Chapter 165: The culprit

Dressed in dark clothing, face hidden behind a mask.

The room seemed to shrink as everyone leaned in.

The man moved carefully, almost too carefully, and opened the door just enough to slip through. Inside the room the camera was on. Then he reached up and covered the lens with something dark.

The screen went black.

“He planned this…” Dan murmured.

Minutes later, the masked figure slipped out the same way he came, closing the door behind him.

Not long after he left, Lucas and Nathan entered the room, completely unaware.

“Oh damn,” one of the guards muttered.

Silence filled the security area again, all eyes on the screen.

Then the man came again, after Lucas and Nathan had entered the room. No one knew what he was doing.

Then Nathan spoke, this must be when he knocked us out. Thomas and Jason agreed on that. After about five minutes he came out through the side door.

“Security, follow that man,” Dave Jason ordered. Let's see if he was working alone or with an accomplice.

The guard traced him, he entered the restroom and remained there for long minutes but he didn't come out.

They watched as nothing happened for a long stretch in the room.

Then, about forty-five minutes later. Alex’s men appeared, removing whatever had been covering the camera.

And there they were, Lucas and Nathan, on the bed.

Nathan shook his head violently. “No… no, this is wrong. This is all wrong!”

Dave didn’t respond this time. His eyes were glued to the screen, his mind racing.

“Keep going, it's not over,” he said.

Then, after Alex’s men left, the room was empty again.

For a moment… nothing.

Then the man came out of the restroom, entered the room. The side door creaked open once more.

Everyone held their breath as the man stepped in once again.

The man went to the bed, stared at them and chuckled, as he bent over, his mask fell off. He tossed it aside.

That instant Dan’s voice and Jason’s broke the silence, filled with disbelief. “James?”

Dave’s expression darkened, something dangerous settling behind his eyes.

On the screen, James moved freely like he owned the place, glancing around briefly with a victorious smirk.

No one spoke or moved because finally they had seen the truth.

The footage continued to roll, every pair of eyes locked on the screen.

James moved with unsettling calm. He reached for the bed first, grabbing the edge of the sheet and yanking it back in one swift motion. The fabric slipped away, revealing Lucas and Nathan's clothes hidden by the foot. Still, they lay there, motionless, unaware of what was happening.

A murmur of disbelief rippled through the room.

“Keep watching…” the guard said quietly, though his voice carried an edge.

On screen, James didn’t hesitate. One by one, he picked up their scattered clothes, handling them with deliberate care. There was something calculated in the way he worked. He wasn't rushing, or panicking. He moved with precision.

Nathan’s brows furrowed. “What is he doing…?”

James began dressing them. First Lucas, followed by Nathan.

Adjusting, fixing, making sure everything looked normal.

“So he set a stage, hmm” Dan muttered under his breath.

Dave’s jaw tightened.

When James was done with their clothes, he grabbed Lucas first, dragging him off the bed and letting him drop onto the floor. Then Nathan followed, handled just as roughly, positioned beside him.

Nathan flinched at the sight, his voice low and shaken. “I don’t remember  feeling any movement throughout this…this…” His voice caught.

Dave drew him to himself, “Hey, sweetheart, you've been cleared. You guys didn't do anything. I'm so sorry for doubting you.”

Nathan nodded, “I understand, it wasn’t your fault. I haven't met this guy anywhere so why will he do this?”

“This guy must be up to something. I think his target was Lucas, you just happened to be unfortunate,” Dave said.

“I doubt it was Lucas,” Jason said.

“Yeah, I believed he was after Alex. So he was using Lucas to get to him. But I believed he was working with a guy called Mac. We've been trying to trace his location through his number but it seemed too hard.”

And that was the point.

On the screen, James paused, looking at his work. For a brief second, he stood there, almost admiring it. Then, he smiled with

satisfaction.

“Bastard…” Thomas whispered.

James reached into his pocket, pulled out his mask, and slipped it back on with practiced ease. Every movement screamed control, like someone finishing the final step of a carefully planned operation.

He took one last glance around the room. Then turned and walked out through the side door, disappearing the same way he came.

A few minutes later Nathan stirred awake, trying to wake Lucas but couldn't. Then get help from a doctor through a waiter. Then the rest clicked as they left the room.

The footage kept playing, but no one was paying attention anymore since they knew the rest of the story.

The silence in the security room grew heavier, because now it wasn’t confusion. It wasn’t doubt but something far worse and unexpected.

They had just watched the truth being manufactured right in front of them.

The silence in the security room was still thick with shock and anger, when a phone suddenly vibrated against the table.

Dan glanced down and it was Lucas. Everyone’s attention snapped to him.

“Put it on speaker,” Dave said immediately.

Dan hesitated for half a second, then answered. “Hello?”

Lucas’s voice came through, tense but controlled. “Dan… you guys are still at the venue?”

Dan exhaled slowly. “Yeah. We’re here.” He glanced at the others before continuing, “We’ve seen it, everything. It was staged. James did all of it.”

There was a pause on the other end. Not just silence but breathing. It was heavy and processing.

Then Lucas spoke again, quieter this time. “So… aside from the kiss… Nathan and I didn’t mess up?”

Nathan’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto the phone.

Dan shook his head instinctively, even though Lucas couldn’t see him. “No. You didn’t. He set everything up. He undressed you both… then dressed you again. Made it look real.”

Nathan let out a shaky breath, running both hands through his hair, relief and frustration crashing into each other.

“Thank you, Dan…” Lucas said, and there was something raw in his voice now. “This really means a lot to me.”

Dan softened slightly. “You asked us to find out. We did.”

There was another pause, shorter, but heavier.

“Then do me a favor,” Lucas added.

Dave’s eyes narrowed as Dan frowned. “What kind of favor?”

“Don’t tell Alex anything about this,” Lucas said firmly. “Not unless he specifically asks you to investigate. Okay?”

The room tensed instantly.

Dan blinked. “Lucas, but it's better to…”

“No ‘buts,’ Dan,” Lucas cut in, sharper now. “I know he’s your boss. But he never sent you to investigate this, right?”

Dan hesitated and everyone was watching him now. “Yeah,” he finally admitted. “He didn’t.”

“Then this stays between us,” Lucas pressed. “Please.”

Dave’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.