Chapter 603

“Now that the Bennett Group is bankrupt, Caspian initially planned to sell Sophia for a posthumous marriage in exchange for resources, but it became a joke. I'm afraid there won't be any buzz about her for a while,” Selalu said.

Freya's interest was immediately piqued by the phrase "posthumous marriage."

“Speaking of which, I wonder if this really works. How can a living person marry a dead one? Will a dead person even know they're married to a living person and show up at their door at midnight?”

“It's said the living and the dead have different paths. How does a posthumous marriage work? Will the living person consummate the marriage with the dead?” Freya rubbed her wrists excitedly. The topic energized her.

Freya had dismissed such things as superstition, so Odalys's mention of Sophia nearly being forced into a posthumous marriage left her stunned. She was disappointed to have missed yesterday's events.

“I'm also puzzled. If you bind the birthdates of the living and the dead, can they really become a couple? Selah's eyes sparkled when she talked about it…”

As they gossiped, Freya noticed Francis sitting quietly. She subtly signaled Selah, who also observed Francis for a long time.

“Francis, are you alright? That was a great take just now,” Selah quickly engaged him in conversation.

Francis, startled by her voice, abruptly left. After ensuring the dressing room was empty, he closed the door and whispered worriedly, “I went to the bathroom earlier and sensed someone eavesdropping outside. But when I returned, no one was there. I'm afraid someone on the crew is watching us.”

Stellan immediately stood. He scanned the room. Freya and Selah grew nervous. They exchanged silent glances before beginning a search. Stellan's eyes fell on the trash can. He retrieved the garbage bag, and the others gathered, intently scrutinizing the bin. A red blinking light appeared on the can's edge.

Freya's eyes flashed red. She clutched her phone, then grabbed Selah. “What are you trying to do? Let go of me!”

“Hub? I'm not trying to do anything!” Selah was equally startled.

Stellan intervened, "Stop fighting, both of you!"

Freya promptly kicked the trash can. “Damn it, I've had enough of you!”

“As if I haven't had enough of you! I'm going to end you today,” Selah retorted.

They simultaneously grabbed a nearby bucket of water and threw it at the trash can. The water drenched the can and the listening device, producing a faint electrical crackle. After the red light flickered, it went out.

“Is it broken?” Selah whispered.

Freya clung to Selah, visibly frightened.

“Yeah, it should be,” Stellan said, crouching to check.

Francis's face was pale. “I remember the trash can was replaced this morning. The cleaner said it was full and took it away. When he returned with a new one, he said the old one was broken.”

Stellan rubbed his temples and slumped into a chair. “It seems the listening device was planted this morning. It's a good thing we didn't discuss anything important.”

Selah pulled Freya back and they thoroughly searched the room again. Only after confirming the absence of other devices did they sigh in relief and collapse.

“Freya, it’s a good thing you’re quick-witted. You started an argument, making them think we were fighting, and then smashed the listening device. They'll be confused, but not suspicious,” Selah said.

“It seems we're being watched. Someone in the production crew is monitoring us,” Selah stated.

After a moment of silence, Francis recounted his call with Odalys. “Therefore, I'm likely the target, not you. The safest thing is to distance yourselves from me. They're after me.”

“At noon, leave after placing the talismans in my room. I'll handle the rest,” Francis said, unwilling to implicate others. He was the likely target of recent events, including the Devil's Triangle incident.

“It would be great if Lee were here,” Selah suddenly remarked.

Stellan responded, “I heard Lee encountered the drug trafficker during an investigation, chased him into the woods, and disappeared. The police haven’t found him.”

Freya was surprised. “Why did Lee go missing?” Lee was a highly respected and capable officer.

Stellan explained, “You know Finnian was working with dark web operatives yesterday, planning to harm Lee’s family? Odalys foiled the plan, but…” He hesitated. “Finnian’s plan failed, and he was arrested. I heard his body started rotting after his arrest, and he’s probably going to die soon.”

His words stunned them.

“Lee handled many major cases in Crownridge. His disappearance will turn many into cold cases. If something happened to him, nobody will know the details. Even if someone takes over, they can't possibly figure out the details in a short time,” Freya added.

Stellan nodded. “I suspect Lee’s disappearance is a setup, but there’s no word from the police. We could cooperate with Lee before, but it seems impossible now.”

Selah fell silent. “They even dared to attack a police officer’s family… it seems like a foreign force at work. Didn't Windsor stay abroad for three years before returning?”

The mention of Windsor brought back memories of the nightclub. Windsor’s strangling of Sophia had disguised their affair.

“It’s messed up,” Freya murmured.

Stellan and Francis exchanged glances. “Could everyone watching us be connected to these people?”