Chapter 269: Recording

[Chapter 269: Recording]

As Ryan departed, the lounge on the upper floor of the Monte Carlo Casino was left with only Prince Albert of Monaco and his sister.

"Sticking to principles and avoiding what should not be touched, given the club's mix of characters, someone like that would be the ideal partner," Princess Hanover remarked, recalling her favorable impression of Ryan.

"This little American is too young and a singer to boot. People like him are the least reliable; a few years down the line, if he's no longer popular, we'll be left cleaning up the mess," Prince Albert said, shaking his head.

"What Your Highness means is..."

"I have a friend who runs a nightclub on Ibiza; he's far more dependable than this kid," Prince Albert responded cheerfully.

Despite his royal title, he didn't carry himself with much formality, appearing almost "childish" in front of his sister.

Both were the children of the previous princess, whose mother was the renowned Hollywood star Grace Kelly, who had tragically passed away over twenty years ago. The brother-sister duo had a close relationship, with Princess Hanover often helping her brother manage Monaco's political affairs, spearheading commercial development. Those in the know cheekily dubbed her Monaco's "Regent."

Princess Hanover frowned slightly and said, "Your Highness, your top priority now is finding a princess, not getting infatuated with fleeting romances."

"He didn't set me up with any women," Prince Albert said quickly, eager to avoid his sister's lecturing. "I'm tired; I need to go back to the palace and rest."

"I'll have the driver take you back," Princess Hanover called after his retreating figure.

...

The prince had always been a notorious womanizer. Even before he became a prince, he often mingled with women, and since ascending to the throne, his escapades had intensified. During official visits around the world, he enjoyed secret liaisons with local women.

Considering his royal status meant he could keep the line of succession secure, but recently, Prince Albert's choice of women had become a little special... If the media got wind of this, it would tarnish the royal image and could significantly impact Monaco's tourism and luxury service industries, which were vital to the economy.

Losing reputation was one thing, but losing revenue was another.

After repeatedly cleaning up her brother's mess and managing scandals discreetly, Princess Hanover could no longer tolerate it. She took full control of the prince's security, keeping a vigilant watch over his day-to-day activities. However, out of respect for his position, she chose to turn a blind eye as long as he didn't cross any serious lines.

...

Prince Albert arrived at the Prince's Palace, which perched atop a cliff, in about twenty minutes. Another car pulled up at the back entrance just afterward, and out stepped Hugo Urgell, who had just arrived in Monaco, followed by several black women dressed in office attire. They were relatively plain-looking, with disproportionately thick lips.

"This is a guest of the prince; he will discuss nightclub matters with him," the middle-aged butler who had greeted him at the airport told the guards at the door.

After a brief report through his handheld headset, the guards confirmed and let them pass. The women accompanying Hugo Urgell, however, were stopped again.

"These are my staff, here to report to the prince," Hugo Urgell explained with a smile.

After some hesitation, the guards ultimately decided to let them through.

The group moved smoothly inside the palace, heavily guarded, where tourists were only permitted to take photos from a certain distance away from the palace's main entrance.

As they stepped in, they saw Prince Albert hurriedly coming out to meet them. The butler slowly stepped back and closed the door behind him.

"Your Highness, these individuals will detail the investment plan for the nightclub shortly," Hugo Urgell said, stepping aside.

The prince scrutinized them closely, smacking his lips in delight: "Monaco needs enthusiastic and experienced operators like you."

In his youth, Prince Albert had been infatuated with blond, white beauties, but he had long since grown bored and even felt empty.

Desire, like a black hole, was never fully satiated, and as he indulged, his preferences spiraled out of control. By chance, he had encountered a Black flight attendant on a plane, and since then, his interests diverged far from the conventional beauty archetypes.

...

Since meeting with Princess Hanover and Prince Albert, Ryan hadn't heard anything for three days. When he inquired with Charlotte, she simply told him to wait.

Ryan decided to take a detour to London and met with Simon to sort out Leona Lewis's contract issues.

...

Compared to last year's explosive success, Leona's star power had dimmed rapidly this year. Simon had initially been adamant, but when Ryan presented recent album sales and chart rankings, Simon had no choice but to accept the facts. Ryan then mentioned Eminem, subtly implying that he could facilitate a collaboration between them. In exchange, Simon had to concede half of Leona's earnings in the U.S., including record sales profits.

