Days passed by, peaceful and warm. Because of this unusual calm, Deanna, Lance, and the others let their guard down.
Although Eula and Abla were supposed to make a move against them, over a month had passed without any action, making it hard not to relax.
However, it was precisely this relaxation that led to trouble. Abla's side had not been inactive; Gunner had already informed the higher-ups of the news he received from abroad.
As a result, entry inspections in various regions became exceptionally strict. Particularly at the borders where smuggling was possible, soldiers patrolled daily.
This forced Abla's people to hold back for over a month, waiting for Chiaz's side to lower their guard before they began to act.
The people who came were very cautious, using tourist routes with complete identity information.
They wandered around Cloudmere for two or three days before starting their plan.
Meanwhile, Deanna continued her daily routine of visiting her grandmother in the hospital before heading to the research institute.
In the evenings, she would take walks with Lance and the children, occasionally going shopping as a family. Life was very pleasant.
One day, after finishing her work at the research institute, Deanna was about to leave when a janitor suddenly bumped into her, spilling dirty water all over her uniform.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Jones. I didn't mean to, I..."
The janitor seemed terrified, bowing and apologizing frantically in front of Deanna.
Seeing this, Deanna didn't mind and said, "It's okay. You can go back to your work."
"Thank you, Ms. Jones. You're so kind."
The janitor bowed twice more in gratitude before leaving with her tools.
After she left, Shannon and Nightingale approached Deanna with concern. "Missus, how about I take you to the mall to buy some new clothes before we go back?"
"No need. I have spare clothes in my office. Wait for me downstairs; I'll be right back."
Deanna turned and went back into the research institute. When she reached the elevator, she found it was out of order and under maintenance.
"It was working fine just now. Why is it broken?" Deanna asked instinctively.
The staff member next to her also found it strange. "Yes, it was fine earlier. I heard someone got stuck inside. Ms. Jones, weren't you leaving?"
Deanna smiled lightly. "I remembered I forgot something, so I came back. Looks like I'll have to take the stairs."
She bid farewell to the staff and headed towards the emergency exit. The stairwell was busy with people going up and down. They greeted Deanna politely as they saw her, and she responded with a smile.
Her office was on the top floor, and as she climbed higher, fewer people were around. By the time she reached the tenth floor, she was exhausted and decided to rest for a bit.
Just as she stood there for a moment, a janitor pushed a cleaning cart through a nearby door. The janitor seemed surprised to see Deanna but quickly bowed and greeted her.
"Ms. Jones."
"Are you here to clean?" Deanna asked casually.
The janitor nodded. "Yes, I've cleaned everywhere else except here."
She began wiping the stair railing meticulously. Deanna thought of something and asked again, "By the way, did you see if the elevator was fixed when you came over?"
"Elevator? I didn't notice," the janitor hesitated before shaking her head. She then moved closer to Deanna with her cloth, intending to clean the railing beside her.
Deanna instinctively stepped aside to make room. Unexpectedly, at that moment, the janitor suddenly attacked, chopping Deanna on the neck and knocking her out before she could react.
The janitor caught Deanna as she fell and unceremoniously stuffed her into a trash bin. She stayed there for a while longer, cleaning up all traces before leaving with her cart.
Downstairs, Shannon and Nightingale waited for about ten minutes but didn't see Deanna come down. They frowned.
"Why is it taking so long for Missus to come down?"
"Could something have happened?"
They whispered to each other but felt something was off. If Deanna had been delayed by something, she would have notified them. But they hadn't received any messages.
Shannon started to worry. "Could something have happened?"
"Definitely not; this is our territory," Nightingale replied without hesitation but still felt uneasy inside. "Maybe I should go up and check."