Chapter 45 I'm a spy
Ariel
“Did you get a new phone?” Chloe asked as she scrolled through the phone, her eyes squinting dramatically as if she found something. I lunged forward to grab it out of her hand. "No—yes."
She turned to face me with a suspicious look. “You’re hiding something again, aren't you?”
“H-hiding? What could I possibly be hiding?”
“I don't know. You tell me.” She folded her arms. “You're acting all fidgety. Telling me not to look through your things like I ever did…” Uh… yes, since we were kids. “...and carrying around a phone that has no information on it. Why did you even get it?’
I folded my arms too in defence. “Because I can. It's… nice.”
“That outdated phone?” I raised my chin. “And so? Does it have to be the latest model for me to get it?”
She sighed and walked towards the bathroom, giving up. “Whatever. Just order some pizza or something. I'm starving.”
“Order it yourself. I’m busy.”
“Ariel!”
I stormed out of the room, my heart rate finally slowing down as I turned on the phone to look through it myself. Oh, thank God. The messages have already disappeared, of course, but it took me a minute to remember that feature.
Yup, quite genius now that this incident happened. I didn't even notice it at first until the second time Vincente texted me to meet him at St Valerio. That was when I noticed our chats clearing after a period of time.
“Fuck!” I muttered and headed back to the box. Where do I keep it? I certainly couldn't check it while Chloe was around and…
“Ah!” I yelped as the phone suddenly buzzed in my hand. What? I tapped open the chatbox to see a new message had come in.
“Have you received the package?”
Huh… Oh, yes.
“Yes.” I typed back instantly.
“Good. Look through it and ask any questions you might have. You have thirty minutes.”
What?! Thirty minutes?!
I locked myself in the guest room to carry out this new mission. What is in the box?
I found a bunch of things, including a bag of makeup products I had a hard time believing either of them had picked out, but the main highlight was the three dresses folded at the bottom.
I took them out one by one. Oh, wow. They look beautiful and quite… scandalous, but… why? An envelope at the very bottom caught my attention then.
Another guide?
I took it out and opened it to read the single document inside.
Okay. So basically, they were dresses laced with wire, a secret listening device to spy on General Yuri. I'd used five whole minutes to peer closely at the dresses after reading that.
What?!
Also, the makeup products. They weren't just make-up products. They were USB devices to copy information if and when I do find it. He did mention something about being proactive in getting information the other day at the cabin.
Fuck. That just made me anxious though. What if I get caught? What if I fail with getting anything? I mean, I'm the same person who blacked out for hours on the cruise ship and has no prior experience spying on someone.
How do i even go about—
“Ariel!”
“Ah!” I jumped, obviously startled as Chloe's voice called from right outside the door. “Are you in there?”
Oh fuck. I started stuffing everything into the box as she turned the knob. It didn't budge, of course, because I locked it.
“Ariel?”
“I'm coming. I'll be out… in a minute.” I finally put the lid back on the box and shoved it under the bed.
“Hey.” I said a little too cheerfully when I opened the door right after. Of course, she gave me her wary look.
“What were you doing?”
“Nothing. Just… why did you call me?”
“I want to order pizza. Are you interested?”
I nodded absentmindedly. My whole situation was more important than pizza right now.
Four days later, I received a text from General Yuri. Yep. It was also the day I was officially back to doing interviews for promotions, the first one being a tea and talk show.
I quickly read through the message while Helen did my makeup.
“Are you still available to attend the birthday event?”
I texted back immediately. “Yes.”
His reply popped in almost immediately too. “Then be ready by 6 pm, Saturday. I'll send a car over to get you.”
Okay. I fisted my hand tightly in my lap, trying not to let this distasteful feeling take over me.
“And… we're done.” Helen announced and then touched up a few things on my hair before twirling me around to face the makeup station's mirror.
Okay. It looked good.
“Five minutes.” I heard someone pop into the room to say as Madison came over to do some final touch-ups to my outfit, and I had a thought right before Jonas appeared in front of me.
Fuck.
He stretched out his hand for my phone, which I handed to him. Only after texting back one more question, though.
“Where is the party taking place?”
I didn't find out until that day, my anxiety skyrocketing through the roof as I prepared myself for that event, and when I got into the limousine Gen. Yuri had sent to pick me up, I was even more agitated to find him in the car.
"Hey, beautiful.”
Oh fuck no. I’d thought it'd be like the first time, when Mr Coleman sent his driver and I met him at the cruise ship. Fuck. I guess not.
I forced on a smile as he leaned in close to hug me. “How have you been?”
Shitty and even shittier now that I'm around you. Great answer, right? Instead, I said. “Good.”
“Hmm… good to know.”
So, am I going to get a clue on where exactly we're going to? I didn't bother saying anything since I was already on my way there. I’d already alerted the guys about today being the event and the time, and I had the tracker in my purse. Though I doubt that would do anything to save my ass if they do find out that I'm a spy.