Bernie caught on and gave her an appreciative look. “Miss Bailey, I didn’t expect you to be this wealthy at such a young age. Impressive.”
Alfy, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn’t help but grin. With a hint of mischief, she chimed in, “She’s the most amazing person in the world.” Her voice brimmed with pride, making Katelyn chuckle.
Bernie turned to Alfy and teased, “What about me? Am I not amazing?”
Alfy immediately switched to damage control. “Of course, you’re also amazing! Just you and Katelyn have different strengths.”
Pleased with her quick thinking, Bernie smiled and poured her a glass of her favorite juice. “Let’s eat first. We can discuss this later,” he said, directing his words at Katelyn.
Katelyn nodded. “Alright.”
With Alfy around, the atmosphere at the table remained relaxed and unrestrained.
Once dinner was over, Katelyn got down to business. She described what she was looking for in an estate, and Bernie quickly grasped her preferences. Wasting no time, he instructed his team to start searching right away. The process moved efficiently.
Alfy initially sat with them, listening to their conversation, but her energy started to dwindle. Though it had been a minor surgery, recovery still took a toll. Eventually, a yawn escaped her, and she excused herself, heading upstairs to rest.
When the discussion wrapped up, Katelyn turned to Bernie. “I’ll leave this in your hands. It’s getting late—I should be on my way.”
She was just about to stand when Bernie suddenly spoke. “Miss Bailey.”
She paused, glancing at him with mild confusion. “Is something wrong?”
? ? : ν?
Bernie met her gaze and let out a quiet sigh. “Do you truly have no idea where Hades is? She did Alfy a huge favor, and I just want to thank her personally.” His tone was calm, as though gratitude was his only motive.
Katelyn studied him carefully, searching for any hidden meaning behind his words. But he revealed nothing.
With a note of apology, she replied, “I’m sorry, but I really don’t know. From what I’ve heard, Hades is elusive. If you manage to find her, please introduce me—I have something to ask her as well.”
Bernie observed her closely, trying to gauge the sincerity of her words. Yet, her composure never wavered. There wasn’t a single trace of hesitation or unease.
After a moment, he gave a slight nod. “Alright. If I hear anything about Hades, I’ll let you know.”
Katelyn offered no ions. She didn’t go upstairs to check on Alfy—she had already done so earlier in the afternoon. Instead, she left the estate without delay.
As Katelyn’s car disappeared into the night, Bernie stood by the window, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand, watching her go in silence. A subordinate beside him spoke respectfully. “Mr. Norris, I didn’t notice anything suspicious about Miss Bailey today.” If that was the case, then perhaps she wasn’t Hades after all.
.
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