Husband With Benefits-Chapter 837: Unbelievable

"You are not God, you know. You could be wrong." Erasmi Frost let out a slow, measured sigh, looking at his son’s face through the screen with a mixture of irritation and concern as he stared back stubbornly. "And sometimes, Cai, we are wrong. I was wrong about your birth mother, wasn’t I?"

Cai’s jaw tightened, and he folded his arms, his gaze steady and challenging even though he ignored the jibe. "Well, maybe, but we’ll never know for sure, will we? She was dead before you could ever really know her long term. Besides, I’d like to think I’m a better judge of character. People aren’t as hard to read as you are trying to make them out to be."

Erasmi raised an eyebrow, a flash of amusement mingling with exasperation. "Is this supposed to be some late-blooming rebellion hitting you in your mid-twenties? A sudden enlightenment that you know better than your father?"

Cai rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Come on, Dad! It’s just a favor, alright? A simple one. But hey, if you’re feeling too old to handle it..." Cai’s tone turned mischievous. "Just let me know. I’ll ask Uncle Demon. He won’t hesitate."

Erasmi’s expression hardened, his voice sharp with affront. "Demetri is the same age as me, Cai."

Cai shrugged with mock innocence, eyes dancing. "Technically, he’s younger than you. By a few minutes, sure—but younger is younger."

The playful look in Cai’s eyes met his father’s intense stare, but he didn’t flinch. Erasmi opened his mouth to lay down a firm refusal when Cai’s demeanor shifted. He leaned forward, his tone softening, the hint of humor gone. "Dad, look—I’m genuinely worried about her. Everyone thinks she just took the money and ran, disappeared after making that statement. But it doesn’t sit right with me. I can’t go looking for her right now, but you can. And I trust you to do it, to get to the bottom of this. Please?"

Erasmi let out a longer sigh, glancing away from the screen as if searching for patience. He couldn’t quite ignore the hint of worry behind his son’s request. "Alright, alright. I’ll go take a look. But listen carefully, Caius Demetri Frost—if it turns out she really did sell you out, you’ll be regretting ever sending me to her door."

Cai’s eyes shone with relief, a smirk playing on his lips. "I know, Dad. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure. That’s how much I trust her. Just... go find her, okay?"

"Alright," Erasmi said, nodding with a grin. "Send me the coordinates. I’ll take Ava with me, and we’ll make this our second honeymoon."

"Dad!" Cai exclaimed, covering his eyes as if he could block the thought. "I do not need that kind of visual! And what second honeymoon? You go on one every year!"

Erasmi shrugged, his grin turning mischievous. "Then consider this our second honeymoon of the year!"

Cai let out an exaggerated groan, laughing and shaking his head. "Ew, Dad! Just... fine. Go, go. The sooner you’re out there, the better."

As the laughter faded, Erasmi’s face softened, and he looked at his son with a trace of pride and a hint of nostalgia. "You’ve grown up, kiddo. You know, when you said you needed my help, I thought it was because you wanted backup to take down whoever’s been trying to push you around—or, at the very least, that you wanted me to help with the investigation..."

Cai gave a faint smile, a little embarrassed but mostly reassured. "You taught me well, Dad. I can investigate on my own." His voice softened. "Just... take care of her for me, alright?"

Erasmi’s expression turned serious for a moment as he nodded, his voice steady. "I will. You have my word. Don’t worry and you take care of yourself."

Cai nodded to himself and leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of relief settle over him. With Dad on the case, she’d be safe; if there was anything out of place, his father would pick up on it. She should be alright, he reassured himself, mentally ticking off his worries. His father’s instincts had always been sharp, and if anyone could uncover the truth, it was him.

Now, with his mind at ease, Cai knew he couldn’t waste time. He’d have to follow up on his end, and the next step meant reaching out to a trusted mentor. He picked up his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found the entry labeled "Prof. Whitmore." Cai hadn’t spoken to him in months, but if there was ever a time to call, it was now.

