What truly alarmed Katelyn, however, was Sophia’s deliberate movement toward the second floor — directly toward Bernie’s position.

Though Bernie exchanged only a few words with Sophia, his abrupt departure from the second floor immediately afterward spoke volumes.

The subtle exchange triggered Katelyn’s vigilance at once. Vincent, naturally perceptive, noticed it too. Their eyes met briefly, conveying a great deal without a single word spoken between them.

Then Vincent offered Katelyn a quiet, steadying glance. Moments later, a miniature earpiece appeared in her palm, passed to her with practiced discretion. He slipped another to Alfy just as smoothly. With careful subtlety, all three positioned the tiny devices in their ears.

Almost immediately, clear voices filtered through.

“Boss, it’s confirmed that Katelyn is dead. Should we continue with the plan?”

Boss. Katelyn’s mind raced. The title could only refer to one person — the leader of the T Organization. Sophia would address no one else with such deference. Which meant the leader was here, present in this very building.

The realization sent a simultaneous jolt through both Katelyn and Vincent. Their postures stiffened almost imperceptibly, their senses sharpening. This was no ordinary adversary.

Alfy, caught in the midst of these revelations, furrowed her brow. Who was Sophia calling Boss?

The next moment, Alfy’s entire body went rigid.

The voice flowing through the earpiece belonged to someone she knew intimately. “Definitely. Send the children who weren’t auctioned off. They’re the best ingredients.”

It was Bernie. Her uncle. Those revolting words had fallen from the lips of the man she had always revered. In that horrifying instant, an icy dread crept through Alfy’s veins and settled deep in her bones.

How had reality twisted into this nightmare? She desperately wanted to believe that what she had just heard was an illusion — a cruel trick of her mind.

Katelyn and Vincent sat equally stunned. Neither had anticipated that the voice speaking so callously to Sophia would belong to Bernie himself.

So Bernie was T — the leader of the T Organization.

Katelyn couldn’t suppress a small, sharp gasp. All this time, she had been hunting for the identity of the shadowy leader, only to discover it was someone who had been hiding in plain sight — someone she had known all along.

Q ?o оn gl.

When Katelyn had first visited Bernie’s manor, an unsettling aura had permeated the place — she had sensed, even then, that something wasn’t quite right.

Yet she had dismissed those fleeting suspicions without a second thought. She had witnessed Bernie’s genuine affection toward Alfy countless times. How could this seemingly virtuous man possibly be the notorious mastermind behind the T Organization?

The revelation struck her like a physical blow. Her gaze darted immediately to Alfy’s face, searching for her reaction.

Alfy sat motionless, her eyes glistening with unshed tears that threatened to spill at any moment.

A wave of profound sympathy washed over Katelyn as she watched Alfy’s world collapse before her eyes.

But they remained paralyzed in silence, knowing that a single word would betray their pretense and potentially seal their fate.

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