Chapter 97
"Nothing for now. They're being cautious, their movements erratic. We've left some bait, but whether Noel will take it remains to be seen."
Elizabeth's gaze sharpened at the words.
So, Sawyer was indeed investigating Hughes, and by extension, Nightfall.
The bait he mentioned—was it that arrogant message he had left? It seemed her own overconfidence had nearly led her into a trap; a moment of bravado had almost put her at risk. Thankfully, her public identity provided a convenient cover, one that wouldn't arouse suspicion.
Just how much did he know?
Elizabeth herself wasn't entirely clear on the origins of Nightfall. That was a question perhaps only Hughes could have answered, but the opportunity was long gone. A flicker of melancholy crossed her face.
She had long accepted Hughes' departure, but when she was just reborn, Elizabeth found that she had come too late, not even getting a chance to make amends, and for this, her heart ached dull for a long time.
A brief silence settled over the recording, punctuated only by the faint, rhythmic tapping of Sawyer's fingers against a tabletop.
Then, a soft, almost inaudible chuckle. His voice dropped lower, laced with a playful, dangerous edge. "No rush. If Noel is as formidable and mysterious as the rumors claim, he'll show his face eventually. I'm more curious, however, about what connection this Nightfall leader might have to Jacob."
A chill went down Elizabeth's spine. Sawyer's intuition and insight were far more acute than she had anticipated.
The audio cut off there.
Elizabeth removed the earbud, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes, her thoughts racing.
Sawyer was a variable that demanded extreme caution. In her past life, without her interference, Sawyer had likely seized control of Nightfall swiftly, establishing himself as a formidable rival to Jacob in Mirandia. The string of assassination attempts Jacob later faced… it was highly probable this man had a hand in them.
She sat up straight, logging back into the encrypted communication interface on the dark web. As expected, a new message had arrived from the anonymous contact, sent just ten minutes ago.
[Noah, it appears you chose to be absent from our meeting at Aurora Bar tonight. Was it cowardice, or did you simply find my invitation unworthy of your time?]
The words dripped with provocation, a clear attempt to apply pressure. A cold, sharp smile slowly curved Elizabeth's lips as she stared at the screen. Her slender fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out a reply.
[Mr. Scott, thank you for the generous invitation. I left a small gift for you. I do hope you enjoy the surprise. I would suggest you check the inner lining of your right suit pocket. You're welcome.]
Message sent.
Almost simultaneously, in a top-floor suite across the city, Sawyer had just finished a shower. Clad in a silk robe, he sat in an armchair by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding the encrypted device used to contact Noel. He was rereading his own taunting message, a calculating glint in his gray eyes.
Noel's absence, he reasoned, was a good indicator of his cowardice, a fact that would prove useful in his future endeavors.
A second later, the device's screen lit up with the new reply.
As he read the message, the look of leisurely amusement on his face froze, his pupils constricting.
The right suit pocket?
He shot to his feet, striding into the walk-in closet to retrieve the charcoal gray suit he had worn earlier.
His fingers probed the right pocket, feeling along the smooth fabric. He found nothing at first, but then his fingertips brushed against a minuscule, almost imperceptible bump in the lining. He paused. Carefully, he used a fingernail to pry the tiny, button-sized metal disc free.
It glinted under the light, its surface cold and metallic, revealing a subtle adhesive structure on its back. A micro-listening device? Or something else?
Sawyer's expression darkened instantly, becoming a mask of cold fury. Someone had planted a device on him, completely undetected. When? At the bar? Was it Jacob's doing? Or was it Noel?
He immediately carried the disc to his desk, where he powered on a physically isolated, high-security analysis computer. Using a specialized reader, he connected the device. The screen flashed to life, a decryption program running at high speed. A few seconds later, a stark black interface appeared, displaying a single line of elegant, ice-white cursive:
[Surprise.]
Then, with a faint click, the device's internal structure self-destructed, dissolving into a useless pile of untraceable metal fragments and micro-circuitry dust.
Sawyer slammed his fist onto the solid wood of the desk. The force of the blow sent a crystal ashtray skittering across the surface. His usually composed, elegant features were now twisted with a grim rage, a storm gathering in his gray eyes.
He had been played.
Someone had not only surreptitiously listened to his conversation but had also thrown it back in his face with this blatant, mocking gesture. The humiliation was absolute.
"Justin!" he snarled, his voice a low growl thick with suppressed fury.
Justin, who had been standing guard in the outer room, immediately pushed the door open. Seeing Sawyer's thunderous expression and the pile of debris on the desk, he felt a knot of apprehension. "Mr. Scott?"
"Pull all the security footage from Aurora Bar tonight! Focus on the second-floor hallway and the moments before and after I left the private room! I want to know who did this! Now!" Sawyer commanded, practically biting off each word.
He had to find the audacious person responsible—be it Noel, Jacob, or someone else entirely.
Justin, however, hesitated, his expression troubled. "Mr. Scott," he began cautiously, "Aurora Bar is one of Jacob's properties. Their security system is independent and heavily fortified. It would be difficult for our people to access the full recordings in a short amount of time without alerting them. Besides, given Jacob's temperament and tonight's conflict, I doubt he would be cooperative."
The reminder only stoked Sawyer's anger, but a sliver of cold logic cut through the haze.
Justin was right. Trespassing on Jacob's territory was not a simple matter. Forcibly hacking the surveillance would not only tip his hand but could also provoke a more direct confrontation, which ran counter to his current strategy of quiet investigation.
Worse, if Jacob found out why he was trying to get the footage, he would likely laugh himself sick.
He forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath, pushing down the roiling fury. His gaze fell back to the pile of neutralized metal dust, his eyes as sharp as a blade.
Noel. What a leader of Nightfall.
He had not only seen through the test and the bait but had turned the tables, announcing his presence with an act of profound humiliation. This was more than a technical contest; it was a psychological declaration, a statement of power. Nightfall was not some pawn he could manipulate at will.
Sawyer slowly sank back into his chair, his fingers grinding the cold, metallic dust. The rage in his eyes gradually gave way to something deeper, more dangerous.
Interesting.
It seemed his trip to Mirandia was going to be far more interesting than he had anticipated.
"Elizabeth," he murmured, the name a soft breath on his lips. An image of her face surfaced in his mind—cool and beautiful under the dim lights of the bar, yet hiding a world of secrets behind those unfathomable eyes.