He continued on the phone, his voice low and steady:
"Then Crimson Night stepped forward and asked me, in front of everyone, 'Who were those staying with you, Northern Dark?'
I tried to play it cool—'What do you mean, Cri—'
But she cut me off and pulled out a photograph. 'Well, well… what about this?'
I went silent. My chest tightened. I stared at the photo.
"Finally, after a pause, I answered, 'One is Caroline Garnier… and the other is the late neighbour's daughter, Nancy. Nancy has been living with me for years. I've kept Caroline under close watch—brought her from a rented room into my house. Bribed her, threatened her. She's compliant.'
"'I even bribed the HR manager at Velvéra to switch the original passed candidate with Caroline. She's got no family—an orphan. Easy to move. As for why I didn't report this earlier… well, I planned to include everything in a post-mission report. I didn't find it necessary right now. And Nancy? She's just a neighbour's child. I don't trust her to be part of this organisation. Not worth mentioning.'
"The Boss turned to Crimson Night. 'Well, Crimson Night? Anything you want to add?'
"'Absolutely nothing, Boss.' She smirked, her eyes hidden behind those goggled lenses, half-covered under the brim of her hat.
"'Then you'll send him daily reports about Caroline Garnier's activities. Understood?'
"I nodded. 'Understood.'
"'Good. You're dismissed.'
"And that was it. I walked out."
I exhaled slowly, stunned. "That's… heavy."
"Don't relax just yet," Dad warned. "Crimson Night is planning something. I saw it in her smile. She's not done. Be careful."
"I will," I said, ending the call.
I grabbed my laptop, connected the USB, and uploaded the encrypted voice recording from the briefcase, sending it to Dad.
Meanwhile, at Nancy's house…
In the quiet bedroom, Nancy lay tucked in bed, a storybook resting gently on her chest. Amber Dubois, ever calm, read softly until Nancy drifted off.
Half an hour later, Amber rose quietly, adjusted the blanket, and stepped out.
She entered her adjacent room, locked the door, and immediately called the number saved as Mrs. Bourgeois – Principal.
"Hello, Mrs. Bourgeois. You had asked me to call you tonight—after putting Nancy to sleep."
"Oh yes! Amber, tell me—how was she? How was her family?"
Amber hesitated.
"Everything seemed… fine. But there's something about Ariadne—her older sister—that I need to mention."
"What about her?" Mrs. Bourgeois asked curiously.
"Well, she showed up right after work, came straight here. When I welcomed her, she stared at me like she was scanning me. Then, while I cooked, she kept glancing over, her face like a—like a rival. Not to mention, they live in their own mansion. Ariadne, her father… even that girl, Caroline. All of them. It's strange. Everything screams 'wealth.' Too much of it."
A long pause.
Amber frowned. "Mrs. Bourgeois? Are you still there?"
Static. Then—
"Yes, I'm here…" Mrs. Bourgeois replied, breath shaky. "Listen closely, Amber. You said Ariadne Oak is working—wearing office clothes?"
"Yes! In full uniform. Don't tell me she's unemployed?"
"Amber…" Mrs. Bourgeois's voice dropped to a whisper. "My system has no record of Thomas Oak. The agreement lists him as a food company director—but that company doesn't exist in our files. And Ariadne? No record of employment. Not in any verified system."
Amber's heart thudded.
"So… they're lying."
"Exactly. If anything seems suspicious, report it to me immediately. Until then, keep doing your job. Stay close. Watch closely."
"Understood," Amber answered, her voice dark.
The call ended.
Amber stared at her phone, brows furrowed. Then she quickly dialed Caroline Garnier—her only real friend.
The number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please call again later.
The call dropped.
Amber stared blankly. Her hand trembled. She tried again. Same result.
She gripped the phone tight.
Her lips quivered.
Tears brimmed.
Then slowly, they rolled down.