Chapter 119

Archie and Madison rushed to greet Laura and Peggy at the hotel entrance.

"Why are you still here?" Laura asked, her brows furrowing.

Madison was taken aback by Laura's icy gaze, momentarily speechless. Archie, experienced in such situations, put on a serious face. "Ms. Jones," he said, "we just saw Colonel Bailey at the entrance. She was looking for Cameron!"

"Looking for Cameron?" Laura's expression shifted. "What does Lena want with Cameron?" She was surprised; Cameron had left a minute after Laura, getting into Lena's car before she could ask why.

Archie answered quickly, "Ms. Jones, Cameron got into trouble. Colonel Bailey was here to take him away."

"Got into trouble?" Laura's brows knitted tighter.

"Yes, Ms. Jones!" Archie, excited by Laura's reaction, continued, "Colonel Bailey mentioned an issue with his personal records, the crime scene on the mountain peak, and wants Cameron to admit to something."

"His personal records? Crime scene?" Laura was surprised. While unfamiliar with Cameron's personal files, she understood the crime scene referred to their earlier attack.

"The incident on the mountain peak?" Peggy's expression also changed subtly. Could Cameron have dealt with the sniper then? The timing seemed off, though. Peggy suspected it was something else, believing the perpetrator was simply scared and hiding. This angered her; she wished Lena would take Cameron away permanently.

"Yes, that's what Colonel Bailey said," Archie confirmed, embellishing the story. "She came all the way from the capital! Madison and I waited to see what happened—just as we expected!"

"Yes, Ms. Jones," Madison added, "my boyfriend and I waited to confirm this and prevent you from being used." She emphasized their concern for Laura's safety.

"So you stayed because you were worried about me?" Laura looked at them.

"Yes, Ms. Jones, we wanted your journey to Yrando to be safe," Archie and Madison replied, eager to impress Laura.

Laura smiled faintly, though her eyes remained cold. "Alright, you can go. I'll give you a surprise when I leave Yrando."

"Thank you, Ms. Jones!" They were thrilled by her promise.

Laura nodded slightly.

"Ms. Jones, we're leaving!"

"Goodbye, Ms. Jones!"

"Goodbye, Ms. Lee!"

Archie and Madison excitedly departed.

Once they were gone, Peggy asked Laura, "Ms. Jones, how will you deal with them?" Peggy, Laura's long-time secretary, understood the "surprise."

"You'll see," Laura replied coldly. "Peggy, contact Otis immediately. He needs to find out why Cameron was taken."

"Yes, miss." Peggy called Otis.

From a distant parking lot, a man in a black cap used binoculars to watch Laura and Peggy. He gulped at Laura's cold face and Peggy's legs, a malicious light flashing in his eyes.

[The final lines are promotional material for a website and not part of the story itself, therefore they have been omitted.]