James let out a soft sigh, savoring the rare moment of sweetness from his girlfriend. The hard edges of his face softened noticeably as he asked, "When do you think you''ll be heading back?"


    Mirabe leaned back into the cozy couch, her bright eyes fixed on the vintage chandelier above. She blinked thoughtfully and said, "I have a feeling it won''t be any time soon."


    Even though she had originally nned to stay for just a week, ns often had a way of changing unexpectedly.


    Just then, her phone buzzed with an iing call.


    It was Grady.


    ncing at the screen, Mirabe said, "I''ll have to catch up with youter. Something''se up."


    "Alright."


    James listened to the call end before lowering the phone from his ear. The warmth


    in his expression vanished, reced by a sharp, icy demeanor.


    Wyatt, who had just stepped into the room, felt the sudden chill. "...''


    Was it toote to quietly back out?


    James shot Wyatt a sidelong nce, making him flinch. With no choice, Wyatt braced himself and stepped further inside. "James."


    "Hmm." James turned his gaze away, the chill dissipating as quickly as it had appeared, like it was never there in the first ce.


    Wyatt rubbed the tip of his nose and cut to the chase. "Just as we suspected, Santos isn''t dead. On the day Ms. Mirabe was unconscious, he showed up at Riverside University. Curtis pulled the surveince footage, and we got a clear shot of his face."


    As he spoke, Wyatt pulled out his phone and showed James a photo. "But he looks really young in this, probably another disguise. Based on his records, he should be at least in his forties."


    "It''s odd. He doesn''t look like someone who''s taken a life-threatening gunshot," Wyatt remarked with a click of his tongue.


    James nced at the photo. The guy did look quite young, no older than twenty- five or twenty-six.


    His eyes narrowed slightly, but he


    wasn''t particrly surprised. "There''s a drug that can make wounds heal visibly fast. It''s not surprising he''s back to normal."


    Wyatt remembered hearing rumors about such a drug and scratched his head. "Wouldn''t that be like a miracle cure?"


    James''s lips pressed into a thin line. "The more unnatural something is, the more likely it has serious downsides."


    "True enough," Wyatt agreed with a nod.


    James didn''t linger on the topic, instead asking, "Where is Santos now?"


    "He''s back at the first base. We can''t get inside, but we''re sure he hasn''t left," Wyatt replied promptly.


    No matter how someone changes their appearance, certain physical traits remain constant. Even if Santos disguised himself as a woman, James''s team could still spot him.


    James casually twirled his phone with his long fingers. "Keep an eye on him."


    "I will," Wyatt nodded and added, "Coincidentally, the first base is sending technicians to Riverside University to repair damaged experimental equipment. Once we get our hands on the base''s ess passes, our people can slip in."


    Targeting Ms. Mirabe was as good as targeting James. No matter what base it


    was, any hint of threat needed to be snuffed out early.


    The idea of shaking up Merrywoods'' core was pretty thrilling.


    Wyatt rubbed his hands together. Chaos was good; chaos meant profit.


    **Meanwhile, back with Mirabe.


    After ending her call with James, she quickly answered Grady''s call.


    Before she could say anything, Grady''s slightly frantic voice came through.


    Mirabe listened intently, her expression turning serious. She stood up from the couch and


    headed towards the door, "vel


    me


    the location, I''ll be there right away."