Chapter 8 Discovery
The Voss family home was as quiet as ever, with the night creeping in through the windows and the moonlight casting a slanted glow on the door at the end of the second-floor hallway.
In Lena's bedroom, the light was warm and soft.
A faint scent of vanilla wafted from the candle on the bedside table, melting away the day's fatigue that clung to her nerves. Zoe was curled up in the corner of the bed, a small bundle with vacant eyes, still biting on the clean cloth bunny, her fingers clutching the edge of the blanket without moving.
She slept very lightly, the slightest noise causing her eyelashes to flutter.
Lena sat at the bedside, one hand gently resting on Zoe's hair, slowly smoothing it in a calming rhythm she had perfected over the years to soothe Zoe.
Five people were already seated in a circle in the room, the curtains left open, allowing the silver moonlight to spill onto the silver lock and notebook on the glass cabinet.
Lena held a cup of warm water, leaning against the cushions.
"I should scold you all for acting on your own," Lena began softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid of waking Zoe. "But right now, the more important thing is to figure out what the Dark River organization is up to."
She set down her cup, gently holding Zoe's small hand, her gaze falling on the three children in front of her.
"Did you notice anything unusual when you went in? Even the smallest detail, tell me."
"I felt the warehouse wasn't just an abandoned space. The layout was precise, the insulation system intact, with clear signs of long-term use," Jade spoke first, recalling the issues they encountered during their exploration.
"When we went in, it didn't seem like there were many guards," Max added. "They just let us move around. It felt like they might have been planning to trap us, but it was strange."
"And their actual setup was a bit different from what I could find out," Max continued.
Lena nodded slowly. "So you think they were watching."
"But the question is," Liam frowned, "if it was about information, abilities, or bloodline screening, why not take us? Why take Zoe?"
"Hey—Liam—"
"I'm just being honest," Liam said, sticking out his tongue.
He glanced at Zoe on the bed. The small figure, still clinging to the bunny, hadn't fully recovered from the fright, sleeping soundly next to Lena.
"After we were captured, they didn't interrogate me. They just locked me and Zoe together," Liam recalled. "They didn't say much, and no one came to check on us. It was very strange."
"So the target wasn't Zoe?"
Lena slowly raised her eyes, finally looking at Zoe.
"Not. They didn't need her to speak, to show anything, or to confirm if she understood. They just needed one thing—to control her, to control me."
A brief silence fell.
"You mean..." Jade began, "They were using Zoe as... leverage?"
"Yes," Lena nodded. "With what I have, my resources, my status... they can't get to me. But if Zoe falls into their hands, I'll have to come forward."
Max nodded, finding the explanation reasonable.
"Did you encounter anyone else?"
Liam hesitated for a moment, looking unsure.
"I'm not sure," she said quietly. "But I felt there was a man with a mask. He was strange."
"What was strange about him?"
"His stance, his habits, and... the way he spoke," Liam twisted her fingers. "He didn't touch me, but I felt like I knew him."
"Liam, tell us more. What did he say?"
"He said he had no family, no relationships with any women, that we were bait, a fabricated lie. I didn't understand."
"I don't know if he was lying, but I felt he wasn't. If he were, it would be bad. I really couldn't beat him. And the ring he wore had a snake engraved on it."
Lena's eyes narrowed slightly.
She remembered that snake.
The Blackwell Syndicate had once investigated an underground organization, and only one branch used such a totem.
It was the inner execution layer of the Dark River.
"You did well," she said softly. "Thank you, Liam."
"Mom," Jade suddenly said, "They moved too quickly. We have to assume they already have all our information."
"Yeah," Max said calmly. "What we need to do next is not hide, but mislead. As long as we can divert them, we have more room for error."
Lena looked at them and suddenly chuckled.
"Alright."
"By the way, Mom, how did it go today?" Max asked, remembering why Lena had left earlier.
"It went better than I expected," Lena replied, her brow furrowing slightly. "But when I went to get Grandma's things, something felt off. They were too calm."
"Too cooperative?" Jade asked.
"Yeah," Lena nodded. "And Old Voss didn't show up from the moment I walked in."
"I remember that he always loved to interfere with you," Liam frowned.
"Yeah, but today he didn't appear at all. It was Valentina who spoke. When I went upstairs, I heard something from the study door."
Lena looked up, her tone deliberate. "It was something I didn't hear when I entered."
"Mom, you mean..."
"He was probably hiding from the moment I walked in, eavesdropping on our conversation, never showing himself."
"Did you see him?" Max asked.
"When I went downstairs, I deliberately took a few extra steps. He heard me and hid quickly," Lena sneered. "His shoes were behind the door."
"If that's the case, someone must be behind them," Lena's eyes darkened. "The Voss Family was greedy, but they never did anything this shady. Now they're hiding, which means someone is watching them... running fast, too."
"Should we act directly?" Liam rubbed the spring knife at his fingertips, raising an eyebrow.
"No rush," Lena's tone was calm and certain. "They're just messengers. Killing too many will alert the others. We must find the roots."
Not far away, Zoe suddenly stirred, releasing the cloth bunny, her eyes opening slightly as if she had heard something.
Lena immediately leaned over, soothing her softly. "It's okay, baby, Mommy's here."
Her voice was incredibly gentle, her entire demeanor softening instantly.
She lowered her head, placing a light kiss on Zoe's forehead.
"Goodnight, Zoe."
Zoe made a small sound of understanding, snuggling closer to Lena, her brows slowly relaxing.