Angus's gaze darkened. Sam stepped forward, like he wanted to say something, but Angus had already turned away. The moment passed, cold and final.
Nina let out a slow breath once they were gone. Something felt wrong. She frowned slightly. She thought,
Silas hurried over, his voice tight with worry. "The one who went in… that was Liesa Valtieri?" He let out a short, mocking laugh. He thought,
"It was her," Nina said, a small smile forming. "But don't worry. I already had her locked up. Angus won't find her." She folded her arms, calm and confident.
Silas nodded, the tension easing from his shoulders. "Good." He paused, eyes sharpening. "What about the item? Did she get it?" He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
Nina opened her mouth, about to answer, when a servant approached from the front. She paused, then cleared her throat lightly. "She found it," Nina said, voice steady. "But she didn't get to take it."
"I took her phone. She can't contact anyone." Nina kept her expression composed as she spoke.
"Perfect." Silas finally relaxed. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You saved me this time." His tone softened. "After today, I'll take you out to pick some jewelry."
Nina's cheeks flushed. She nodded, warmth spreading through her chest. She thought, Her smile deepened slightly.
She lowered her gaze, hiding the flicker in her eyes. She thought,
Silas glanced toward the room, temptation flashing across his face. He almost moved, ready to check for himself.
Before he could, the servant stepped closer. "Mr. Grayson is upset you left without notice," the servant said respectfully. "He asked you to return immediately."
Silas hesitated. With the servant watching, he held himself back. He exhaled quietly, then turned away. He fell into step beside Nina as they headed toward the main hall.
On the other side, Sam pushed Angus forward. As soon as they reached an empty stretch, Angus lifted his hand, signaling him to stop.
Sam immediately pulled up the bugging app on his phone and handed it over. Angus took it without a word, his expression unreadable.
He typed in a long string of complex codes, fingers steady and precise. A soft signal broke the silence. "Beep… beep…" The sound was faint, but clear.
Liesa stood in front of the sealed room, frustration building in her chest. Just as she clenched her fists, a faint vibration brushed against her skin.
She froze. Slowly, she looked down.
The pale blue gem on her brooch flickered to life, glowing softly. Liesa blinked, then pressed it, curiosity taking over.
A familiar voice came through, low and steady. "Liesa."
She paused, stunned. When Angus called her name again, she snapped back and quickly pulled off the brooch.
"Seriously?" Liesa said, half annoyed, turning it over in her hand. "How are you so sure I'm holding this?" She flicked it lightly. "And since when does jewelry double as a phone?"
"Who are you calling 'seriously'?" Angus asked, a faint smile tugging at his lips when he heard her steady voice.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Liesa said quickly, letting out an awkward laugh. She straightened, her tone turning serious. "Sir, I found the item. But Nina showed up with people, so I couldn't take it out intact."
Sam stiffened beside Angus, his expression tightening. Angus barely reacted. "That's fine," he said calmly. "Where are you right now?" He lowered his gaze, voice even.
Liesa froze for a second, confusion flashing across her face. She thought,
"But you said it couldn't be destroyed," Liesa said, frowning slightly. "If it breaks, the video gets sent straight to the police." She hesitated, then added carefully.
"So I figured… if Nina was going to take it anyway, smashing it might be better." Liesa exhaled softly. "At least you'd still have a way to pull the data."
"Smart move," Sam said before he could stop himself, admiration slipping into his voice. When Angus glanced at him, Sam quickly wiped the expression away.
"The police have been looking into your car accident," Sam added, turning serious. "Now that the footage has been transferred, they should be here soon. I'll wait at the entrance." He stepped back.
With that, Sam left without hesitation, his footsteps fading into the distance.
Only then did Angus look back at the device. His voice was calm, almost cold. "Where are you?" He held it closer, eyes unreadable.
Hearing Sam's words, Liesa felt a flicker of relief. She thought,
"Nina locked me up," Liesa said quietly. "It's pretty calm here, though. Don't worry about me." She paused, then her tone hardened.
"Go deal with Silas first," Liesa added, lowering her gaze. "He hurt you. I want him to pay." Her fingers curled slightly at her side.
She went quiet for a moment, thoughts drifting.
She thought,
She thought,
"Where?" Angus asked again, his brows drawing together. He held the device tighter, his voice low but firm.
Liesa sighed and leaned against the cold wall. "Just some locked room," she said, closing her eyes briefly. "I'm fine, really. Go handle your mess and come get me after." Her voice softened without her noticing.
Faint sirens echoed in the distance. Under the shifting light, Angus's face looked eerily calm. His eyes were slightly damp, but his expression stayed distant.
"Alright," Angus said quietly. "Wait for me." He lowered his gaze, voice steady.
Liesa smiled faintly. She pressed the blue gem on her brooch, cutting off the connection.
Silence fell instantly.
A second later, Liesa let out a miserable groan and stomped her foot. "Nina, you're seriously insane," she muttered, hugging herself. "You locked me in a freezer and turned it on? You're trying to kill me."
At first, the temperature hadn't dropped much, so she barely noticed. Now the cold rushed in, sharp and biting.
Liesa hugged herself tighter, her teeth starting to chatter. She thought,
Another thought slipped in, quiet but clear.
She thought,