Chapter 301
After finishing their meal, Maisie and Zinnia stepped out of the private dining room. Outside, Emily and Stephen were already waiting with Nathan.
“Ms. Jenkins, Ms. Moore, I’ll be taking care of your itinerary from now on.” As soon as Maisie and Zinnia stepped out of the room, Zamir came up.
Zinnia sized up Zamir, dissecting him in seconds. ‘He’s clearly in disguise and is a foreigner,’ she thought, judging from his prominent facial bones and those eyes–even behind tinted contacts, a sliver of unnatural hue bled through.
Maisie drawled lazily, her eyes casually appraising Zamir. “Anything fun around here? We’re only staying for a day and heading somewhere else tomorrow, so bring out the best you’ve got.”
“The finest attraction here is the hot spring nestled in the mountain forest. The temperature is perfect all year round, making it ideal for a relaxing soak at your leisure. If you’re interested, I can arrange everything right away. The forest also features numerous observation decks. It’s a wonderful place to enjoy the scenery and have snacks.” Zamir kept his head bowed.
“The hot spring in the woods? Zinnia, what do you think? Want to give it a try?” Maisie didn’t answer right away. Instead, she turned to Zinnia to see what she thought.
Zamir listened intently, hoping they’d agree. After all, the woods could make it much easier for them to act.
While waiting for an answer, Zamir couldn’t help but size up the ordinary-looking man standing beside Zinnia. ‘This guy doesn’t seem like Nathan at all,’ he thought. ‘Far too ordinary. Nathan would never be such an unremarkable man.’
“A hot spring? Sure. I’ve never tried one before,” Zinnia replied with an eager nod.
“I’ll arrange everything at once. Allow me to escort you there now,” Zamir said respectfully, though inwardly believed that the guy wasn’t Nathan.
Zamir thought, ‘Nathan’s so cunning. The real Nathan would’ve sniffed out this trap before the words left my mouth. But this guy just stood there quietly, not saying a word. Nathan’s already noticed me and is just playing along? Nah, no way. If he’d figured it out earlier, he would’ve nabbed me ages ago.”
Zamir felt most of his wariness melt away. ‘If Nathan really isn’t here, then things will be much easier,’ he thought.
Zamir took the lead up front, with the others trailing behind him.
Maisie watched Zamir leading the way and blinked. ‘He seems not smart?’ she thought. She’d always imagined people from the underground group would be terrifying, but as she was actually dealing with Zamir, all she saw was just a fool.
Leaning in, Maisie whispered to Zinnia, “Why do I feel like he’s not smart?”
“I think so too,” Zinnia nodded.
She wondered, ‘He’s even trying to lead us up the mountain on purpose–isn’t he worried we’d notice? I’m a bit slow, but apparently, he’s even more clueless than me.’
The group took the express elevator straight to the mountaintop. With the summit so far from the base, the ride took a full five minutes.
Zinnia stood inside the glass elevator, gazing out at the scenery. As the elevator slowly ascended, she watched the buildings below shrink, while a vast, expansive view gradually unfolded before her eyes.
Zinnia couldn’t help but say, “What a magnificent view! If I ever get the chance, I really want to travel all over the world. I’ll explore every corner and truly see it for myself.”
Because of her heart condition, she never dared to really enjoy herself anywhere, nor did she risk doing anything dangerous. When Nathan was around, she held back, afraid her health issues would only cause him trouble. Every time he had to save her, it took a heavy toll on him. After Nathan left, she became even more cautious, terrified that if her heart acted up, she wouldn’t live long enough to see him return.
‘If I ever get the chance, I’d love to see the world for myself,’ Zinnia thought.
“Good idea. Let’s travel the world together someday,” Maisie responded with a bright smile.
Hearing their words from behind, Zamir sneered inwardly, ‘How naive! Dreaming of seeing the world? You’d better survive this ordeal first.’
Their conversation carried them effortlessly to the summit, where a long wooden corridor stretched before them. The air was noticeably warmer than at the base–likely due to the hot springs. Steamy mist hung in the air, and clusters of flowers were in full bloom. Vast stretches of vibrant blossoms thrived, breathtakingly beautiful.
The resort below gleamed with sleek modernity, while the summit featured traditional timber-framed architecture with winding corridors, where each hot spring pool was secluded in its own private space. With the mountain reserved for their group alone, only some staff remained. By the time they arrived, it was already late. After more than an hour of dining, it was now past three in the afternoon. Since it was winter, dusk would fall early, especially at the summit, where darkness descended even sooner than at the base of the mountain.
“Ms. Jenkins, Ms. Moore, Pool One is ready for you,” the manager said respectfully. He then discreetly nodded to Zamir, who was leading them forward.
The group caught every subtle exchange between the two. Clearly, their people had infiltrated everywhere.
“Alright.” Maisie nodded. “See that Emily and Stephen are accommodated as well. Everyone gets the best treatment.” Maisie waved her hand grandly, signaling for arrangements to be made for those behind her–her people deserved nothing but the best.
“Absolutely. Our people deserve the best–money’s no object. Only the finest for us. Stick with us and you’ll never be disappointed,” Zinnia declared, pumping her fist in the air.
She had that typical innocent vibe about her, believing every word that came her way.
Zamir was rendered speechless. For a moment, he genuinely wondered, ‘Is this girl really someone Nathan trained? She doesn’t have a shred of wit–looks like a total airhead. No wonder that cripple said she was gullible.’
After observing Zinnia for a while and confirming she was utterly clueless, Zamir lost all interest in keeping tabs on her. The next phase of the plan was up to Albert now.
Zamir slipped into a discreet room with the attendant, pulled out his phone, and began contacting his team to set the next phase in motion.
Zamir thought, ‘Who would’ve thought things would go so smoothly? Got them up the mountain without a hitch. With everything set for now and just over an hour until dark, we would only be staying here for a day. The next destination’s still a mystery. This sparsely populated mountain area, with its wide-open terrain, provides perfect cover for hiding and escaping. This is our perfect opportunity. Tonight’s operation must succeed—failure is not an option.’
A cold, ruthless glint flashed in Zamir’s eyes. He had been watching them closely during this time, barely eating or sleeping well. After wrapping up this job, he was determined to enjoy himself to the fullest.
Emily was assigned to the hot spring suite adjacent to Zinnia and Maisie’s.
Meanwhile, Stephen and Nathan were directed to the men’s hot spring suite. With them separated, it’d be easier for those guys to take action.
“Maisie, want a mint? Good for your throat,” Zinnia offered.
As they entered the hot spring, Zinnia immediately caught a faint whiff of knockout spray in the air. She grabbed Maisie and subtly held her breath. Then she rummaged through her purse, took out a mint from a small bottle, and handed it to Maisie.
Maisie sensed something was off the moment Zinnia spoke, and popped the mint into her mouth without hesitation. “Just what I needed after all that talking,” Maisie said.