Chapter 300
The car left Jinston and hit the highway. After a four-hour drive, they reached the resort in Gioriham. By noon, the car pulled up outside the resort. The resort boasted a vast expanse of meticulously landscaped grounds.
Fountains and swimming pools were artfully arranged amidst blooming flowers, with mountains, water features, and woods blending in perfect harmony. The entire place radiated refined elegance.
Zinnia and Maisie got out of the car first, while Nathan and Emily followed to help with their luggage.
โMs. Jenkins, Ms. Moore, please come inside. Lunch is ready for you,โ the resort manager came out to greet them, leading a team of staff members.
The resort had been cleared out exclusively for Maisie and Zinniaโs visit. Hidden among the crowd, someoneโs eyes flashed with murderous intent as Zinnia and the others approached.
In that instant, Zinnia felt the gaze of a venomous snake upon her. Yet her expression remained perfectly calm.
Without missing a beat, Maisie quietly moved closer and linked arms with her, silently comforting Zinnia.
Zinnia and Maisie walked ahead. Nathan, Emily, and Stephen trailed behind them, blending in as their entourage. From the shadows, someone watched them enter.
โThis resort is vast and secluded, with woods at the backโperfect for our plan. Once itโs done, we slip away through the forest,โ the scar-faced man tapped his earpiece and relayed the intel.
Maisie halted abruptly.
โIs something wrong?โ the manager asked nervously.
โYou donโt need to follow us. Go prepare our rooms.โ Maisie turned to look at Nathan, Emily, and Stephen.
โUnderstood,โ the three replied in unison.
A staff member then escorted them to their rooms. A man, blending in with the staff crowd, narrowed his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the person in the middle of the trio. Instinctively, he started to follow.
โZamir, Ms. Jenkins and Ms. Moore are already leaving. Get moving. These two are VIPs. Whatโs up with you today? Youโve been zoning out all morning. If the manager catches you, do you still want this job or not?" a colleague called out, stopping him in his tracks.
Zamir frowned, glancing between the group that had followed the staff around the corner and the two girls ahead.
His gaze locked onto Zinnia as he thought, "As long as Zinnia is here, if that man really is Nathan, he wonโt leave."
The resort staff escorted Zinnia and Maisie into the private dining room that had been prepared in advance.
Upon entering the room, Maisie gently pulled Zinnia down into a seat beside her and then gracefully waved off the respectfully waiting manager and staff. โYou may leave now. Weโll dine by ourselves.โ
โUnderstood,โ the manager replied respectfully before leading the staff out.
The man lingering at the rear moved with deliberate slowness and hunched slightly as he carefully closed the private room door behind him. Through the closing door, he could still hear Zinniaโs voice from inside.
โWow, thereโs so much delicious food, Marsie. Iโve been studying at home every day lately, and I feel like my brainโs turning to mush,โ Zinnia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight as she looked at the table full of fragrant dishes.
Maisie chuckled, โHang in there. All this hard work now is for your future success. Study hard, and soon youโll be carrying me to victory โ restore your injured weak back and let you do all the work."
Hearing the two inside babble like idiots, Zamir curled his lips in a mocking sneer.
Just like Donald said, 'brains of rocks, only care about food,โ he thought. โTotal airheads. Wonโt even need to break a sweat dealing with them.'
'She hadnโt left the house for a while. We figured she mustโve noticed us and was deliberately keeping her distance. Turns out, all this time, she was just off studying. Nothing matters more than hitting the books. How kiddish!'
Zamir immediately felt the pressure melt away.
The door clicked shut behind him, and Zamir lost all interest in whatever the two girls inside were saying. He turned away, scanning the wide lobby where security guards patrolled in crisscross patterns, and then slipped into the restroom to avoid being seen.
With a sneer, Zamir spoke into his earpiece, โBoss, the two girls look brain-deadโjust a couple of book-dumb kids. Zinniaโs been holed up at home this whole time, probably just cramming for exams. Looks like this jobโs easier than we figured.โ
โStay sharp. Zinnia was trained by Nathanโsheโs bound to have some tricks up her sleeve,โ Jerryโs icy warning crackled in the earpiece.
โWhat about Nathan? You must keep close tabs on him,โ Jerry snapped before Zamir could respond. โThose two girls are no threat, but if Nathanโs with them, weโll need to be extra careful with this job.โ
Zamir pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a slow drag.
He muttered into his earpiece, โBoss, I just got a good look at that guy. Heโs nothing like Nathanโnot the face, not the demeanor, not even the build. Just some regular guy. Maybe we got the wrong guy?โ
Zamir frowned deeply as he recalled the man heโd just seen.
That guy wore an ordinary gray suit and had an equally plain faceโdecent-looking, perhaps, but nowhere near Nathanโs breathtaking handsomeness. Nor did he have even a hint of that noble, icy demeanor Nathan was known for, and his build was just average.
โYou idiot!โ Jerry snapped. โWhen will you get it through your thick skull? Do you really think Nathan would just tell you his identity? The fact that nothing about him matches is exactly what makes it suspicious.โ
Jerry was furious on the other end of the line. He cursed inwardly, 'Damn, how do I end up with such an idiot under me? Zamirโs completely brainless. If he wasnโt so damn fluent in Laystoland language, Iโd never have planted him in the resort.โ
Zamir shot back defiantly, โBoss, with Nathanโs status, heโd take orders from anyone? Why would someone like him even bother disguising himself just to throw us off?โ
Zamir thought from his own perspective and didnโt believe Nathanโd ever stoop to taking orders from anyone.
โJust keep tabs on them and report back to us. Donโt get involved in anything else. This afternoon, find a way to lure them up the mountainโthen we strike.โ Jerryโs voice turned chillingly viciousโhe was completely done with this idiot.
'If it werenโt for the fact that only these damn idiots managed to escape, Iโd never be stuck working with them,' Jerry cursed inside.
If those guys hadnโt been out on assignment and dodged that inferno, theyโd all be roasted corpses in that blaze too.
After the door of the private dining room clicked shut, a hidden door inside slid open, revealing Nathan.
Now that the outsiders were gone, Nathan no longer needed to hide his true self. Even with an unremarkable face, he radiated a quiet, commanding presenceโhis noble, icy aura impossible to disguise. He strode over and took a seat beside Zinnia.
Zinnia greeted him, and then Maisie said, โNathan, someone has infiltrated the resort. Looks like theyโre planning to make their move against us here.โ
Nathan gave a slight nod. โYeah, they wonโt make their move this afternoon. Most likely tonight. Weโll spend the night here and finish them.โ