Exactly ten minutes later, Martin saw thick smoke billowing high behind him in the rearview mirror—rising from the direction of the hotel.“Alfred,” he murmured with a wide smile, impressed by the concierge’s idea.“He must be a former military officer, right?”Martin’s guess wasn’t far off.Alfred was far too capable to be just a banker when it came to handling something this complicated.An ordinary person would have panicked, unable to think of a solution.But Alfred was different.Not only did he propose a solution—he carried it out himself.Martin still remembered what Alfred had said before they parted.“Destroying the CCTV footage is the bare minimum,” Alfred had said. “But I’m not confident that will be safe enough.”In Alfred’s view, the Mercers would definitely find a way to uncover who was responsible for their family member’s death.That was why he whispered his real solution.“Sir, I believe the best way to erase all traces is to burn the hotel down.”Alfred would make it

“I’m very sorry.”Gianna immediately bent forward slightly, looking awkward.She hadn’t expected Quinn to be inside with Martin.Earlier, Martin had told her that he was staying at a hotel and had given her the address.The luxury boutique manager didn’t hesitate to come over when she discovered something important.“I’ll step outside now.”Gianna quickly turned to leave.“Miss Gianna, wait.”Martin stopped her at once.“Give me five minutes.”Gianna simply nodded without saying anything, then left.Martin did that because he felt he should acknowledge Gianna’s visit.However, that very gesture—without him realizing it—turned out to be a mistake.Perhaps a very big one.“Is everything okay?”Martin saw Quinn lowering her head.He didn’t know if he had done something wrong, but he knew Quinn’s expressions well.Whenever she was angry, she would do exactly that.And that realization struck him.“Quinn…”“So it’s true?”Quinn cut him off.Her voice was soft, yet firm.She lifted her face

Beep—beep—beep!Cassandra lifted her little finger and pressed the button.Aside from her team, only she knew the password to this room.Any attempt to break in would immediately trigger the alarm.Once that happened, the intruder wouldn’t even have time to escape before security forces surrounded them.Bzzzz!The steel door slid open in two directions.Just as she stepped outside, a voice sounded from behind her.“Ma’am, wait.”A man in his mid-forties, dressed in a flamboyant purple suit, hurried toward her.His movements were graceful—almost feminine.He was Alfonso Amestegui, the head butler.“Ma’am, please don’t panic. I don’t want to frighten you, but this is serious. Very serious.”Not only his movements, but even his voice was soft and lilting like a woman’s.“I saw the photos of—”“Alfonso, don’t give me a headache.”Cassandra waved her hand dismissively.Her mind was already overwhelmed with thoughts of how to bring Martin down.She had no patience for anything else right no

Back to the hotel.“Miss Gianna, sorry to keep you waiting.”Martin stepped out of the bedroom and into the spacious living room on the third floor.He sat down on the sofa opposite the boutique manager.“May I know what you wanted to show me?”“Of course.”Gianna placed several sheets of paper on the table between them.“It seems we’ve found a small lead regarding the shooter.”She pointed at a photograph.“My people managed to identify this face as someone named Thomas Robinson. And you might not believe this—but he’s from Maplebrook.”Maplebrook was one of the most dangerous districts in Havenport.Gang wars and street violence were a daily occurrence there.If the sniper truly came from that place, it partially explained why he had joined the Hunt3rs.However, at the same time, hearing that last name made Martin frown.“Why does that name sound familiar…?” he murmured, tapping his forehead with his fingertip.Martin picked up the documents and quickly scanned through them.Almost

The grand Horner family estate stood right before him.A three-story mansion with a white façade, supported by four massive pillars that added an air of luxury and classical elegance.The yard spanned nearly half a hectare, with an expansive flower garden of various colors at its center.In the middle of the garden stood a statue of Medusa, water flowing from several serpent mouths atop her head.Beyond the garden, dozens of tables were neatly arranged on the green lawn, each surrounded by several chairs.The wealthy—judging by their attire—sat together with their spouses and children, filling every seat.Martin stepped toward the front gate, where two men in black suits stood to welcome guests.“Thankfully, I made it just in time,” Martin muttered when he saw that no one else was arriving but him.“Happy Christmas.”With a broad smile, he extended both hands, the white gift box resting neatly atop them.At the same time, the two attendants exchanged glances before accepting the gift.