?<strong>Chapter 427:</strong>


    Daxton gave the taxi a brief nce and asked nonchntly, “Mr. Norris didn’te with you?”


    Carrie gave a quick nod and replied, “No, he went to Ofrubert.” She was aware that Kristopher and Daxton didn’t exactly get along, but she wasn’t sure about the specifics of their conflict.


    Daxton kept his calm, friendly smile and said, “Let’s head in. The police are expecting us.”


    As she walked behind him, her eyes caught sight of a pack of cigarettes peeking out from his pocket. She vaguely recalled Daxton disliking cigarettes; he’d even frowned at people smoking near him in public before.


    Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “Daxton, since when do you smoke?”


    Daxton paused for a moment before pulling out the cigarette pack. “Work’s been roughtely, and the pressure’s been piling up,” he admitted casually. “I only smoke once in a while to take the edge off. This brand is pretty mild, kind of like what you’d call light cigarettes.” He opened the pack and held one up to Carrie’s nose.


    She inhaled gently, the faint scent of gardenias tickling her senses.


    A sudden realization hit her, and she tilted her head, puzzled. “Wait… aren’t you the owner of Fayedge Hot Spring? Kristopher mentioned it could be very profitable with the right management. Instead of working elsewhere, why not focus on that? You could even bring in bloggers to promote it online.”


    Daxton chuckled lightly. “I don’t actually own it. It’s a friend’s project. He’s in a unique situation and can’t reveal his identity, so he used my name instead. Anyway, he’s not doing it for profit—he’s looking for someone.”


    Carrie blinked in surprise. “Looking for someone? Why would he set up a hot spring in a county just to find someone? Is it to stay under the radar? Or is the person they’re looking for really that important?”


    Her imagination spiraled into countless thriller-like scenarios.


    Daxton let out a quietugh, amused by her overactive imagination. “You really do think like a screenwriter, don’t you? Coming up with all these wild plots. He’s not after anything soplicated… just looking for an old acquaintance. A hot spring in a ce like this might draw in people, making it more likely the person will show up on their own.”


    Carrie hesitated, then asked, “How do you even know I’m a screenwriter?”


    Daxton’s face remained calm as he replied casually, “I have ties with a few people over at Silver Elephant Media.” Considering his connection to the Norris family, it wasn’t surprising that he had contacts across different industries.


    Plus, with Soren’s n to make her identity public, it made sense that a few details had already leaked out.


    Carrie concluded she was probably just overthinking it.


    Daxton continued in aposed tone, “You used to write scripts for short films back in college. It makes sense that you’re a screenwriter now.”


    Carrie’s mind wandered back to her university days, a wistful smile tugging at her lips. She scratched the back of her head and replied, “Oh, those barely qualify as scripts. I just found temtes online and figured out the rest on my own.”


    Daxton’s voice took on a warm, encouraging note. “Every expert starts off as an amateur. You were just a student back then, but I still remember one of your short films winning a national award.”


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