Chapter124 Catching Them in the Act
The next three days passed quietly.
Miranda buried herself in work, and even after returning to the Prescott estate, she barely saw Celeste.
There was no movement from Elara's side either.
The 1.28 million in compensation arrived quickly enough.
Since the money came through and no one returned to cause trouble, Miranda tacitly considered the matter closed.
As long as Elara wasn't stupid, following the leads Miranda had given her, the real mistress wouldn't stay hidden for long.
The materials at hand were nearly organized.
Miranda checked the calendar. The situation with the ore mine couldn't be delayed any longer.
The weather was perfect now, flights wouldn't be affected. As long as she tied up loose ends here, she could fly out in two days.
Thinking about how the headache-inducing project materials would finally be secured, the heavy stone that had been pressing on Miranda's chest for days finally loosened a bit.
She stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, stretching luxuriously.
Just then, her phone on the desk buzzed.
The vibrating sound seemed especially intrusive in the quiet office.
Miranda picked it up and saw "Clifton" flashing on the screen.
Her eyebrow arched as she swiped to answer.
"Hello?"
"It's me."
A man's deep, magnetic voice came through the receiver, carrying a trace of travel-worn hoarseness, yet unable to hide the steadiness emanating from his core. "I'm back."
Those four simple words inexplicably put Miranda at ease.
"How did the mission go? Everything smooth?" she asked.
"Very smooth."
Clifton seemed to chuckle softly, his tone carrying a rare lightness. "Thanks to you this time. Having me go as a 'bodyguard' provided cover for my identity. The team had no casualties. Mission accomplished."
Miranda couldn't help but smile at his words.
"Good thing you weren't hurt."
"Dinner tonight?" Clifton's voice traveled through the line.
Miranda glanced at the sky outside. She had no other plans anyway.
"Sure, where are you?"
"I'm still writing my mission report. Probably need another hour or so." Clifton paused. "Pick somewhere you like and send me the location. I'll head straight there when I'm done."
"Alright, you focus on your work."
After hanging up, Miranda was in good spirits.
She opened an app on her phone, scrolling through recent must-try restaurants, and finally selected a fusion cuisine place known for its privacy.
The reviews were excellent, the atmosphere was good. Perfect for trying something new.
When work hours ended, Miranda gathered her things and headed downstairs with her bag.
Her car pulled out of the company garage and merged into rush hour traffic.
Miranda felt lighthearted, jazz music playing softly through the car speakers. She even hummed along to a few bars.
She didn't notice that as her car entered the main road, an inconspicuous gray van parked on the side also slowly started up.
The van followed closely, yet skillfully maintained a two-car distance.
At every traffic light, it stopped perfectly in Miranda's blind spot.
About twenty minutes later.
Miranda arrived at the restaurant.
A server led her through the main dining area and upstairs to a private room.
This room had an excellent location. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked an artificial lake, lights dancing on the water's surface, creating a romantic ambiance.
Miranda set down her bag and settled into her chair.
"I'm waiting for someone. I'll order in a bit."
She told the server, then picked up the menu and flipped through it idly.
There was still half an hour until Clifton said he'd arrive.
Miranda looked down at the signature dishes on the menu, considering Clifton's tastes. He usually ate light food. That matsutake soup should be good...
"Creak."
The door to the private room was pushed open from outside.
Miranda looked up toward the door, her voice light. "You're here so early..."
Her words died mid-sentence, the smile freezing on her face.
The person entering wasn't Clifton.
It was Thomas, whom she'd only met once before.
Miranda's expression instantly shuttered. She snapped the menu closed and stared coldly at the man in the doorway.
"How did you get in here?"
This was a VIP room. How could the staff let someone like him barge in?
Thomas said nothing, his eyes roaming shamelessly over Miranda.
Today Miranda wore a V-neck silk blouse. Under the private room's warm yellow lighting, she looked breathtakingly beautiful.
Thomas strode forward confidently.
"Miranda, don't be so cold."
He moved to sit in the chair beside Miranda, the smell of tobacco wafting from him and invading her nose.
Disgusting.
Miranda jumped from her chair as if shocked, stepping back to create distance between them.
"We don't know each other."
She pointed toward the door, her tone sharp. "You're not welcome here. Leave. Now."
"Leave? Where to?"
Not only did Thomas not leave, he became more brazen, standing up and advancing step by step toward Miranda.
His face wore that nauseating, confident smile.
"Miranda, since fate brought us together and we ran into each other here, it's God's arrangement."
"Besides, my wife already thinks you're my lover. You're already taking the blame, so if we don't actually do something, wouldn't that be a waste?"
Thomas's mind raced with calculations.
A top-tier beauty like Miranda, since she was already dragged into this, why not make it real?
Once he had his way with her and got some photos or videos, this woman would be at his mercy.
Then he'd have the woman and keep his son. Perfect on both counts.
Thinking this, the lecherous gleam in Thomas's eyes intensified.
"Come on, Miranda, stop pretending."
He reached out with his hairy hands to grab Miranda's wrist. "I know you're lonely too. Otherwise why would you come alone to a couples' restaurant?"
"Get away from me!"
Miranda looked at that filthy hand reaching toward her, her stomach churning.
She didn't know how Thomas had tracked her here, but this was definitely not a coincidence.
A strong sense of unease washed over her.
Miranda made a split-second decision, grabbing her bag from the table and heading for the exit.
"I'm not wasting words with you. Move or I'll scream!"
Seeing her try to leave, Thomas panicked and lunged forward, blocking her path. "This room is soundproofed perfectly. You can scream your head off and no one will hear!"
"Besides, this is just us being 'playful.' Who's going to interfere?"
As he spoke, he reached to grab Miranda's waist.
Miranda's eyes turned cold. She was about to lift her heel and stomp down hard.
Just then...
"Bang!"
The private room door was violently kicked open from outside.
The tremendous crash made the tableware jump.
Miranda and Thomas both whipped around.
Standing in the doorway was a disheveled woman, her chest heaving violently, her eyes so red they looked ready to bleed.
It was Elara.