Chapter 66: Prey and Hunter

Sophia noticed the change in Leo's eyes, and her heart sank.

Elena... there was something wrong with her.

"Sorry, I need to use the restroom."

Leo stood up and said politely.

"Please, go ahead."

Sophia gestured gracefully with her hand.

Leo left the sitting room and headed straight for the restroom on the second floor.

After entering the restroom, he locked the door, pulled out his phone, and sent Olivia an encrypted message.

[Check Elena's background right now. Columbia University, art history major. Focus on her enrollment records and class attendance.]

Less than three minutes later, his phone vibrated.

[Boss, Elena Mason's status as an art history student at Columbia is fake. The real Elena Mason went missing three months ago while traveling in Europe and still has not been found.]

[We are still confirming who this "Elena" really is. Our initial assessment is that she is a professional assassin.]

Just as I thought.

Leo put away his phone, rinsed his hands, straightened his collar, then pushed open the door and left the restroom.

Back in the sitting room.

Rhys and Elena were chatting.

"Sophia, Mr. Ashford seems pretty impressive," Rhys said, clearly excited. "I heard he has a high position in the military?"

"Yes."

Sophia responded flatly.

"So what does he usually do?" Rhys asked curiously. "I mean, for an officer at his level, he must be pretty busy, right?"

"Well..."

Sophia was about to speak.

"I'm actually not that busy."

Leo walked into the sitting room and sat back down on the sofa. "Most of the time I'm just handling intelligence work."

"Intelligence work?"

Rhys's eyes lit up as he leaned in closer. "Is it like in the movies, with agents and spies and stuff?"

"Something like that."

Leo picked up his whiskey and took a light sip. "But not as dramatic as in the movies."

"Then you must have been to many countries?" Elena asked with a smile, her voice gentle. "You must have had many exciting experiences."

"Not bad."

Leo put down his glass, as if remembering something. "By the way, have you guys ever heard of an organization called 'Nightfall'?"

At these words, Elena's hand holding the red wine paused almost imperceptibly.

Although it was just for a moment, Leo still caught it.

"Nightfall?"

Rhys shook his head. "Never heard of it. What kind of organization is it?"

"An international assassination organization."

Leo said casually, "I dealt with them a few times when I was in Europe."

"An assassination organization?"

Rhys's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's so cool!"

"What's so cool about it?"

Sophia rolled her eyes at Rhys. "That's a criminal organization, very dangerous."

"I know."

Rhys chuckled. "But it sounds exciting."

He turned to look at Leo. "Mr. Ashford, are you still investigating this organization?"

"Yes."

Leo nodded. "Actually, I'm part of the Nightfall organization, working undercover in the military."

"What!"

Rhys's eyes widened.

"Haha, just kidding."

Leo smiled. "But we really haven't made much progress lately. Their people have all gone into hiding."

"Do you know where their headquarters is?" Rhys asked curiously.

At this question, Sophia frowned slightly.

But Leo smiled.

"Well..."

He deliberately paused. "That's classified. I can't say."

"I understand."

Rhys nodded quickly.

But Elena spoke up at this moment.

"Mr. Ashford, you mentioned earlier that you dealt with the Nightfall organization?"

A flash of curiosity crossed her eyes. "May I ask what kind of dealings?"

"Got into a few fights," Leo said lightly. "Killed a few of their people."

"Then they must really hate you?" Elena said with concern. "You need to be careful. That kind of organization will definitely seek revenge."

"Don't worry."

A contemptuous smile curved Leo's lips. "I'm not afraid of them."

"By the way..."

He suddenly changed the subject. "Have you guys heard of Taekwondo?"

"Taekwondo?"

Rhys was taken aback. "Yeah, I've heard of it. Why do you suddenly ask?"

"I'm thinking about learning some combat skills lately," Leo said casually. "Are you guys interested?"

"Not me."

Rhys waved his hand. "I've never liked sports since I was a kid."

"What about Elena?"

Leo looked at Elena.

"I'm not very good at it either."

Elena smiled gently. "I've only learned yoga. I don't know anything about combat."

"Is that so?"

Leo nodded thoughtfully.

But his gaze fell on Elena's sitting posture.

She sat straight up, back upright, legs together.

Her breathing rhythm was extremely regular, each breath almost identical in frequency.

This wasn't something you could develop from yoga.

This was muscle memory from long-term combat training.

And also...

Leo's gaze swept over Elena's hands without showing any emotion.

Her fingers were long and delicate, looking like a socialite's hands.

But at the web between her thumb and index finger, there was a layer of very faint calluses.

Those were marks left by long-term firearms training.

Just as I thought.

This woman was a professional assassin.

Two hours later.

Dinner ended.

"Sophia, we'll be going now."

Rhys stood up, holding Elena's hand.

"Alright, drive safely on your way back."

Sophia said gently.

"Elena, come visit again next time."

"OK."

Elena nodded politely. "Thank you for Ms. Vanderbilt's hospitality."

Rhys left the dining room with Elena.

After they had gone far, Sophia immediately turned around and looked at Leo.

"What's going on?"

She lowered her voice, her eyes full of worry.

"She's a professional assassin."

Leo stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. "And very likely, she's from the Nightfall organization."

"What?"

Sophia's face went pale. "Then Rhys..."

She instinctively reached for her phone. "I need to tell Rhys right away and have him break up with that woman!"

"Don't worry."

Leo turned around, walked up to Sophia, and gently embraced her.

"They won't make a move yet. Elena approaching Rhys is probably to get intelligence on the Vanderbilt family through him."

"In the short term, Rhys won't be in danger."

"But..."

"It won't work."

Leo turned around, interrupting her. "If you tell him now, he won't believe it."

"Why not?"

Sophia looked at him in confusion. "Just words? You're a military intelligence officer. Doesn't your judgment carry enough weight?"

"Weight?"

Leo smiled self-deprecatingly. "Sophia, in your brother's eyes, I'm just some guy who suddenly showed up and might steal his sister away."

"And Elena is his perfect love at first sight, gentle and kind. Without any evidence, he'll just think I'm jealous and trying to drive a wedge between them."

"Then what do we do?" Sophia bit her lip, the unease in her heart growing stronger. "Are we just going to watch him be kept in the dark, walking step by step into a trap?"

"As I said, talking won't be enough."

Leo walked up to her, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. "So we need to give him undeniable 'proof'."

Sophia was stunned, not understanding what he meant.

A cold smile curved Leo's lips. "Do you think at dinner tonight, why did I deliberately bring up 'Nightfall'?"

"And why did I deliberately let it slip that we have an undercover agent in the military?"

Sophia's eyes lit up instantly; she seemed to understand something.

"That was to set a trap for her."

Leo's voice was firm and heavy. "If Elena really is from the Nightfall organization, she'll definitely pass this information back tonight."

"It's a professional assassin's instinct. Once they get information, they report it immediately."

"So..."

Sophia understood. "You deliberately threw out bait to hook her?"

"Smart."

Leo gently tapped her nose.

"I put a listening device in Elena's bag."

"Now..."

Leo glanced at his watch. "When Rhys gets back, Elena will contact her handler."

"Later we'll bring Rhys over and let him hear for himself what kind of person his 'kind and gentle' girlfriend really is."