Chapter 417 - 417: Following Me? [FIXED!][24/06!]

Kyle walked through the London streets with a lightness in his chest that surprised him. The encounter with Viktor had ended better than he had any right to expect. The Russian was volatile, unpredictable, a coiled spring of violence that could snap at any moment. But Kyle had walked away unscathed. Not because Viktor had shown mercy. Because Kyle had shown no fear.

He came here to make a choice. And I didn't give him a reason to choose violence.

Kyle knew that with a man like Viktor, perception was everything.

The Butcher fed on fear the way others fed on food. It was sustenance to him—proof of his power, validation of his existence. If Kyle had panicked, if he had shown even a flicker of hesitation, the interaction would have ended very differently.

Instead, Kyle had been calm. Relaxed. Unbothered by the massive Russian sitting across from him, shoveling food into his mouth like an animal. He had treated Viktor like a person, not a monster. And that, more than anything, had disarmed him.

"I'm glad I didn't have to use the knife."

Kyle had brought it out of habit. A small blade, concealed in his jacket. He had carried it since his first encounter with Viktor at the mansion, when the Russian had attacked him without warning. That moment had taught Kyle something important: Viktor was unstable and unpredictable. The kind of man who could turn on you in an instant.

But today had been different. Today, Kyle had walked away.

He looked over his shoulder, half-expecting to see Viktor's massive frame looming in the distance. But the street was empty. Just tourists and locals and the endless hum of London life.

"I need to focus on what's next."

The trip to England was already drawing to a close. It was Friday now—the day after his date with Jane, the day after his meeting with Maya, the day after Viktor had revealed himself. The weekend was approaching, and with it, Tony's family dinner.

That's the next milestone.

Tony—Anthony. The man who had become something more than a business contact. Kyle knew Tony would do whatever it took to please him. Not out of fear, but out of a genuine desire to establish a relationship that extended beyond work. Tony was a family man, and family men understood the value of long-term connections.

"But once I leave this country, I'll need someone to keep an eye on things."

Tony would be that person. Kyle had already made the decision. Tony was connected, reliable, and—most importantly—loyal in a way that couldn't be bought. Well, it could be bought. Everything could be bought. But Tony's loyalty would be earned, not purchased.

"I'll need to pay him a hefty fee. A couple thousand a month should keep him loyal."

Kyle had a payroll already. People in various states, various industries, all on his dime. A few thousand pounds a month was nothing to him. It was pocket change. And if it meant having a trusted ally in London, it was worth every penny.

He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear the voice.

"Kyle!"

He stopped.

"I know that voice."

He turned slowly, his mind already running through possibilities. The voice was familiar—bright, feminine, with that cut-glass British accent that belonged in expensive schools and country weekends.

The woman from Gucci. The one with the large eyes and the full lips and the name that had stayed with him longer than he wanted to admit.

"Eleanor."

She was walking toward him, her heels clicking against the pavement, her cream coat belted at the waist. Her dark hair was loose, catching the grey London light. Her lips were curved in a smile that seemed both innocent and knowing.

The fuck. Is she following me?

Kyle kept his expression neutral. He didn't believe in coincidences. Not anymore. The system had taught him that everything was connected—money, power, people. The question was never if something meant something. It was what.

"Kyle," Eleanor said again, stopping in front of him. She was even shorter up close. Barely five feet. But she carried herself like she was ten feet tall. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Fancy indeed," Kyle said, his voice careful. "What are you doing in this part of town?"

"Just shopping. I live nearby." She gestured vaguely toward a row of townhouses. "What about you? You look like a man who's just survived something."

Kyle almost laughed. "Something like that."

"Care to talk about it?" Eleanor showed interest in getting to know him but one thing he had learned about women, do not pay attention to the one who sees you spending a large amount of money before approaching as they would only want one thing in such circumstance.

"Not particularly." Kyle was intentionally dry.

Even harem had their boundaries after all.

Eleanor's smile didn't falter. "You're a hard man to get to know, Kyle." Eleanor caught on, there was no reason for him to be this guarded.

"I'm not trying to be easy." Kyle said, but didn't attempt to further the conversation after those words left his mouth.

"I noticed." She tilted her head, studying him. "You're also not surprised to see me." Eleanor added but the truth was, Kyle didn't really care about seeing her or not.

The last thing he needed was a liability.

Kyle lowered his eyes and met her gaze. "Should I be?"

"Most people are. I tend to appear out of nowhere. It's a talent." Eleanor said with a broad smile.

She was trying a little too hard to break the ice and establish a rhythm to the conversation.

"It's a talent that gets you followed," Kyle pointed out but his voice was dry.

Eleanor laughed—a warm, musical sound. "Followed? Is that what you think?"

"I think you're standing in front of me after appearing at the same Gucci store I was shopping at. I think you gave me your number without me asking. I think you just happened to be in the same neighborhood as me, on the same day, at the same time." Kyle had been followed for a while and this might be a coincidence but he needed to be sure. There was also a fair chance that someone had her try to force some sort of relationship with him.

It wouldn't be unheard of, Kyle wasn't just anyone now.

He was one of the richest men in the world.

"That does sound suspicious, doesn't it?"

Eleanor said with an animated head nod.

"It does." Kyle responded bluntly, looking for a way out of this interaction.

Eleanor's smile widened. "Maybe I'm just lucky."

"Maybe you're just good at making things look like luck." Kyle pointed out, he wasn't hiding the fact that he suspected she was stalking him.

There was no reason why he should either.

She didn't deny it. She just looked at him with those large, dark eyes, her expression became unreadable like an actress momentarily breaking character.

"You're an odd ball, Kyle," she said. "Do you know that?"

"Meh, I don't care enough to be classified by you." Kyle shrugged.

"By who?" Elenaor asked like he was going to change his answer but all Kyle did was double down on what he had said.

"People who don't matter."

Eleanor stepped closer. Close enough that he could smell her perfume—something floral, expensive, intoxicating.

It wasn't as fancy as the one the women in his life wore but decent nonetheless.

"Would you like to get dinner with me?" she asked. "Tonight. No strings attached. Just two people having a conversation." Elenaor wasn't backing down.

This was either desperation or she really wanted to get to know him.

Kyle considered it. His mind was already racing with possibilities. She had appeared out of nowhere. She was quite charming as well, if he was interested in her that is, too confident, too present.

And if there was a chance Kyle could siphon information out of her, he might take the bait.

"She's not associated with Tony. She's someone else entirely. Someone I don't know anything about."

Kyle recalled he met Tony under similar circumstances after all.

And using women to trap a client or customer was the oldest trick in the book as well. Sex sells, after all.

But not tonight. Tonight, he needed to rest. To prepare for Tony's dinner. To figure out his next move with Maya.

"Not tonight," Kyle said. "But I'll take a rain check."

Eleanor's smile didn't falter. "I'll hold you to that."

She turned and walked away, her hips swaying just enough to be noticeable.

Kyle watched her go, his mind already cataloging the interaction.

"She's up to something. I just don't know what yet."