Chapter 84 Trespasser
ARDEN
Fortunately, at the very last second, I spotted a door, covered by a curtain, to my left. I slipped inside just as footsteps echoed down the hallway.
The room was dimly lit, but even then, I could tell how well–maintained it was. This only deepened my curiosity about what this place was. I kept the lights off, crouching low as I peered through the thin crack between the door and the wall. My heart pounded in my chest.
Winters entered his office.
Even from a distance, his suspicion could be seen. He began to scan the room as he walked, his eyes flitting over the table, landing on the chair slightly moved from its original position, even to the faintest indent on the rug. He was meticulous.
I held my breath, daring not to even blink.
He strolled through the space like a predator surveying its territory. His eyes narrowed, and I could feel his presence pushing into the hidden room I occupied. The moment stretched unbearably long. I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. But then, abruptly, he turned and walked away.
He was leaving.
I exhaled slowly and backed away from the crack in the door. I needed to get out—fast. But I couldn’t move just yet. I waited, counting the seconds, ensuring I was truly alone. My hand gripped the flash drive tightly in my pocket. I couldn’t believe I had it. I’d actually done it. The one thing hidden beneath all of Winters‘ polished records. I didn’t know what it contained yet, but if it was encrypted and invisible on his desktop, there had to be something that would lead us to our objective.
I allowed myself a small smile; we were finally making progress.
But then-
I froze.
Winters‘ footsteps echoed back.
“What the,” I muttered before shifting away from the door, ducking beneath the desk just as
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Chapter 84 Trespasser
the main door swung open again.
I clasped a hand over my mouth to stifle my breathing.
He’d come back.
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I could hear him walk toward the adjoining room, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt the floor creak slightly beneath his steps. Each second dragged on like an eternity.
Then, he paused. A terrifying silence filled the space, and I felt like I was on the verge of passing out.
Fortunately, the scent suppressor worked wonders again as he walked out, using the adjoining door.
However, I couldn’t allow myself to feel relief just yet. There was the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place.
No. No, no, no.
I didn’t hear the door open, but I sensed him walking away, his footsteps fading into the hallway.
The silence that followed was suffocating. I counted to thirty but ultimately decided that two minutes would be the safest bet.
With no signs of his presence, I finally stood and carefully approached the door, turning the knob slowly.
Nothing.
It wouldn’t budge.
He locked it.
I stared at the doorknob in disbelief. I also tried the main door, but I couldn’t open it from the inside either. It seemed to be locked on the outside as well.
My fingers curled around the flash drive in my pocket once more.
Well, at least I had that.
But still–crap.
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Chapter 84 Trespasser
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I turned back toward the room, scanning it more closely now. There was no obvious way out -no windows, just old shelves, stacks of files, and a few sealed crates. I wasn’t panicked yet, but I could feel a pressure rising in my chest.
Whose room even was this?
I surveyed the space with sharp eyes. The first thing I noticed was that it felt different. It was warmer. The air smelled faintly of lavender and citrus–soft and gentle, unlike the stiff coldness of Winters‘ office next door. The walls were decorated with subtle earthy tones, and I saw books, so many of them. The titles spanned everything from philosophy and history to fiction and medical research. But more importantly, there were no cameras here–none that I could see. That alone made me pause.
Whoever occupied this room didn’t need surveillance.
Then, my gaze landed on a small brass plaque on the edge of the desk. It was a nameplate. I stepped closer and read the engraving:
Bethany Spirit.
I gasped, my hand shooting up to cover my mouth.
Bethany Spirit?
This was her room?
I took a step back, dizziness fluttering through me like disbelief. Bethany Spirit–the current Praetor of the United Factions. The leader of the Breaking. The woman who had ruled this country for two decades with a voice of fire and steel. Her office was connected to Winters‘? What kind of arrangement was this?
A chill skated down my spine.
Fumbling for my phone, I quickly texted Cade.
“I’m locked inside Bethany Spirit’s room. Winters locked the outer door. Please come whenever you can. Fast. Oh, and don’t worry, babe. I’m safe.”
I added that last line for his peace of mind. I didn’t want my baby to worry too much. Goodness, I even thought about him during this dangerous mission. What can I say? I love Cade a lot.
Taking a deep breath, I waited for his reply.
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It wouldn’t hurt to look around a little, right? I wasn’t here to pry, of course! I just needed to pass the time until Cade could get to me. And maybe… just maybe there would be something useful in here—anything that would help explain what the hell was going on.
The room was simple, yet everything in it seemed carefully chosen. On the table sat a jar of jelly–the exact brand I used to eat growing up. I frowned. That was strange; it was a small local brand, discontinued years ago. How did she have this?
I wandered to the shelves. A crystal figurine sat next to a yellowing book of poetry. There was a handmade mug that read “Queen Bee.” It was cracked and obviously old, but it had been glued back together. A small smile tugged at my lips. Someone had loved these things enough to keep them.
I touched the spines of the books, then noticed a thick, nondescript album wedged between two encyclopedias. It looked like a photo album. I hesitated, then pulled it out and opened the first page.
I knew I shouldn’t be snooping like this, but similar to the diary I’d found inside the city library, I felt like this album was calling my name.
The first page made me freeze.
It was a photo of a woman and a man, smiling at each other as if they were the only two people in the world. They looked young–around the age Cade and I were now. The man’s eyes were soft and amused; the woman’s hand was tucked into the crook of his arm.
The woman… looked like Bethany.
I found myself smiling. She looked so alive here. She still was, but every time I saw her on TV, I sensed an unspoken loneliness. In this photo, however, her hair was wild and free, and her face held none of the sharp edge the world knew her for now. She looked like someone in love.
Was this her lover?
That didn’t make sense. Bethany Spirit was famously single. She’d had no partner throughout her two–decade reign. Everyone said she was married to the cause and to her mission.
Honestly, I’d grown up believing she was a machine–an ethical one, but still someone inherently detached from others.
But clearly, she had been in love once.
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Chapter 84 Trespasser
I touched the photo gently, fingers hovering over the man’s face. Who was he?
The following pages were filled with more images of the two–candid shots, some blurry, some depicting a picnic, a forest, a lake. My throat tightened, the reason eluding me.
Bethany Spirit had a life once.
And then… I realized I’d lost myself in it.
Footsteps.
I snapped my
head up. The knob turned.
“Cade?” I whispered, turning too quickly.
But it wasn’t Cade.
My heart stopped when I saw who stood before me.
Bethany Spirit stood in the doorway.
She froze, her sharp eyes locking onto mine.
And I swear–I had never felt more like I was about to die.
Her gaze flicked from the photo album in my hands to the desk, then back to me.
A silence filled the space like a noose.
She stepped further inside. Her voice emerged calm, cold, yet terrifyingly soft.
be in my
“Why would a trespasser be in
office?”
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