The path to the mansion was narrow and dimly lit, flanked by tall hedges that rose like dark walls on either side. Vanessa and Kelly walked in silence behind Stormzy and his men, their boots crunching faintly against the gravel. The air carried the faint scent of damp soil and pine.

Stormzy led the way confidently, his broad shoulders blocking most of the narrow path, while his men flanked him in a loose formation. Vanessa’s sharp eyes scanned everything as they moved. The men carried themselves differently than the last time she had seen Stormzy’s crew. Their pace was measured, almost rehearsed. Their eyes didn’t wander; instead, they kept focused straight ahead. They didn’t speak, not even with each other.

Something was off. Vanessa felt it deep in her gut, though she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. They weren’t tense, not exactly. But they weren’t natural either. It was as if they were actors in a role, waiting for the cue to break character. She kept her face neutral, betraying nothing, but her mind filed away every detail.

Beside her, Kelly kept glancing from side to side, her lips pressed tightly together.

The path eventually opened up, and there it was: the mansion. It stood tall and imposing, its exterior a blend of stone and dark wood, the windows glowing faintly with warm light. Despite the lights, it didn’t feel welcoming. The structure loomed in silence, its walls stretching high like it was built more to keep people in than keep danger out.

Stormzy climbed the steps first, his heavy boots thudding against the wood. He raised a fist and knocked twice on the massive front door—two short, solid knocks. Then he stepped back, signaling his men to do the same. The entire group stood still, waiting.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and an old man appeared. His frame was slim, his posture slightly hunched, but there was nothing weak about him. His eyes were sharp, piercing even, as they flicked immediately to Stormzy. He held his gaze for a moment, then turned his head slowly to Vanessa, studying her with unsettling patience.

“You can go,” the old man said finally, his voice calm but firm.

Stormzy nodded without question. “Yes, sir.” He turned to his men and gave a quick gesture. Without a word, they began to retreat, their boots once again crunching against the gravel. Stormzy didn’t look back, leading his men down the long path toward the distant gate.

Vanessa watched them go, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn’t like how easily Stormzy had obeyed. No questions, no hesitation. She shifted her focus back to the old man, who was now smiling faintly.

“So…” the man said, his eyes shifting between the two women. “You are the ones interested in the serum?”

Vanessa gave a short nod. “Yes.”

Kelly echoed her a second later, though her nod was slower, more hesitant.

“Good.” The old man stepped aside and opened the door wider. “Come in.”

Vanessa didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward, her stride steady and confident. To her, this wasn’t risk—it was opportunity. If anything went wrong, she could teleport herself out of there before anyone could blink. That confidence radiated from her body language, and it made Kelly falter.

Kelly lingered on the doorstep, her eyes darting across the property. The hedges, the shadows, the mansion itself—it all felt wrong. She hesitated, her jaw tightening, but when she saw Vanessa disappear inside without a hint of fear, she forced herself to move. Vanessa being with her gave her courage.

With a deep breath, Kelly stepped inside.

The old man closed the door behind them with a slow creak. The heavy thud of the latch echoed faintly through the large hallway, sealing them in.Meanwhile, outside, Lilith watched the distance silently. She adjusted the comm device in her ear, listening for Vanessa’s voice, for Kelly’s whisper, for anything at all.

Suddenly, a harsh burst of static ripped through the line. The sound was sharp, distorted, and grating. It made Lilith wince immediately, her hand snapping up to her ear. She ripped the comm out with a curse under her breath.

“Damn it!” she hissed.

Seo Yeon turned instantly, her eyes wide. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Lilith tilted her head back against the seat, her jaw tight. “Something’s wrong with Vanessa and Kelly,” she said through clenched teeth. She lifted the comm again, sliding it back into her ear, straining to hear. But the moment it connected, there was nothing. No voices, no static, no sound at all. The line was dead silent, like it had been swallowed whole.

She clicked through the frequency, tested again. Nothing.

“They’re being jammed,” Lilith muttered, realization flashing across her face. “Something is interfering with the signal.”

Seo Yeon leaned closer. “What are you going to do?”

Lilith glanced at her briefly, her golden-blonde hair falling over one side of her face. Her eyes were sharp, determined. “You’re going to stay here and wait in the car,” she said flatly.

Seo Yeon frowned, shaking her head slightly. “Alone? That’s not—”

“Yes.” Lilith cut her off, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I need you in position. If things go south, you’re the first line of contact. Stay.”

Seo Yeon pressed her lips together but didn’t argue further.

