Merrick had been feeling off lately. He was overly energetic during the day, but at night, he felt dazed and detached.
It felt like he was trapped in a strange dream.
In the dream, someone kept brainwashing him.
"Remember, your name is Cyrus. You have always been Cyrus, and Cyrus is you."
Who is Cyrus?
His head ached as if it were being torn apart, and his mind felt weary.
Edmund saw someone staggering while leaning against the wall from afar, quickly stepping forward to support them.
"Are you alright? You look pale. Let me help you back to your room to rest."
Merrick looked up at the voice, recognizing the person as someone he heard was Arabella's male companion.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Merrick declined the offer.
"No need, thank you. I can walk on my own."
Edmund watched Merrick's retreating figure, lost in thought when Reginald, walking from a distance, subtly signaled him with his eyes.
The main base covered a vast area. In addition to numerous connected single-story buildings, it also housed a large training ground and a variety of fully equipped facilities, resembling a small town.
Edmund found a quiet corner and began to reprimand Reginald.
"You're crazy. I told you not to come looking for me so casually."
"Arabella's not here, and the guards are lax. I want you to help pass some information."
"Arabella's been away recently, I heard she went to Fandel to rebuild the base. What kind of situation is there to report?"
Reginald raised an eyebrow and stated firmly, "No! Arabella went to the four countries across the sea. It's for the massive drug trafficking of AE in the south."
Edmund was startled and almost instinctively rebutted, "But when they left, they took nothing but weapons."
"The goods have already been delivered. This time, Arabella is going deep into enemy territory alone. We must use this opportunity to bring her to justice!"
Edmund was puzzled. "How would you suddenly know such confidential information?"
After a slight hesitation, Reginald revealed the truth, "I received an anonymous letter in my room yesterday. It clearly outlined Arabella's whereabouts and plans."
"You're crazy! You're trusting such a letter? They use this method to deceive us when they clean out infiltrators by leaking big information."
Reginald said bitterly, "I believe it. Every step of the plan in that letter was thorough and detailed. It even spelled out how Arabella used me to manipulate the police, wearing them down until they were powerless, and then smugly smuggling the drugs into the country without a scratch."
Edmund felt dizzy; he had just heard something astonishing!
Arabella had known their identities from the beginning and had been playing games with them all along.
He remembered every time he was with Arabella in bed—her lying there, her eyes filled with laughter, and at the peak, her gaze sparkling with a hint of mist, especially alluring.
It turned out those expressions were nothing more than a cat playing with a mouse.
He thought—he thought—
Thinking of his secret and depraved thoughts, Edmund couldn't help but feel ashamed and angry.
"What's wrong?"
Edmund shook his head, gritting his teeth. "That letter was clearly not meant with good intentions. Maybe there's an internal conflict in Arabella's group, and they're using your hands to eliminate her."
"So what! As long as we can capture Arabella, even if it costs me my life, I'm willing. What, are you afraid?"
Edmund let out a cold snort, hiding the unspeakable feelings in his heart, and replied, "Since you're not afraid of such an obvious backstabbing tactic, what do I have to fear? I'll go deliver the intel right now."
*
Julius was drunk by Arabella.
He sat dumbfounded at the table, his gaze unfocused, unable to concentrate for a long time.
His alcohol tolerance was nearly nonexistent; he drank a cup and it was gone.
Arabella downed half a bottle of liquor in one go, then placed the bottle on the table and casually spun it around.
The bottle made a rolling sound, catching the attention of the drunken Julius, who propped his head up to watch.
His eyes were large and bright, and due to his drunkenness, his double eyelids became particularly pronounced, with deep folds forming.
Every movement of his was sluggish, like a obedient fool.
Arabella played with the bottle but kept a watchful eye on Julius in secret.
She had already made plans with Taras; tomorrow, they would put the remaining goods on the market to avoid complications.
If he was truly a fool, he could still be used one last time tomorrow.
If not, then today would be the day he meets his end.
Before she could speak, the little fool was already babbling away.
"Arabella, I'm scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Scared that you'll leave me, scared that you won't like me."
"I like you," Arabella replied dismissively, but with a subtle probe, she asked, "Do you like me?"
"I like you. I really, really like you, Arabella." The drunk fool was easy to deceive, answering whatever was asked.
"Oh." Arabella heard this with no reaction, then continued with a direct question: "So, do you want to sleep with me?"
"Want to," Julius blushed at the lewd topic, then spoke in a slightly pitiful voice, "I think about it every day, but I can't."
Arabella was also intrigued by Julius's unusual mindset, so she pressed further, "If you think about it every day, then why don't you do it?"
"Because you are the most precious person in my heart. The doctrine said, we must respect and cherish those who are dear to us, so we can be together forever. I don't want to seize a fleeting pleasure and lose you." Julius, drunk and slightly slurring, said this long, earnest speech, sounding like a pitiable child.
But it wouldn't earn her Arabella's affection. With a gaze as cold as ice, she shifted the topic and asked directly, "Are you a cop?"
Julius blinked in confusion, then honestly shook his head, "No, I'm not. I can't fight."
His reactions and responses were completely natural, and even his next physical movement was flawless.
Either he was genuinely naive, or he was a highly trained expert.
Arabella thought for a moment. Among the figures on the justice side of the ranking list, she had never actually encountered any of them.
If Julius was one of the figures on the list, then the strength of the justice side was indeed not to be underestimated.
Beneath a mask of deception, speaking words full of righteousness, yet using lies to claim the intention of eradicating evil.
The world was strange and bizarre, and Arabella remembered what Cyrus had said to her before he died: "If you have something you want to do, then the world is still worth it."
Arabella reached out and petted Julius, who was rubbing against her like a little puppy. Encouraged, he boldly leaned in, cautiously offering her a kiss.
It could hardly be called a kiss— more like pecking, like a little chick pecking at rice, circling Arabella's lips with each tiny smack.
Arabella wore her usual lazy smile, letting Julius play around as he pleased.
She would make do with him until tomorrow.
At midnight, Raven arrived according to the rendezvous signal, slipping in quietly.
Arabella stood on the hillside not far away, gazing at the houses below. Her eyes darkened, yet they gleamed with an intensity that was unmistakable.
"Tomorrow, I'll go with Julius first. If there are police, handle them, create some chaos, and I'll take care of the goods. If there aren't any, stick to the original plan and move the goods out. Tomorrow, it must be a quick and decisive action."
"Are we acting tomorrow?" Raven didn't expect Arabella to be in such a rush.
"Yes. Someone leaked my whereabouts. If we don't move tomorrow, everything will be ruined. Once it's done, take your people and leave first."
Raven became anxious: "I'll stay behind to wait for the money."
Arabella glanced at him, and Raven quickly explained, "I'm just worried about the danger."
"The world is full of both risks and rewards." Arabella patted Raven's shoulder, her smile gentle and teasing. "Don't worry, wanting me dead isn't as easy as it seems."
Although she smiled on the outside, once Raven left, a surge of wicked fury boiled up inside her, making her eyes burn with anger.
If it were just an undercover, she could accept it.
The righteous and the evil could not coexist, and whatever they did, she would understand.
But—what if it was someone from her own side!
Who could it be? Who knew her plans so well?
Could it be Raven?
But then again, probably not.
Arabella's face remained emotionless, but when no one was around, her killing intent erupted, fierce and uncontrolled.
Tomorrow, everything would be revealed.
