Chapter-3

The entire room remained silent except for the trembling voice of the man kneeling on the marble floor.

“P-Please, Mr. Velmore… I swear I didn’t know it was yours…”

Sweat rolled down the vendor’s face as his folded hands shook violently.

The purple diamond displayed beneath the chandelier lights reflected across the room beautifully.

Beautiful.

But fake.

The vendor had sold the counterfeit diamond to one of Ryan Velmore’s men for millions, believing he had successfully deceived another wealthy buyer.

Unfortunately for him…

The diamond had been purchased for Ryan himself.

And now everyone in the city knew exactly what happened to people who lied to Ryan Velmore.

From the shadows above, Alexa silently observed everything while Kim stood beside her.

“He’s finished,” Kim muttered quietly.

Below them, Ryan sat calmly in his chair, lazily turning the whiskey glass between his fingers.

No anger crossed his face.

That somehow made the atmosphere even worse.

The vendor’s breathing became uneven as Ryan slowly lifted his gaze toward him.

“Do you know,” Ryan spoke softly, “what happens to people who lie to me?”

The man instantly froze.

“Mr. Velmore, please—”

Ryan gave a faint chuckle beneath his breath before leaning slightly back against the chair.

The sound was quiet.

Cold.

Almost amused.

Yet the entire room seemed to grow heavier from it.

“I hate wasting trust,” Ryan said calmly.

Then with nothing more than a small movement of his fingers, he signaled the men standing nearby.

Immediately, two men dressed in black stepped forward.

The vendor’s face turned pale.

“N-No… no, please!”

They grabbed him roughly by both arms and pulled him away from the floor.

“Spare me, my lord! Please! I’ll find the real diamond! I swear I’ll find it!”

His desperate screams echoed through the room while the guards dragged him toward the exit.

But Ryan didn’t even look at him anymore.

His attention had already returned to the fake diamond resting beneath the light.

Silent.

Expressionless.

As though the man begging for mercy moments ago had never existed at all.

From the shadows above, Alexa and Kim watched the scene unfold in complete silence.

Even after the vendor’s screams disappeared beyond the doors, the atmosphere inside the room remained unbearably heavy.

Ryan Velmore still sat calmly beneath the chandelier lights, the untouched whiskey glass resting between his fingers.

As if nothing had happened.

Kim lowered his voice carefully.

“Vesper… I think this is our chance.”

Alexa’s eyes never left Ryan.

Something about him felt wrong.

Too calm.

Too aware.

Buzz.

Kim’s phone vibrated suddenly.

He glanced down at the notification, and the color immediately drained from his face.

WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY.

Kim looked up instantly.

“Alexa—”

But she was already gone.

His eyes widened.

“Damn it…”

Meanwhile, Alexa moved silently through the upper corridor, her black coat blending perfectly into the darkness surrounding the building.

Every step was controlled.

Careful.

Soundless.

She stopped near the entrance leading directly toward the private section of the room below.

From there, Ryan was only a short distance away.

One move.

One opportunity.

Alexa slowly reached beneath her coat, her fingers tightening around the handle of the knife hidden beneath the fabric.

Then—

Ryan spoke.

“Interesting.”

Alexa froze instantly.

The single word echoed quietly through the room.

Below, none of the guards reacted.

Only Ryan.

Still seated.

Still calm.

Slowly, he lifted the whiskey glass to his lips before speaking again.

“You’ve been watching long enough.”

Silence crashed through Alexa’s chest.

Impossible.

No one should have noticed her.

Not from that distance.

Not through the shadows.

Kim’s voice suddenly whispered through her earpiece, tense and low.

“Vesper… get out of there now.”

But Alexa couldn’t move.

Because Ryan Velmore was no longer looking at the diamond.

He was looking directly toward the darkness where she stood hidden.

Straight at her.

As though he had known she was there from the very beginning.

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