180-degree change in his present debt-ridden life if he could start working for the Emperor but that would only happen if he could pass the test of innocence that he would have to face very soon.

Trigger and Mathew felt dazed when they saw the gentle smile on their Boss' face which had been seen more in the past few weeks when compared to the years that they had been working for him.

They were also pretty sure who had brought that smile to his face.