Wyatt had just dropped off some clean clothes and nced at James, who was lounging on the hotel sofa, flipping through TV channels with a rxed air.


    "James, are you nning on hanging out at the hotel all day?"


    "Yeah," James replied casually, not taking his eyes off the screen. After a couple of minutes, he finally looked over at Wyatt. "Do you need something?"


    Wyatt gave a slight smile, trying to keep things light. "Are you really gonna let those guys at the station pull strings behind the scenes?"


    James remained unfazed, his voice calm and steady. "The wider the, the more fish you catch."


    Wyatt scratched his head, thinking that made sense, but wondering how you could catch anything without casting the.


    "Alright, you can head out," James said with a wave of his hand, then added, "Oh, and make sure the Davis family gets that contract early."


    "Got it, I''ll handle it now," Wyatt replied with a nod.


    "Okay," James said, turning his attention back to the TV.


    Wyatt took onest look at James, feeling relieved that he hadn''t lost his cool over some fleeting crush. He turned and left the room.


    Heading down to the lobby, Wyatt pulled out his phone and started making a call as he walked outside.


    The hotel had one of those revolving doors, so he waited a couple of seconds before stepping in, just as the call connected.


    Speaking softly into the phone, Wyatt didn''t notice the two middle-aged men entering the revolving door from the street.


    These guys had an air of authority, especially the one in front. He walked with a calm confidence that suggested he was used to being in charge. It was clear he wasn''t just some ordinary guy.


    Wyatt exited the revolving door, brushing past them with just a ss pane between them, and ended his call.


    After a few steps, something clicked in his mind. He paused for a moment, ncing back. The revolving door kept spinning, obscuring his view of the lobby and its guests.


    Wyatt shrugged it off, figuring he was just being overly cautious, and continued toward the parking lot.


    "Are you sure the kid''s at the hotel?" the stern-faced middle-aged man at the front asked his subordinate.


    The guy behind him was the same one who''d been keeping tabs on James at the café yesterday.


    "No doubt about it, Miss Mira and her group haven''t left the hotel," the subordinate replied respectfully.


    The middle-aged man gave a slight nod and stayed silent.


    The elevator took its sweet time getting down to the first floor. When it finally arrived and the people inside stepped out, the subordinate held the door open, letting the middle-aged man enter first.


    Others waiting to go upstairs hesitated, put off by the subordinate''s sharp gaze.


    No one dared to enter the elevator.


    In Merrywoods, a ce brimming with tension and power struggles, people carried weapons like it was no big deal. Stepping out of line could make you disappear, so it was best to y it safe.


    The elevator doors soon closed.


    The middle-aged man stood with his hands sped behind him, eyes fixed on the elevator doors. His face showed no emotion, but his fingers tightened a bit with each floor they passed.


    "Ding"


    The elevator finally stopped at the top floor.


    The middle-aged man stayed put,


    not moving an inch. His subordinate,


    equally motionless, didn''t dare to move first. As the elevator doors started to close again, the subordinate couldn''t help but nce at the middle-aged man. "Keir?"