"Do you have men in Mecira?" Aria asked coolly.Wynric puffed his chest. "Of course. It's my home, after all. I might not know much about other places, but Mecira? I know it like the back of my hand."Aria smiled. "Let's find somewhere quiet to talk about this."Wynric tilted his head with a teasing grin. "That's a big shift in attitude from earlier. Don't tell me you're after whatever those researchers are carrying too?"Aria arched her brow lazily. "That's classified. Let's find a place first.""Sure. Hop in," Wynric said, sliding into the passenger seat of his truck. He glanced back at them. "You'll have to stand in the back, though. It's open-air and roomy. Don't be shy—I'll take you to a nearby café."The back of the truck was spacious, but unforgiving. With no seats and the road winding ahead, the trio had no choice but to stand, gripping the rail to avoid being tossed with every jolt and turn.Aria climbed in first, her movements swift and sure. She extended a hand, helpi
Bale forced himself to stay calm. "My superiors have already verified my identity. I'm afraid you're not in any position to question me."Aria's gaze sharpened. "You're stubborn, I'll give you that. But I have bad news for you. Your superiors already know about this and sent someone to reinvestigate. I'm sure they've uncovered the truth by now." Bale's expression darkened. He suddenly drew a gun from his waistband and leveled it at Aria. "So this was all part of your plan? Clever. I'll admit you got me."Aria didn't flinch despite the barrel aimed at her. "The line between truth and lies is thinner than you think. I'll give you another piece of advice. Even if I don't know every foreign official personally, I know enough. No matter how well you altered your face or your body, you're still a fake."Bale let out a harsh laugh. "I didn't expect to be outsmarted by a young woman. But it doesn't matter. We have enough people here to kill all of you and disappear without a trace.""You
The sudden noise shattered the tense atmosphere in the room. While Aria and Landon remained calm, Bale's eyes flickered with unease. He had yet to receive any updates from the man he sent out, yet Sam had already returned ahead of schedule.Aria walked toward the door. "I'm here. Was everything successful?"Instead of nodding or shaking his head, Sam turned his gaze toward Bale in silence. Aria immediately understood. Whatever Sam had experienced, Bale was at the center of it.Forcing himself to stay calm, Bale asked, "Ms. Carver, why is he looking at me like that? Did the officers I sent mistreat him?"Sam grinned. "Nope."Just as he finished speaking, several police officers burst into the room. "Mr. Peniche, we ran into some armed men in the mountains. They took the victims away!"Bale's eyes widened, and he kicked one of them hard. "So this is what happens when I put you in charge of their escort to the embassy? Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?"One officer lowered his
Bale saw what Aria did, and his gaze hardened."Ms. Carver, what are you doing?""It looks like he was hurt badly. As fate would have it, I'm a doctor. So, I checked his pulse."Aria's eyes darkened as she pulled her hand back.Hearing that, Bale instantly tensed.He had arranged the entire setup so she would believe Byron and Deandre had escaped. He never suspected she was a doctor—he was unprepared for this."Ms. Carver, what can you tell from that?" Bale's voice dropped, deeper than usual. If Aria saw through the lie, he might be forced to take desperate action and eliminate his men right then and there.The police officers listening to Bale's tone immediately grew serious and alert.Aria glanced at Bale, her eyes as exquisite as ever. "I couldn't tell much from his pulse, but he's definitely hurt badly. We should send him to the hospital; otherwise, he might be in serious danger." Relieved, Bale turned and summoned two police officers."Take him to the hospital. Make s
Bale suddenly stopped walking. He turned to face Aria, his expression scrutinizing. "I think I overlooked something. Can you prove that you're sent by the Farshyan officials?"Aria stepped forward and showed him her temporary ID. "My name is Aria Carver. This ID will verify who I am."Bale took the ID, nodding slowly. "I'll cross-check this with my superior. While I'm doing that, I'll need you and your friends to wait here."A man in a police uniform walked over and reported to Bale. "Mr. Peniche, we've subdued two of the small-time leaders of the fraud ring. One is Byron Alvarez, and the other is Deandre Alvarez."We've also arrested 15 bodyguards and rescued 40 victims. All communication devices, scripts, and other evidence have been sealed and stored at the department.""Take the victims to the embassy at once," Bale responded. "I don't want any accidents to happen."The officer froze for a moment before responding, "Understood, Mr. Peniche.""Ms. Carver, please wait a minute
Deandre opened the door with a smile on his face. The first thing he saw was Aria sitting on a chair. "Well, hello there, hottie," he purred, walking toward her. "You are beautiful. It's been a long time since I've seen a woman this exquisite."Aria's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do to me?""Isn't it obvious?" Deandre couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you really need to ask?"Aria drew her knees to her chest, trying to make herself small. "My boyfriend is outside. Don't come any closer."Deandre let out a raspy laugh. "Your boyfriend? He's on his knees right now. You're in my territory, and you have no choice."He lunged for her, but Aria was faster. She dodged his grasp and delivered a sharp kick.Instead of getting angry, Deandre's laugh grew louder. "That was quite a kick! The more you fight, the more I enjoy this." He glanced at the door. "Close it and get out. You two are in the way!""Understood, Mr. Deandre." The bodyguards quickly shut the door and left.Deand