Katelyn stayed quiet, watching, waiting. Hades gave a little cough, her voice sounding rough as she remarked casually, “I think I might be coming down with something.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of miracle doctor?” Vincent asked, his tone hard. Hades had been perfectly fine this morning. How had her voice turned scratchy by nightfall? He wasn’t buying it; it seemed more likely this person couldn’t fully hide her voice, and this excuse was quickly made up.
“Doctors get sick too, Mr. Adams,” Hades replied suddenly. She leaned back, meeting his gaze with a confidence that hadn’t been there a moment ago. As she leaned back in her chair, her calm and inquisitive demeanor only deepened the complexity in Vincent’s gaze.
His eyes darkened slightly as he leaned back in his chair, smoothly steering the conversation in a different direction. “By the way, those guns are no use to me. Take whichever one you like. Although I forget which you prefer. Was it the N96 or the WT4?”
Katelyn’s stomach dropped as she realized he’d just set a trap.
Neither choice was right—her actual favorite was the M93. She stole a worried glance at Hades. It hadn’t even crossed her mind to mention this detail, and she hadn’t expected Vincent to bring it up so suddenly. Just earlier that day, she’d casually told him her favorite, thinking nothing of it. A single wrong answer here, and his suspicions would only deepen.
Katelyn clenched her jaw, knowing that winning Vincent’s trust was like chasing smoke. Vincent’s gaze was fixed, intent, his eyes glued to Hades’ face. If she gave the wrong answer, it would be undeniable proof that the person behind the mask was no longer the same. The room felt as if it held its breath, as everyone awaited Hades’ response.
Hades finally spoke, calm and steady. “Mr. Adams, I think you remembered wrong. My favorite is actually the M93.”
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Katelyn let out a slow breath, her muscles relaxing in relief. Under the table, her hand had been moving against Hades’, quietly tracing “M93” in her palm, hoping she’d catch on. Hades had understood, reading the message without a single misstep.
Vincent’s expression softened, thoughtful. “Then I was mistaken. I’ll make sure it’s delivered to you later.” Hades nodded calmly. “Thank you, Mr. Adams.”
They’d managed to dodge yet another of Vincent’s tests. Just then, a waiter entered, breaking the tension as he served the first course. Vincent had ordered the restaurant’s famous set menu, the one that put this place on the map.
As he’d hoped, each dish was flawless—a perfect blend of taste and presentation that lived up to the restaurant’s top-tier status.
A few bites in, Katelyn noticed Hades struggling across the table. Hades clutched her fork and knife awkwardly, fumbling as she tried to slice through her steak. It was clear that she wasn’t accustomed to this kind of dining. She held her utensils incorrectly, using too much effort, her brow furrowed in concentration as she sawed at the meat. Chapters first released on find?novel.net
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