Chapter 127
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 .
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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