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Chapter_257
The call with Liam had ended in a bit of an awkward silence, but Lauren quickly pushed aside the unease. She texted Yvonne’s name to Nash, though her mind lingered on the complicated family dynamics she had long been trying to escape. Her brother Lincoln had cut ties with the family a decade ago, leaving only vague memories and the occasional letters to remind her of his existence. Yvonne, his daughter, was a stranger to her—a name she had only recently recalled.
Meanwhile, in Jonford, Nash and Xeno stood anxiously in the arrival area of the airport. Xeno held the cardboard sign with the name “Yvonne Mare” scrawled on it, clearly unpracticed in the art of signage. Nash glanced at him and couldn’t help but comment with a smile, “Your handwriting’s pretty good!”
Xeno, a bit embarrassed, shrugged. “I never went to school,” he muttered, holding the sign up high. The two men weren’t even sure which flight Yvonne would be on, so they stood there scanning the crowds of passengers.
The air around them was thick with anticipation when suddenly, a voice called out to them.
“Nash?”
Nash’s gaze snapped upward. His eyes widened in surprise. A tall woman was walking toward them, her confident stride matching her fiery red leather jacket and tight jeans that highlighted her long, slender legs. A white blouse peeked out from underneath, and her refined face was mostly concealed by a pair of large, dark sunglasses.
It was Felicity.
Nash raised an eyebrow. What was she doing in Jonford?
Felicity grinned, her suitcase rolling behind her. “You came to pick me up, right? Did Angelica tell you?” she asked with a mischievous smile.
“No!” Nash didn’t even bother to hide his confusion. His tone was flat, clearly not expecting to run into her here.
Felicity pouted, clearly teasing. “Don’t lie. Besides me, who else could make a top expert like you come to pick them up personally?”
Xeno, still holding the sign, shook it in the air. “Are you Yvonne?”
Felicity glanced at the sign, and her smile froze. She realized with a jolt that Nash wasn’t there for her at all.
Xeno chuckled, enjoying the moment. “I’ve seen narcissistic people, but never someone as narcissistic as you!”
Felicity shot a sharp glare at him but then paused, her expression shifting to one of recognition. “Wait… Are you Xeno?” she asked, her tone becoming more serious.
Xeno looked taken aback. “You know me?”
Felicity didn’t miss a beat. “Let me introduce myself. I’m the deputy chief of Sagen’s Inspection Office, Felicity Snyder,” she said with a smirk, her posture straightening with authority.
Xeno’s face went pale. The name “Sagen’s Inspection Office” hit him like a ton of bricks. As the second-in-command of Dragon Tiger Gate, Xeno had a criminal record. His every move had been under scrutiny by law enforcement, and someone from the Inspection Office was bad news.
“A greenhorn like you dares to claim you’re the deputy chief? You know impersonating an official is illegal, right?” Xeno shot back, his voice dripping with skepticism. He couldn’t believe that someone so young could hold such a position.
Nash, however, leaned in with a wry smile. “I’ve seen her in Sagen. She’s the real deal, Xeno,” he said calmly.
Xeno’s face drained of color. “You’re serious?” he stammered, realizing the gravity of the situation. The deputy chief of an Inspection Office was someone he needed to tread carefully around.
Felicity’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Did you come to Jonford for a vacation?” Nash asked, attempting to change the subject and make light of the situation.
Felicity raised an eyebrow. “Sort of. Actually, I’m here to investigate something,” she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “The three Juggernauts of the Green Bamboo Association and the leader of the ninth branch, Howard, are dead. I’m here to find out which outlaw did it.”
Her eyes were fixed intently on Nash, her gaze piercing as if searching for a hint of guilt in his expression.
Nash, ever composed, flashed a subtle smile. “Who do you think it was?” he asked, his voice even.
Felicity leaned in, lowering her voice slightly. “I think… it was you.”
The words hung in the air, as Nash felt the faint scent of her perfume. There was a sharpness to her words, and though her sunglasses obscured her eyes, Nash could feel the intensity of her scrutiny.
He grinned. “You can investigate all you want, Felicity. But I’m not going anywhere.”
Felicity’s expression remained cool. “Just you wait and see. I only need half a day to find out everything,” she said, her tone full of quiet determination.
Before Nash could respond, a new voice interrupted their exchange.
“Felicity…”
Angelica, dressed casually, pushed her way through the crowd toward them. Her presence seemed to soften the tense atmosphere.
Felicity smiled brightly, waving at Angelica. “I have to go now. I’ll come by to see you tomorrow!” she called out, pulling her suitcase toward Angelica.
As the two women walked away, Nash couldn’t help but feel a shift in the air. Felicity’s arrival was no coincidence—she was here for a reason, and that reason was linked to him. The thought lingered, unanswered, in his mind as he turned his attention back to the task at hand—finding Yvonne. But now, more than ever, he was aware that the web of connections around him was far more tangled than he had realized.