Chapter 208
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As the figure in front of her collapsed, Miranda finally turned her gaze behind her. There it was a hulking black. Jeep parked not too far away.
The person who had just fired the shot stood by the vehicle, his stance rigid and formal, eyes sharp and indifferent as they focused on Miranda. Even in plain clothes, he exuded an unmistakable air of authority.
Miranda glanced at the handgun he was tucking away. Then her eyes shifted to the Jeep.
This guy was just a foot soldier. The real person of interest was inside the vehicle.
Even without a direct encounter, Miranda could feel the piercing gaze from the person in the car, sharp as a hawk’s.
While Miranda was still puzzled over who these people were, two more tall men emerged from the Jeep.
Sensing their intent, Miranda quickly put on a compliant smile and raised her hands in surrender. Crystal was clearly baffled, her eyes wary as she took in the scene.
Half an hour later, in a temporary office somewhere in Zephra.
“Hello,” the man across the desk greeted Miranda politely.
She glanced at him, recognizing the voice. Wasn’t this the same voice from the call she had abruptly ended earlier?
She had thought it sounded too official, likely a harbinger of trouble. So she had hung up, not bothering to pursue further contact. And they hadn’t tried to reach out again.
Now they sat across from each other at a table. The man in front of her didn’t look very old, perhaps in his mid–thirties, yet he had the air of a seasoned bureaucrat.
He sat with his hands clasped, eyes fixed intently on Miranda.
“Where’s my friend?” Miranda inquired.
She had been brought here against her will, without any regard for her consent, practically compelled to come.
She could tell, though, that these people were different from the previous group – neither malicious nor dangerous.
There was no need for resistance, and she had no intention of resisting. She knew how to discern between
those she could handle and those she couldn’t.
“Rest assured, your friend has been safely taken home,” the man assured her earnestly. “She did tell us to make sure you got back soon, or she’d cause us trouble.”
T
It was clear he meant no offense with his words, merely informing Miranda of the situation. There was even a touch of admiration for Crystal’s loyalty as Miranda’s friend.
Hearing this, Miranda felt relieved. That was exactly something Crystal would say. Crystal never worried about consequences, and she wasn’t intimidated by who these people might be.
“You’ve tried to contact me before,” Miranda narrowed her eyes slightly.
Beck Cooper studied the young woman before him. She was youthful and striking – not in a conventional way, but with a kind of beauty that seemed to radiate from within, like a flawless diamond, pure and clear.
Yet, despite her youth, there was an inexplicable wisdom about her.
From all the people Beck had encountered, he had encountered this trait before, usually in young prodigies or skilled operatives from abroad.
And this girl. She was full of surprises, each more unexpected than the last.
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16-17
Chapter 208
Initially, he had thought about giving up because of certain warnings from that brat, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to engage someone who could potentially make significant contributions,
Someone like her was too talented to remain in obscurity,
“That’s right. I did try to reach you by phone, but it seemed you weren’t interested in a conversation. So today, we had to be a bit more direct.”
He spoke with a mix of politeness and firmness, making the intrusion seem almost trivial. Since he was straightforward, Miranda decided to be equally direct.
“How did you find me, and what do you want?”
Beck regarded Miranda for a moment. In her eyes, he saw a calm indifference to everything, a readiness to accept whatever came her way. As if nothing neither his identity nor their actions – could stir even the slightest ripple in her composure.
