Robert gestured toward the chair across from him, unfazed. "By all means." She didn''t sit.


    Instead, she threw the printed photo of him and An Smith onto his desk.


    For the first time, Robert''s expression changed. It was slight-just the smallest flicker of surprise-but ire caught it.


    "Where did you find this?" he asked, voice even.


    "That''s not the question you should be asking," ire shot back. "The question is why you never told me you knew him."


    Robert leaned back in his chair, studying her.


    "You''ve been digging," he finally said.


    ire folded her arms. "And I found a lot more than I was supposed to."


    Robert sighed and rubbed his temple. "ire, I don''t know what conclusions you''ve jumped to, but I can assure you "


    "Don''t lie to me." Her voice was sharp, cutting through the room like a de. "You knew him. You were friends."


    ire''s voice cut through the tension-filled room like a de. Her eyes locked onto Robert with an


    intensity that left no room for deception.


    It wasn''t a question. It was a statement.


    Robert leaned back in his chair, feigning nonchnce as he smirked. "So what if I did? What does it matter now?"


    ire stepped forward, her gaze never wavering. "Because I know the truth."


    Robert''s smirk faltered slightly, but he quickly masked it with indifference. "And what truth is that, exactly?" "The car crash," ire said, her voiceced with cold certainty. "Three years ago. The one that involved my family. That was your doing, wasn''t it?"


    For the first time, Robert froze. It was only for a fraction of a second, but ire caught it. His fingers,


    which had been casually drumming against the desk, stopped moving. His breath hitched. It was subtle- but it was there.


    And that was enough.


    A slow smirk tugged at ire''s lips. "I can see it in your eyes. You weren''t expecting me to figure it out, were you?"


    Robert quicklyposed himself and scoffed. "That''s a bold usation, ire. Do you even have any proof?"


    ire kept her expression neutral, her arms crossing over her chest. "Wouldn''t you like to know?" Robert narrowed his eyes, scanning her face for any sign of bluffing. "You''re bluffing."


    ire tilted her head. "Am I?"


    Robert clenched his jaw. "If you really had evidence, you''d have used it already. You wouldn''t be standing here trying to intimidate me."


    She shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to see the look on your face when you realized your time was up." Robert forced augh. "You''re ying games, ire. But let''s say just for argument''s sake-you do have something on me. What if the so-called ''evidence'' you found is fabricated? What if someone nted it to frame me?"


    ire scoffed. "That''s the best you''ve got?"


    Robert leaned forward, his tone turning dark. "You know, ire, you shouldn''t throw around usations unless you''re absolutely sure you can back them up."


    She met his gaze, unshaken. "Oh, I''m sure."


    Robert let out a dry chuckle. "Then show me."


    ire smirked. "Why should I?"


    His patience was wearing thin. "Because if you don''t, then we both know you have nothing."


    ire held his gaze for a moment before taking a step back. "We''ll see," she said coolly. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out.


    Matthew followed closely behind her, but not before throwing Robert onest warning nce.


    As soon as the door clicked shut, Robert''s carefully constructed facade shattered.


    His face twisted in fury as he grabbed the ss of whiskey from his desk and hurled it against the wall.


    The sound of shattering ss echoed through the room, but it did nothing to quell his rising anger. "Damn it!" he roared, mming his fists onto the desk.


    Papers went flying as he swept them to the floor. His breathing was heavy and erratic. ire knew too much.


    He had underestimated her.


    And now, it was dangerous.


    If she really had evidence-if she could prove he was involved-then everything he had built woulde crashing down.


    He needed to act. Fast.


    Outside the office, ire walked briskly down the hallway, her mind racing.


    Matthew kept up with her pace, his expression unreadable. "What''s next?" he finally asked.


    Without hesitation, ire responded, "We need to see Eligos."


    Matthew raised a brow. "You sure about that?"


    ire nodded. "He''s one of the best hackers out there. If anyone can dig up the evidence we need, it''s him."


    Matthew exhaled, thinking it over. "And you trust him?"


    ire nced at him. "No," she admitted. "But I know how he works. If there''s something to be found, he''ll find it."


    Matthew smirked. "Good thinking."


    ire sat in the passenger seat of Matthew''s car, her fingers scrolling through her phone as they drove away from Robert''s mansion. Her mind was upied, sifting through old messages, searching for one in particr-an old conversation with Eligos.


    "We need to meet."


    She stared at the screen, expecting silence. Maybe he wouldn''t respond. Maybe he had changed his number. Maybe


    Ping.


    Her phone vibrated almost instantly. ire''s eyes widened as she saw his reply. "Astoria Garden."


    She frowned. The location surprised her. A public space? That was unlike him.


    She turned the screen toward Matthew. He nced at it, his jaw tightening slightly before nodding. "I


    know the ce," he said, pressing his foot harder on the gas.


    The drive was silent. ire was lost in her thoughts, and Matthew didn''t interrupt. He knew better than to


    ask what was running through her mind when she was this tense.


    By the time they arrived, 30 minutes


    had passed, just as Eligos had nned. The restaurant was an upscale, dimly lit ce, buzzing with quiet conversations. ire hadn''t expected a meeting with Eligos to take ce somewhere so... ordinary.


    "Public," Matthew murmured, parking the car. "Strange choice for him."


    ire nodded but didn''t question it further. If Eligos had picked this ce, he had his reasons.


    The moment they stepped inside, a hostess immediately approached them as if she had been expecting their arrival. Without asking, she gestured for them to follow.


    "This way, please."


    ire exchanged a brief nce with


    Matthew before following the hostess through the elegant dining area. They were led past several upied tables until they reached a private room at the far end of the restaurant.


    The hostess opened the door, and ire''s gaze immediatelynded on the lone figure inside.


    A man sat with his back facing them, calmly cutting into his meal. The soft clink of silverware against porcin was the only sound in the room. Even before she saw his face, ire knew.


    Eligos.


    "Take a seat," he said without turning around, his voice smooth, unbothered. "We have a serious talk ahead of us."


    ire and Matthew exchanged wary nces before rounding the table and sitting across from him. As soon as Eligos lifted his head, ire''s breath caught in her throat.


    He looked... young.


    Too young.


    Her eyes narrowed. There was something familiar about his face, something she couldn''t quite ce. Her mind raced, trying to recall where she had seen him before.


    Eligos, amused by her reaction, dabbed his lips with a napkin and smirked.


    "Familiar, huh?" he mocked.


    ire''s frown deepened. "Yes."


    Eligos leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening.


    "Las Vegas," he said, his tone teasing. "Three months ago."


    ire stiffened. She raked through her memories. Las Vegas. Three months ago?


    Then it hit her.


    That day.


    A brief moment, barely worth remembering at the time a stranger bumping into her on the street. It had been quick, insignificant. She hadn''t even thought twice about it.


    But now...


    Her expression darkened. "That was you all along?"


    Eligos chuckled. "I thought you''d put it together faster, ire."


    ire clenched her fists under the table. "Why?"


    Eligos tilted his head. "Why do I do anything?"


    Matthew, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. "You were watching her even then," he said, his


    voice low. "What was the purpose?"


    Eligos swirled the wine in his sszily. "To observe."