<h4>Chapter 250: Chapter 250 Ind of Masks</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    Belinda and I locked eyes for several long seconds before her lips curved into something that barely resembled a smile.


    "If Alpha Sebastian has something to say," she drawled, turning toward him, "I’m listening."


    Her gaze was sharp enough to cut ss.


    Sebastian lounged in the armchair like he owned the room--which, technically, he did.


    One leg crossed, long frame rxed, yet every inch of him radiated control. His smile was cool.


    "Miss Moore will speak for me," he said, voice smooth as ss.


    I stepped forward without hesitation. "dly."


    Turning to Belinda, I let a slow smile curl across my lips--sharp enough to draw blood.


    "First, a heartfelt thank-you to the Moonveil Ascendancy for their... hospitality."


    I let the pause stretch, just long enough to sting.


    "Second, as the new steward of this ind and estate, I’ll be making a few changes--starting with tonight’s sleeping arrangements."


    I took a deliberate step closer, noting the subtle way Belinda’s shoulders tensed.


    "The master suite on the third floor now belongs to the rightful owner," I said, smiling.


    I let my gaze settle on Belinda."As for you...since you’re so fond of immersive guest experiences, we’ve prepared one just for you."


    I sweetened my voice, but not my intent.


    "You’ll be moved to a guest room on the second floor. And since those old windows tend to rattle at night, feel free to invite ten gentlemen forpany. Safety in numbers, right?"


    Belinda’s jaw locked. Her silence said everything.


    I turned smoothly to the rest of the room.


    "The third floor has other suites avable--should anyone feel brave enough to relocate."


    No one moved. Not a whisper. Not a breath.


    Sebastian rose and joined me, his movements smooth.


    He reached out and tapped the tip of my nose, a gesture so deliberate it felt like a im.


    "No need to show kindness to cowards," he said, voice low but unmistakably clear.


    Guests stirred uneasily, uncertain if they’d just been insulted.


    Then came the smile. Warm on the surface, sharp underneath.


    "Good night," Sebastian said. "We’ll see you in the morning."


    He turned toward the stairs, his arm sliding around my waist like it belonged there. Beside us, Sawyer elbowed Tang awake. "Show’s over. Let’s go."


    Evelyn and Vance fell into step behind us.


    As we climbed the stairs, I heard Sebastian casually instruct the staff to rece all bedding on the third floor.


    The night passed without incident.


    So quiet, in fact, that no one really slept.


    By morning, several guests showed up for breakfast looking like extras from a zombie film--dark circles, haunted eyes, and the unmistakable paranoia of people wondering if they were next.


    Some had half-convinced themselves that Sebastian and our group had mysteriously vanished in the night--only to find us seated at the dining table, well-fed, well-dressed, and irritatingly well-rested.


    Belinda, on the other hand, made only a brief appearance. The mour she’d weaponized atst night’s banquet had evaporated.


    In daylight, her skin--still unnervingly perfect--looked more like a mask than ever.


    As breakfast dragged on, people began noticing certain absences. Dick and his two femalepanions were nowhere to be found.


    The Japanese mogul’s wife and her friend had also disappeared--but no one could pinpoint exactly when.


    One guest swore they saw Dick heading into the woods with Sebastian.


    Another imed the Japanese mogul’s wife had been the one who fell past a second-floor window.


    They were instantly contradicted by someone else who insisted she’d seen the Japanese mogul’s wife at the start of the treasure hunt. Arguments broke out. Voices rose.


    Five people missing.


    Someone falling from a window... and then not falling... and then vanishing again.


    The more they tried to make sense of it, the more they unraveled. No one really cared who was gone. They just didn’t want to be next.


    Meanwhile, four of the five were currently tied up in the mushroom house--quite literally "on ice," though not in the criminal sense. Evelyn had dumped them there after intercepting their poorly thought-out ambush in the forest.


    I’d only learned yesterday that Evelyn used to be a ranking officer at the Alpha Academy.


    She’d taken out the impersonator first, stashing the woman in the mushroom house before casually dismantling the other three.


    As for Dick’s "girlfriends".They’d confessed their n was to switch ces with me in the woods and make me "disappear."


    Too bad their scheme copsed the moment I borrowed Sebastian’s coat. The silhouette didn’t match. And their acting? So bad it mademunity theater look like Broadway.


    Who trusts a stranger they met three hours ago, anyway? And what kind of idiot thinks a stoic alpha type like Sebastian would fall for it?


    Back at the table, most guests were barely picking at their food.


    Except for Tang, who was shoveling eggs and toast like he hadn’t eaten in a week.


    Last night, he had worked him like a one-man covert ops team: dismantling surveince, cutting the power,capturing security staff and stringing them up like party decorations, creating distractions...


    I ruffled his hair. "Keep eating like that and he’s gonna have you hijacking satellites next."


    He snorted, not even looking up. "Hijack? Please. I’d reprogram them to y cat memes on a loop."


    I raised an eyebrow. "So... not a workhorse. More like a chaotic neutral hacker?"


    He grinned through a mouthful of toast. "Nah. I’m a wolf. A direwolf. Apex predator with Wi-Fi."


    I blinked. "That’s... not how metaphors work."


    "Then upgrade your metaphors," he said, pointing a fork at me. "You’re falling behind."


    I sighed and shook my head. Just eat, kid. English idioms weren’t built for mid-mission banter.


    Across the table, Sebastian said nothing, but the faint smirk tugging at his mouth told me he’d caught every word.


    The rest of the room sat in tense silence. No one mentioned the missing guests. No one dared ask what had happened on the second floor.


    But I’d heard the creak of footstepsst night. The quiet panic. The whispered doors opening.


    One by one, they’d crept upstairs.


    Pride had lost to fear.


    By noon, the suspension bridge was finally lowered. After a quiet lunch, Belinda offered a clipped farewell.


    The guests filed out, escorted by the butler, returning to their cabins to slip back into real life.


    Helicopters came and went. Just like that, the performance was over.


    I thought I could finally breathe.


    Sebastian had yed his part perfectly. Everything had gone ording to n.


    And then Tang, sprawled across the carriage seat like he owned the sun, casually dropped a bomb.


    "First-day Belinda and today’s Belinda? Not the same woman, Alpha.So where do you think the real one ran off to, huh?" Tang said, as if asking about the weather.


    My breath caught. "Come again?"


    Across from us, Sebastian opened one eye and red at him.


    "Seriously, Tang?" Sebastian muttered, rubbing his temple. "You couldn’t hold it for five more minutes?"