Chapter 127
Derek let out a dramatic sigh. “Aria, you’re so heartless!”
Someone handed him a tissue. He took it and wiped his nose. “Oh, thanks!”
He looked down and realized it was Helen.
The air felt a little awkward, so he quickly said, “Hey, I heard you got into grad school. Decided on a mentor yet?”
Helen replied, “I was thinking about Professor Schmidt, but he’s retiring. Still trying to figure it out”
Derek said, “Oh! I’m switching to computer science,”
Helen nodded. “Cool.”
Aria returned to her apartment and found Rhett waiting at the door. “So, have you made up your mind?”
Rhett nodded. “Yeah.”
She opened the door and gestured for him
to
come in. “Alright, spilt it. How deep are you in? Did you get involved willingly, or were you forced?
Rhett looked exhausted, his face pale and drawn. “You’re the first person I was supposed to scam. I guess you could say I volunteered.
“My friend was kidnapped while traveling. He’s
programming genius, and they’ve forced him to commit fraud once. I was worried that if the amounts got too big, he’d end up in prison. When I found out their target was you, I joined them on purpose, trying to buy some time.
“There are four or five people tailing me. They were the ones who destroyed your car. At first, I thought they just wanted to scam you for money, but now, it looks like they’re planning to kill you.”
He couldn’t understand why they were in such a rush to kill her when they hadn’t even gotten her money yet.
‘Is their real goal to kill her and frame me for it?‘ Rhett’s expression darkened.
Aria’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Can you and your friend contact without them knowing?”
Rhett nodded firmly. “Yes, his skills are good enough to bypass their surveillance.”
Aria added, “Then figure out a way to lure them back to the country.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “How are we supposed to pull that off?”
Aria’s tone was calm but firm. “You and your friend are smart enough to make it happen.
“If we can get the key players back, we can take them all down in one go. Don’t worry about the small fry. They’re not your problem.
“If you pull this off, it’ll be a huge win. No matter how much money your friend was forced to scam, it’ll all be wiped clean.”
Rhett hesitated, clearly tempted. “We’ll try to figure/something out.”
“You have to figure something out,” she said, her tone leaving no room for
After a long pause, he finally said, “Alright.”
As Aria was seeing off Rhett, the door across the hall opened.
Their eyes briefly met
argument.
1/2
Chapter 127
Rhett shifted his gaze and said, “I’ll be heading out now.”
“Okay.” Arla gave Owen a slight nod and was about to close the door when he called out, “Mr. Sazon
“I heard you’re testing eleven Bottles of beauty cream to fix their faces. That’s a lot, Mend a hand? I owe you one for helping me mom
Eleven bottles was quite a workload.
Having someone to help, Aria saw no reason to refuse. “Okay.”
“When will you start?” Owen asked.
Aria said, “Now?”
Owen smiled. “Sounds good.”
Aria added, “You’ll need to shower first.”
For a moment, the air felt heavy, the golden hues of the setting sun stretching across the hallway, adding an odd stillness to the scene
Sensing the awkwardness, Aria added, “It’s just a precaution for the lab.”
Owen chuckled. “Got it.”
He turned back to his apartment, heading straight to the bathroom. After showering, he waited half an hour before crossing the hall.
Aria had everything ready and handed him a lab coat. “It’s a bit small, but it’ll do,”
The gloves were tight, too, but at least the mask fit perfectly.
Aria began explaining the precautions and went over the equipment they’d be using.
Owen listened carefully, occasionally glancing up at her.
She wore a mask, leaving only her eyes visible. Her voice was soft and low, carrying a hint of laziness.
“Got it?” she asked.
Her gaze shifted to him–calm and distant, as if veiled by a thin mist, making it impossible to read her thoughts.
As he listened, a fleeting image surfaced in his mind. They locked eyes. Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Ms. Saxon, have we met before?”
AD
