"We met before in Westwood," he tried to remind her, but Lily still could not 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," he said. "My name is Noah Richards." He gestured, indicating he'd been just slightly worse than her, then extended his hand in a friendly gesture.

Lily glanced at his hand and nodded. "Noted," she replied.

"Noted?" he thought. "What kind of answer was that? Was this woman always so arrogant?" Aloud, he said, "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 of his loss, even though his words remained polite. He was clearly implying he'd lost due to carelessness and lack of effort, and wished to compete again to win.

"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 letting her go just like that?"

Noah gave him a sidelong glance. "If she escaped, it proves we can't stop her even if we wanted to. 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 to stop him. "Don't act rashly and alert the enemy. She was able to get out today, and the same will likely happen again. What were they competing for earlier?"

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

They had seen and heard what happened earlier. The raw materials the girl was selling were irrelevant; what mattered was Lily's strong interest and her agreement to pick them up the next day. This meant she would leave the house, giving them an opportunity to set their trap.

Noah smirked, letting the man go to make arrangements. His earlier words had not been mere courtesy; he had gained something from his visit to Westwood. This little lady had piqued his interest.

Lily took a cab back to the house. She had gained a general idea of the surroundings during her earlier outing: a private courtyard, buildings designed to individual tastes. The surrounding housing had courtyards, but they were ordinary private homes, unlike these, which were equipped with many additional features. Furthermore, regular private homes wouldn't have five-meter-high walls. It wasn't an exaggeration to call this place a small prison.

Lily stood before the courtyard's main gate, a backpack containing her evening provisions slung over her shoulder. She was about to proceed when she felt an unusual movement beside her. Instantly, she struck out with her elbow and spun around.

The next moment, she was pulled into a hug. She smelled a familiar scent and heard a familiar voice: "It's me."

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

Next Chapter Coming Soon...