After trying multiple times to reach Zach anding up empty, Mirabe had a nagging feeling something wasn''t right.


    Last night, she caught a whiff of ointment on him. They''d joked about it, and her mind wandered elsewhere. But when he headed upstairs, his silhouette struck her as odd. Thinking back, it seemed like he might''ve hurt his shoulder.


    Before Grady even returned, Mirabe was already in the elevator, heading down. As she made her way outside, her fingers flew over her phone, quickly finding Zach''s assistant''s number and calling it.


    The assistant picked up immediately. Hearing Mirabe on the line, he didn''t bother asking how she got his number. Clearly flustered, he blurted out, "Zach... Zach''s been taken. I don''t know where, just that I need to get some documents ready..."


    His words were scattered, but Mirabe got the gist. "Got it," she replied, and hung up, her face clouded with worry.


    "Miss Mira, weren''t you upstairs?" As called out as he spotted her in the lobby and quickly approached her.


    Mirabe heard As but only murmured a response, not even ncing up, her fingers still dancing over her phone screen.


    As, noting her unusually cold expression, felt a chill. Remembering Grady''s earlier instructions, a sense of dread washed over him as he moved closer to Mirabe. She didn''t shy away, letting him catch a glimpse of her phone screen, which made his eyes widen.


    Mirabe swiftly pocketed her phone, turned to As, and her gazended on the car keys in his hand. "As, I need to borrow the car."


    "Oh, sure thing," As said, snapping back to reality as he handed her the keys. "Is something going on with Mr. Zach?"


    Mirabe nodded, offering no further details, and headed for the exit with the keys. Her stride was quick, her coat billowing as she passed through the revolving doors, her face set in a determined, unreadable mask.


    As followed closely, his eyes on her, sensing an intense aura around Miss Mira that was a bit unsettling.


    As they reached the car, As pointed, "It''s over here."


    Mirabe unlocked it, got in, and As, worried about what might unfold, jumped in beside her without hesitation.


    They roared out of the club''s open-air parking lot in no time. Mirabe drove like the wind, the elerator almost t to the floor as they zipped past other cars, heading straight for a neighborhood on the city''s outskirts, where demolition was underway.


    As, gripping the handle in the passenger seat, could feel his legs trembling slightly. He nced over at Miss Mira, her ck coat making her appear even more distant, one hand casually resting on the door frame, but with an undercurrent of danger.


    His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling his attention away. He quickly answered, "Grady, yeah, I''m with Miss Mira. We''re on our way to the northern vige in the suburbs... Okay, got it."


    About fifteen minutester, they turned into a narrow alley. The vige, due to the ongoing demolition, was nearly deserted, with the word "demolish" painted in red across the walls.