Simon went out to make a call during their discussion. When he returned, he agreed to Ryan's terms.

Afterward, Simon revealed that the call was to Clive Davis, Leona's collaborator in the U.S., who had been at the center of the previous altercation between Rihanna and Chris Brown after one of his gatherings.

...

During those three days, two other significant developments took place. Firstly, Louis Vuitton had launched a new menswear line almost simultaneously with Dior, and the design elements mirrored the collaboration between Dior and sTray. Louis Vuitton had brought in a creator known for high-end street fashion, suggesting that this was strategically aimed at Delphine.

The other noteworthy event stemmed from leaks about the Bad Room Carnival, indicating that the initial protesting group had been hired by intermediaries. The mastermind behind it was a businessman named Hugo Urgell, who owned a company called The Pacha Group, known for establishing clubs and hotels across Europe, in addition to his role as an executive at International Music Summit.

While the entire chain of events had been uncovered, along with multiple witnesses and even detailed transaction records, the situation hadn't sparked any significant public uproar or media pressure.

Ultimately, it was a matter of business competition and hadn't broken any laws.

One event could be categorized as competition among titans, resulting in Ryan being caught up, while the latter clarified who his adversaries truly were.

At this point, the so-called "ban" still existed. Although there was potential for growth in the U.S. market, Ryan knew he would have to expand internationally sooner or later. Instead of harboring fantasies of peace, he resolved to act first.

He opted to send Berwick to Ibiza for a thorough investigation.

...

However, only hours after Berwick arrived, Ryan received a call.

"Boss, we were thrown out! They recognized me! They were prepared for us," Berwick said, sounding frustrated.

Clearly, their opponents weren't just adequately prepared but also located across the Atlantic and Mediterranean, far beyond Ryan's current reach. He felt increasingly at a loss for what to do.

"Come back. We need to think of another way," Ryan instructed, hanging up the phone.

...

In a restaurant in Monaco,

"You urging me isn't going to help; I'm just a messenger," Charlotte lamented over the phone.

"So is this your mom's responsibility, or your uncle's?" Ryan recalled the situation and asked.

"That's royal business," Charlotte refused to answer, keeping it vague.

"Forget it, it sounds like you're still indecisive. I'll head back to the U.S. first," Ryan said, planning to leave the next day with many tasks awaiting him.

...

Kylie, sitting across from him, paused upon hearing his statement. She slowly replied, "You're leaving tomorrow?"

With Ryan's affirmitive nod, she choose not to bring up the idea of a seaside trip, knowing he was busy.

Ryan seemed to guess her thoughts and set his phone down. "We'll talk later. For the Christmas vacation, I'll take you all with me on a trip."

"Well then, after dinner, I'll help you pack," Kylie said reflectively but immediately added, "Don't overthink it; I'm just returning the favor for bringing me here."

Ryan wasn't in the mood for flirting, so he inquired about her upcoming work plans.

"Summer is the slow season for fashion. This month, I only have a few magazine interviews. But I received a modeling invitation while in Monaco, and it turns out there's a modeling agency here, offering a pretty high salary," Kylie explained.

"What agency? It's probably just high-priced escort recruitment disguised as modeling," Ryan shook his head, revealing the truth.

Kylie thought back, realizing what he meant.

"I almost believed it," Kylie replied, feeling a bit shaken.

At her young age, she hadn't been exposed to the darker truths of the modeling industry when she debuted, and meeting Ryan and Taylor had kept her unaware of the realities.

"Remember, if it sounds like a too-good-to-be-true job, avoid it," Ryan advised.

"Fizz arranges all my work for me; I don't usually encounter these situations. Don't worry, I'm not naive. If I'm going to blame anyone, it's the person who spun such a good story about coming from Spain with the Pacha Group..."

"What group?"

"Pacha, he mentioned, same as you, running nightclubs, based in Ibiza, with many branches throughout Europe, generating tens of millions of euros annually." Kylie recalled.

It couldn't be anyone else.

Ryan hadn't expected to run into them here but quickly realized the peculiarities of the situation. Had Monaco seen nightclubs springing up, Princess Hanover and Prince Albert wouldn't be meeting him directly. Moreover, he hadn't noticed any traces of competition in Monaco the past few days, unless...

"Where did you meet this person yesterday?"

