Chapter 116: Danger Zone

Knox schooled his expression before stepping through the entrance, forcing himself to look like a man who had every right to be there.

He had barely taken two steps inside when two figures emerged from the sides of the foyer.

Robots.

They had been completely invisible from outside, blending almost seamlessly into the architecture until they moved. Their metallic bodies stood rigidly on either side of him, and when they spoke, their voices came together in perfect synchronization.

“Who are you and what are you here for?”

Knox stopped.

For a brief second, surprise flickered across his face.

He had expected guards, cameras, perhaps some kind of security system, but he had not expected robots to be standing guard inside a government estate.

He swallowed and quickly composed himself.

“I am Bright Daniel. I’m here to see a friend.” He lied.

“Make a call to the friend and stay outside.” One of the robots said.

Shit.

Knox kept his face neutral.

This wasn't part of the plan.

He hadn't come prepared with a name of someone who lived here, and judging by the sound of footsteps approaching from somewhere beyond the foyer, he didn't have much time to improvise.

A group of officials was already making its way toward the entrance.

He couldn't stay.

He shouldn't have been inside in the first place.

Knox slowly turned his back to the robots, pretending he had accepted their instruction. His hand slipped beneath his jacket, and he brought the detector out just enough to make it look like he was reaching for his phone.

He clicked the device on.

His eyes lowered briefly as he waited for the screen to respond.

Come on.

Just give me something.

Before he could see the result, a piercing mechanical alarm suddenly exploded through the foyer.

Knox flinched.

The sound was so sharp that he almost raised his hands to cover his ears, but he caught himself just in time.

Every head turned.

The robots spoke simultaneously.

“A guest holding a suspicious object.”

Knox's stomach dropped.

Several people began moving toward him.

His first instinct was to run.

But when he turned sharply toward the entrance, the doors slammed shut automatically.

His heart sank.

He was trapped.

An official pushed through the gathering crowd and approached him, his expression hardening as he looked Knox over.

“Who are you?”

Knox raised both hands slowly.

“I already said. I'm here to see a friend.”

“Search him.” The man ordered.

Knox's jaw tightened.

There was no way he could let them. He couldn’t fail Julian.

He knew what would happen if they found the detector.

He immediately stepped backward, his voice rising with controlled indignation.

“You're not going to search me like I'm some criminal. I'm a reputable person.”

“Reputable my foot,” the man snapped. “Search him.”

Two security officers grabbed Knox.

He fought the urge to react violently, knowing that one wrong movement could turn the situation into something far worse. They roughly searched him, their hands moving beneath his jacket.

Then one of them found it.

The detector was pulled from his clothing.

Knox's stomach twisted as the officer lifted it.

“Mr Isaac, this is what we found.”

Mr. Isaac stretched out his hand. “Give it to me.”

Knox stared at the device, knowing there was nothing he could do without exposing exactly why he was there. Options failed him at that moment, making him regret his decision to enter here in the first place.

But just then- a voice drifted from the other side of the foyer.

“Please, release my friend.”

Everyone turned.

“He's here to deliver that to me. I wouldn't like you touching a product I ordered and haven't even touched yet, Mr. Isaac.”

Knox's head snapped toward the voice.

His eyes narrowed at him.

The man walking toward them was dressed impeccably, his presence immediately commanding attention without requiring him to raise his voice.

And Knox knew him.

It took only a few seconds before realization hit him.

This was the same man Seraphina had left with yesterday.

The man who had driven her out of the estate, and she had claimed was her high school friend.

Knox's mind raced.

What was he doing here?

And more importantly—Why was he lying for him?

Mr. Isaac immediately straightened.

“Mr. Deputy, sir. I apologize, but your visitor wasn't specific about who he was here for. Hence, the search.”

Dylan waved a hand casually. “I understand.”

Then his gaze shifted toward Knox.

For a fraction of a second, it lingered. “I've been waiting all evening for you. Why did you take so long?”

Knox caught the cue.

He had no choice but to play along.