He pressed the call button, and as soon as the line connected, he greeted, "Professor Whitmore! How’s it going?"

There was a short silence before a familiar, disgruntled voice responded. "You selfish little brat! Trouble finally hits, and now you remember this poor old man? Should I be flattered, or just lie down and play dead?"

Cai chuckled, unable to help himself. "Come on, Professor! That’s not true—I’d definitely send flowers for your funeral, at the very least."

"You cheeky devil!" the professor barked with mock indignation. "If you even think of sending flowers instead of hauling your ungrateful self to my grave, I’ll come back to haunt you personally!"

"Okay, okay!" Cai laughed, picturing his old professor’s irate expression. "Besides, you’re already terrifying enough alive. Imagine how much worse it’d be if you were actually out to haunt me!"

A grumble sounded on the other end. "Listen here, you brat. I’ve been expecting this call of yours, you know. Thought you’d dial sooner, but you took your sweet time." There was a pause, then Whitmore added with satisfaction, "So, I went ahead and pulled some strings, did some digging. Thought I’d save you the trouble."

Cai’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You already got what I need? I knew I could count on you."

"Yes, yes, don’t butter me up." Whitmore’s tone softened slightly, his usual gruffness tinged with something more approving. "I’ve looked into those reports—and trust me, if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that they’re nonsense. You’ve got plenty of proof to show you weren’t ’playing around’ these past few years, despite what they say. Now, all that’s left is to get your young lady to step forward and clear things up. She needs to give an explanation—one that’ll put this mess to bed once and for all."

"I know," Cai said, determination sharpening his voice. "I’ll talk to her, Professor. Thank you for everything. Really."

"Yeah, yeah," the professor replied, though the warmth in his tone betrayed his fondness. "Thank-yous don’t count unless you pay me a visit afterward. Bring the girl along, too. I want to meet the one who’s somehow captured the heart of Cai Frost."

Cai grinned, shaking his head. "How did you know she’s... special?"

Whitmore huffed a laugh. "It’s obvious, you fool. Since when do you hold back when someone crosses you? Normally, you’d be the first to shout your grievances to the world. But this time, you’ve been suspiciously quiet. If you’re hesitating, it’s because she means something to you. Now get out there, settle this, and don’t wait for my funeral to come around before you bring her to see me."

Cai chuckled, the sound full of genuine appreciation. "Will do, Professor. Just hold on—I’ll be seeing you soon."

Hanging up, Cai leaned back in his chair, feeling a renewed sense of focus. Whitmore had been right; he hadn’t reacted the way he normally would, and it was all because of Lily! If it had been another woman, he would not have thought of waiting and letting things play out.

As he received the email, he got to work. As expected, Professor Whitmore had not just pulled up his long work hours and travel schedule but also the time he had done some things...

His eyes caught another name as he saw the longs and suddenly everything seemed to be clicking into place. Professor Ellis. The man had found himself in similar circumstances during the time Cai was in the university. Cai had personally made sure the man was caught and exposed since he had dared to touch a friend of his...

Sighing, Cai leaned back, rubbing his temples. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. Dam*! How had he missed this? Hurriedly, he made a call and without waiting for Rafe to answer, he muttered," Doctor Ellis White. Look for him. See if he has anything to do with these articles or the publishers about me or if anyone is related to him."

"Who is this man?" Rafe asked before Cai could disconnect and continued,"Come on, Cai. Are you trying to look for someone else to blame when it should be your girlfriend."

"My girlfriend is not running a smear campaign against me! But this Ellis White might as well be Rafe. He has motive and the means."

Rafe sighed," Fine fine. I’ll look this person up. Also, just so you know, the investors are already creating a ruckus about taking you off the board. So, you need to work faster."

"I’ll ask someone from my team to set up a meeting, Rafe. They will be silenced once I have my things in order."