"It was just outside the casino, in the park. There are a lot of beautiful women passing by there," Kylie said.

"Take me there," Ryan said, getting up immediately.

Seeing Ryan's serious demeanor, Kylie understood there was something important going on and agreed without questioning. "Oh, okay."

...

"That's the guy," Kylie pointed out from the car.

Ryan parked by the roadside and looked through the windshield, spotting a young man standing at the park entrance, surveying the area as if looking for suitable recruits.

"Do you want me to go talk to him?" Kylie asked nervously but excitedly, reminiscent of a scene from a Hollywood spy movie.

"Not right now. He's already told you what he needed to say, and if you ask him anything now, he won't say a word," Ryan replied.

"So what do we do now?" Kylie asked.

"Surveil. If other women accept his invitation, we can approach from that angle," Ryan said, pulling out his phone, ready to film.

"Okay." Kylie adjusted into a comfortable position, focusing her eyes on the man in the distance.

...

They waited for half an hour, during which the man indeed approached several women, but after only a few words, they quickly left.

"I... need to step out for a moment," Kylie blinked, feeling a little eye strain but also urgent.

When she returned, she held a small hard tray with two cups of coffee.

As she sat back in the car, Ryan was holding his phone, recording video.

Kylie looked ahead and saw the man talking closely with a short, slender girl.

Shortly after, the girl shook her head and seemed ready to leave, but the man directly pursued her, following her across the street, just as they entered a blind spot for filming.

"Hold the coffee and pass me the phone," Kylie volunteered, knowing Ryan could easily be spotted.

Once she had the phone, Kylie exited the car and peeked around the corner, spotting the man exchanging contact information with the young girl.

Due to the distance, Kylie couldn't hear their exchange, so she quickly raised Ryan's camera for a shot.

Afterward, she saw the girl part ways with the man and head her way.

...

Kylie stepped back a little as the girl turned the corner, before stepping forward, casually inquiring how to get to the pier.

In her peripheral vision, she noticed Ryan had put on a hat and mask and started the engine.

"Sorry, I just arrived in Monaco with my husband. We're not familiar with the area; could you show us?" Kylie smiled warmly, her charm evident. Noticing the girl hesitating, Kylie pulled out several bills, handing them over.

"Consider it a tip," she said, sliding the cash into the girl's hand.

Seeing that Kylie was beautiful and tastefully dressed, the girl assumed she was wealthy and agreed to sit in the backseat with Kylie.

"I noticed you being approached just now..." Once the car door closed, Kylie immediately began asking questions, while Ryan set his phone in the armrest, recording.

The girl nodded. Ryan watched through the rearview mirror, suddenly asking, "How old are you?"

Noticing the girl's wariness, Kylie instantly smiled. "It's fine if you don't want to share; my husband is just curious."

"Thirteen," the girl timidly responded.

Ryan and Kylie simultaneously frowned, feeling a wave of panic wash over them.

"Did that guy ask you how old you are?" Ryan began interrogating.

"He did," the girl admitted, glancing down.

Kylie continued probing, discovering that the girl had come to Monaco with her mother for work. Monaco's flourishing service industry, with its high wages, attracted laborers from nearby areas.

Kylie emphasized repeatedly that the girl should avoid any contact with the man she had just met and not answer any calls from him.

"They're bad people who will make you do things you don't want to," Kylie sternly warned.

Unexpectedly, the girl frowned and asked, "Are you cops?"

"No, we're just... tourists."

The girl nodded, remaining quiet.

Kylie was concerned her warnings would fall on deaf ears, so she reiterated her message.

This time, the girl laughed, "I know what they're about. If you earn money, you can buy nice clothes, even an iPhone. My mom can't afford that, so I have to find a way to get it myself."

As the girl exited the car, Kylie sighed. Initially, she thought it was mere naivety, but now she understood how complex the situation was.

"Do you still think it's beautiful here?" Ryan asked, turning the car around.

Kylie awkwardly laughed, unable to respond.

"I just want those people in jail!" she said, clenching her fists.

"Even if they went to jail, another group would just take their place."

"Is there truly no normal place in this world?" Kylie felt a flicker of despair.

Of course, there were normal places; they just hadn't had the chance to step into them yet. Ryan thought, pulling out his phone to dial.

"Charlotte, I'd like to meet your friend, that Beatrice..."

*****

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