Just as they rose to depart, Bernie’s voice cut through the air with unexpected sharpness. “Miss Bailey, do you possess training in medicine?”

Katelyn hesitated for a moment before turning to Bernie with a calm smile. “No, but I can still tell if she’s recovering well.”

There wasn’t the slightest trace of panic in her expression. She had come fully prepared tonight—there was no way she’d let anything slip. Bernie seemed to catch on and chuckled. “I see. Well, go ahead, but be careful. If anything seems off, I can call the doctor.”

Before Katelyn could respond, Alfy jumped in. “Uncle Bernie, don’t worry. Katelyn wouldn’t be careless.”

Bernie shook his head resignedly, a fond look in his eyes. “Alright, alright. Go on then.”

Alfy beamed and nodded obediently. “Okay!” With that, she led Katelyn upstairs to her room.

Just as Alfy was about to speak, Katelyn raised a finger and gently pressed it against Alfy’s lips, shaking her head.

Alfy had been by Katelyn’s side long enough to understand. She immediately clamped her mouth shut, her wide eyes blinking in confusion.

Why? This was her home. Why couldn’t she speak freely here? Alfy was really at a loss.

Katelyn walked over to the desk, grabbed a piece of paper, and quickly scribbled down a message before handing it to Alfy. “There’s a listening device.”

Alfy froze instantly. A listening device in her home? She handled these kinds of gadgets all the time—so why hadn’t she noticed it before?

Katelyn silently moved toward a flower pot in the corner.

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Alfy followed her gaze and looked down. Sure enough, buried in the soil was a tiny, high-tech listening device. It was so well-hidden that she never would have spotted it if Katelyn hadn’t pointed it out. Just then, a chill ran down Alfy’s spine. She gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

Katelyn shook her head slightly and jotted down another note. “This likely belongs to someone else. When you tell your uncle, don’t mention that I know about it.”

Alfy didn’t fully understand, but she trusted Katelyn completely. If Katelyn said so, she would listen. She gave a small nod.

Katelyn glanced at Alfy before speaking out loud. “Alfy, let me check your wound.”

Alfy lifted her shirt slightly. “It still hurts a little, but it’s healing fine.” Katelyn studied the injury with a neutral expression, as if she had no real medical knowledge. “If it starts to look worse, you should see a doctor. It might be infected.”

Alfy immediately caught the hidden meaning in Katelyn’s words. She nodded. “Okay! If anything feels off, I’ll go to the hospital right away.” Katelyn didn’t say anything else. She scanned the room again. Aside from the listening device, everything else seemed normal.

Bending down, she carefully inspected the soil in the flower pot. The device had been placed there recently—the disturbed dirt around it was a dead giveaway.

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