“I was in the wrong building,” he said smoothly. “I had to carefully locate this place. I was already thinking I had the wrong address when I saw these…”

His eyes moved toward the robots.

Dylan let out a small laugh. “Haha. I can see why you were skeptical. I should have warned you ahead.”

He turned toward the elevator.

“Please, follow me upstairs.”

Mr. Isaac watched them, apparently satisfied with the explanation.

“Return his device.”

One of the security officers handed the detector back to Knox.

Knox took it without hesitation.

He wasn't going to stay another second in that foyer.

He followed Dylan into the elevator.

The doors closed.

Silence immediately settled between them.

Neither man spoke as the elevator began to rise.

Knox's eyes remained fixed on the numbers above the door until he finally turned toward Dylan.

“Why did you do that?”

Dylan's lips curved into a faint smirk.

“I recognized you as Seraphina's friend.”

Knox's brows furrowed.

“And?”

“And from the way you were behaving, I could tell you were up to something and were about two seconds away from getting caught.”

Dylan glanced at him.

“Sera doesn't deserve to lose another friend amidst everything she's already going through.”

Knox stared at him. He hadn't expected that answer.

Before he could respond, the elevator stopped.

The doors opened.

Dylan stepped out first. Then Knox followed.

They walked a short distance before Dylan opened a door beside the elevator.

“Come in.”

Knox stopped, his instincts screaming at him not to trust the man.

Dylan looked back.

“You have two options. You can come inside and tell me exactly why you're here…”

Dylan's expression remained calm.

“Or I can hand you over myself.”

Knox's jaw clenched.

For several seconds, neither man moved.

Then Knox stepped inside.

The apartment was nothing like the cold, suspicious building he had expected.

A refined cream-colored living room stretched before him, decorated with expensive furniture, warm lighting, and tasteful pieces that gave the space a quiet luxury. Everything looked carefully selected, polished without feeling excessive.

Dylan removed his suit jacket and tossed it casually onto the couch.

Knox looked around. “You live here?”

Dylan ignored the question. “Have a seat.”

Knox hesitated before lowering himself onto the couch.

Dylan disappeared into another room.

A few moments later, he returned carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Knox stared at him. “I'm not here to drink.”

Dylan chuckled as he sat across from him.

“We're probably going to have a long conversation, so you might as well fuel your throat.”

He uncorked the bottle.

Knox watched him carefully, realizing he knew absolutely nothing about the man sitting across from him.

Dylan had been calm throughout the entire ordeal.

Too calm.

He had walked into a potentially dangerous situation, lied to an official without blinking, and somehow managed to get Knox out of it.

That kind of composure didn't come from nowhere.

Dylan poured wine into Knox's glass, then filled his own.

He lifted his glass and took a drink.

Knox watched him swallow.

Only then did he finally accept the glass.

He took a cautious sip.

Dylan's mouth twitched. “You thought I poisoned it?”

“I thought you were unpredictable.”

“Fair enough.”

Dylan took another drink. Then he leaned back.

“So…”

His eyes settled on Knox.

“What exactly were you doing here?”

Knox remained silent.

Dylan studied him for a moment before adding, “And don't lie to me. I already figured out what you are.”

Knox's eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

Dylan's smirk deepened.

“When I saw you with Sera yesterday, I noticed the way you moved.”

He took another slow sip. “You're trained. And you belong to the mafia world.”

Knox's expression hardened.

“How the hell would you know that?”

Dylan looked directly into his eyes, his expression lacking any trace of warmth, then he said, “It takes one to recognize one.”

Knox went completely still.

Then it clicked.

Dylan was no ordinary person. Obviously.

Before Knox could say anything else, a sharp electronic sound suddenly came from inside his jacket.

Both men's eyes dropped to it.

Knox's hand immediately went to his pocket.

The detector was making noise now.

Knox pulled it out impatiently and looked down at the screen, knowing it’d picked a signal.

A red notification flashed across the display.

TRAFFICKING RING DETECTED.

Knox’s chest heaved visibly. Finally.