Chapter 96
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The predawn air was thick with moisture, dewdrops glistening on the roadside plants.
As she sat in the car, Zina’s eyes were slightly closed as restless thoughts swirled in her mind, her brows furrowed in a troubled expression.
Wade leaned closer, eyeing Zina with a teasing smile. “What’s got you so engrossed?” He studied her intently.
As Zina’s eyes–just opened and still a little hazy–met his, Wade’s curiosity only deepened.
Zina sighed. “There’s something I’m investigating here in Springvale, too, but it just hit me–after searching for so long, is what I’m looking for really here, or have I just been deliberately led here?”
She should have realized this sooner. She knew Chris’s abilities; it didn’t make sense for him to come up empty for so long.
A nagging suspicion crept in as Zina pressed her lips together, her expression turning colder.
“Are you here looking for someone?” he asked. Wade’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, his gaze on Zina now filled with more curiosity.
Wade remarked, “You’re really not what I expected.”
Zina shook off her thoughts and turned to him. “How so?”
The fifty–something man hesitated, scratching his head before muttering awkwardly, “Well, you don’t act like a young lady at all. If anything, you’re more like a cunning fox.”
Zina didn’t respond, leaning back in her seat as a strange flicker passed through her eyes.
Wade turned his head to the side and muttered under his breath, “Now you’re even more like one.”
They had set out in the middle of the night. Now, after two or three hours on the road, Springvale was drawing ever closer, yet instead of feeling relieved, Zina only grew more and more restless.
After what felt like ages on the road, the car finally rolled to a stop. Zina stepped out, only to find herself staring at a rundown, almost abandoned factory tucked away in the middle of nowhere.
The most baffling part was that, despite the factory looking like it hadn’t seen a day of work in years, their car had pulled up smoothly right in front of it. This hardly looked like the setting for any legitimate business.
Zina instinctively shot a glance at Wade beside her, only to see him wearing an equally grim expression, lost in thought.
Just then, a deep, booming voice rang out from inside the factory, and out stepped a portly, balding man.
His chubby cheeks jiggled with every word he spoke, and even his practiced smile made people instinctively want to keep
their distance.
“Mr. Sylvan, my friends and I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I’ve been swamped lately and must apologize for not keeping our dinner appointment.
“Now that you’re here, it’s the perfect chance for us to properly catch up.” As he spoke, the man slung an arm over Wade’s
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Chapter 96
shoulder.
It was the first time Zina had seen the awkward misery of being forced to play nice on Wade’s face. She almost burst out laughing-
She barely managed to hold it in, but then Wade wasted no time in pushing her forward.
“This is my apprentice. She’s incredibly capable. Perhaps you should have a good chat with her instead, Mr. Wood, Wade said.
The moment Andy Wood laid eyes on Zina, his eyes lit up with excitement. He made a beeline for her, his mouth overflowing with praise.
“Ah, so this is the famous Miss Sinclair. Truly a vision of grace and beauty,” he exclaimed.
“Ah, well-” Zina hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond.