Lilith opened the car door. She stepped out, boots hitting the ground before she shut the door with a soft thud.

The obvious route would have been to walk toward Dickson’s car, which sat parked not too far down the private road. But Lilith wasn’t in the mood to be obvious. If something was wrong inside, she wasn’t going to take the easy path and announce her approach.

Instead, she glanced at the line of trees to her left. The woods were thick, branches stretching low, the ground uneven with roots and damp soil. Without hesitation, she slipped into them, her sleek figure vanishing into the shadows.

——

Dickson leaned back in the driver’s seat, one hand holding his phone, his thumb lazily scrolling through his feed. His body was slouched in comfort, and at some point, he had even taken the comm piece out of his ear and dropped it onto the dashboard, letting it sit there while he distracted himself.

He chuckled under his breath at a post online and then shook his head. “Damn… these girls ‘re evolving or what,” he muttered, saving a picture before flicking to the next thing.

Bang!

The sound came so suddenly and so sharply against the glass of his window that Dickson almost jumped out of his skin. He yelped loudly, his phone slipping from his hand and hitting the floorboard. His heart hammered in his chest as his head whipped toward the noise.

“Ahhh! What the fuck—” he shouted like he had just seen a ghost.

Standing outside, with one hand pressed against the window, was Lilith.

Dickson’s face twisted into a mix of irritation and relief as he quickly reached for the button and rolled the window down. “Are you crazy, woman? Why the hell would you come out like that? You nearly killed me with a heart attack!”

Lilith didn’t even flinch at his words. Her golden-blonde hair caught the morning light as her sharp eyes narrowed in focus. She leaned in slightly, ignoring his outburst. “Did you hear it?” she asked firmly.

Dickson blinked at her, still shaken. “Hear what?”

“The static.”

He frowned, raising his eyebrows in confusion. “What static?”

Lilith straightened up, her jaw tightening as she looked back toward the mansion in the distance. Her sharp feline eyes flicked from the house, to the woods, then back at Dickson. She exhaled through her nose, muttering, “Unbelievable.”

Her head snapped back toward him. “Where’s your comm?”

Dickson scratched at his scalp awkwardly, his lips curling in embarrassment. He reached forward and picked the device back up from where it lay on the dash, avoiding her gaze like a kid caught skipping homework. “I, uh… I just set it down for a sec,” he admitted sheepishly, before slipping it back into his ear.

Almost immediately, his smirk vanished. His brow furrowed, and his lips parted as his eyes went distant. He tapped the small device, trying to adjust it, but nothing changed. There was no chatter, no faint hum, no background noise. Just silence.

Lilith’s sharp eyes locked on him, and the tension in his face told her everything. “Dead?” she asked flatly.

Dickson looked at her and nodded, his expression uneasy.

She clenched her jaw, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “So, you feel it too,” she said under her breath, more to herself than to him. She glanced again toward the mansion. “This isn’t good.”

———

Inside the mansion, Vanessa and Kelly were completely unaware of the silence outside. Both of them assumed that Lilith and the others were still hearing everything clearly through the comm feed.

The old man who had greeted them earlier moved gracefully around the sitting room. His movements deliberate, and though he carried himself like someone fragile with age, his eyes betrayed a sharpness that was unsettling.

He set down a tray with two glasses of alcohol on the small table between them. The clear liquid caught the morning light through the windows, glistening faintly. He smiled thinly as he sat opposite them.

“Please, have a drink,” he offered smoothly. His voice was deep but worn, like someone who had seen decades of the world pass by.

Vanessa and Kelly exchanged a quick glance. Neither reached for the glasses.

“No, thank you,” Kelly said calmly, keeping her expression neutral.

The old man didn’t press. Instead, he picked up his own glass and took a slow sip. The faint sound of the liquid swirling echoed in the quiet room. He then leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs with ease, one hand resting on the armrest while the other dangled the glass.

“Straight to business then,” he said with a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I like that.”

Vanessa nodded slightly, her tone measured. “We’re interested in supplies of the serum. We have trade channels ready, and we’re looking for long-term cooperation.”

Kelly added, her voice calm and steady, “We heard you’re capable of delivering large quantities. That’s why we’re here.”

The old man studied them for a moment, then chuckled softly. He swirled the alcohol in his cup before setting it down on the table. His smile grew sharper, the edges carrying something sinister.

“How about we stop pretending?” he said suddenly. His tone cut through the air like a blade. “I know what you’re really here for.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep