"We met before in Westwood," he tried to remind her, but Lily still couldn't recall who he was. He confirmed she wasn't pretending and gave up trying to help her remember. "You performed slightly better than me in the sampling competition. My name is Noah Richards." He gestured, indicating a slight margin of victory. Extending his hand, he added, "It's a pleasure."

Lily glanced at his hand and nodded. "Noted."

"Noted?" he thought. What kind of answer was that? Was this woman always so arrogant? He continued, "I was just testing the waters in Westwood and hadn't expected anything unexpected. I wonder when I might have the honor of competing with you again officially?"

Lily looked at him. He seemed unconvinced by his loss, even though his words remained polite. He was clearly implying his loss was due to carelessness and a lack of effort, suggesting he wanted a rematch.

"Then… we'll talk about it when we get the chance," she replied casually, offering a polite smile before leaving the store with her box.

The man beside Noah watched her go. "Sir, are we just letting her go?"

"If she escaped, it proves we can't stop her even if we wanted to," Noah replied, giving the man a sidelong glance. "Aren't you curious how she got out? Why are your subordinates so useless?"

The man shuddered. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll check it immediately!"

Noah raised a hand. "Don't act rashly and alert her. She got out today, and she'll likely do it again. What were they competing for?"

The man hesitated, then understood. "I understand. I'll go do it now!"

They'd observed the earlier events. The raw materials Lily sold were unimportant; what mattered was her interest and agreement to collect them the next day. This required her to leave the house, giving them the opportunity they needed. They just had to wait for her to walk into their trap.

Noah smirked, remaining silent as the man left to make arrangements. His earlier words hadn't been mere politeness; his visit to Westwood had yielded something unexpected. This woman had piqued his interest.

Lily took a cab home. She'd gained a general sense of the surroundings during her earlier outing: a private courtyard, the buildings designed according to individual preferences. While surrounding houses had courtyards, they were ordinary private homes, unlike these, which were equipped with specialized installations. Furthermore, regular private homes wouldn't have five-meter-high walls. It wasn't an exaggeration to call it a small prison.

Standing before the courtyard's main gate with her backpack containing supplies for the night, Lily was about to proceed when she felt an unusual movement beside her. Instinctively, she struck out with her elbow and spun around.

The next instant, she was pulled into a hug. Recognizing the scent and voice, she heard, "It's me."

Lily's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Why are you here?"

Next Chapter Coming Soon…