Meanwhile, Roman headed straight for his bedroom. The door clicked shut behind him, muffling the quiet hum of the hallway. He didn’t pause.

Crossing the room in a few quick strides, he dropped into the chair by his desk and tapped his keyboard awake. The screen flickered to life, pale light washing over his face.

He opened a search tab and typed quickly. Noah. His fingers hovered.

A second later, the results loaded, and his jaw tightened. Page after page. Faces, profiles, articles. Too many.

"Of course there are a thousand Noahs," he muttered. "Why wouldn’t there be?" The cursor blinked at him from the search bar, almost taunting.

Roman exhaled through his nose, dragging a hand down his jaw as his mind worked. Then his gaze sharpened. "There’s only one way," he murmured, leaning forward again, his eyes narrowing at the screen. "I need that logo."

"That briefcase, I either get my hands on it," his lips pressed into a thin line, "or I get close enough to him." A beat. Then his eyes widened slightly. "I can still catch him."

The chair scraped softly against the floor as he pushed back and stood. In the next moment, he was already moving out the door, down the hallway, his steps quick but controlled.

At the top of the stairs, he paused just long enough to scan the space below. Nothing. He moved anyway, descending faster now, his hand brushing the polished railing. The faint scent of polish and old wood lingered in the air.

At the bottom, he spotted the butler.

"Tony," Roman called, already crossing the distance. "Where is he? The new guy."

The older man looked up, slightly startled, then gestured toward the front of the house. "He just left, sir."

Roman didn’t respond. He was already moving.

The front door opened with a sharp pull, and a gust of late afternoon air rushed in, cool against his skin. He stepped outside, the brightness making his eyes narrow for a second as he scanned the grounds.

Left. Right. Then, there. A figure in the distance, moving along the side of the house. Noah.

Roman’s frown deepened. Why is he heading to the back?

That part of the estate was quiet, secluded, not somewhere a guest wandered into by accident. There could only be one reason. Something was there.

His pulse spiked. Too fast. Too sharp. He moved before he could think, down the steps, faster now. Gravel shifted faintly under his shoes as he kept his distance, following Noah’s path along the side of the house.

The further they moved, the quieter it got. The distant sounds of the estate fading, replaced by the rustle of leaves and the faint hum of wind brushing through the trees.

Ahead, Noah walked on, unaware. Then suddenly, he stopped.

Roman’s heart lurched. He reacted instantly, stepping back and pressing himself against the wall, holding his breath. From his position, he could just make out Noah’s silhouette.

Noah’s hand slipped into his pocket. A second later, a faint buzz carried through the still air. His phone was ringing. Roman leaned slightly, straining to hear, every sense sharpening.

Noah glanced at the screen before lifting the phone to his ear. "Are you sure about that?" he said. A pause. Then again, slower this time. "Are you sure? I hope there aren’t any other plans."

Roman’s brows drew together, his thoughts colliding fast. Who is he talking to? What plans? And why here where no one’s supposed to be watching?

The questions stacked, one on top of the other, as Roman stayed perfectly still, listening, waiting, knowing he was closer to something than he had been all day.

"Oh, Noah, it’s clear you can’t be trusted," Roman murmured under his breath, the words barely more than a breath against the still air. "I’ll find out what you’re up to."

He stayed pressed to the wall, his shoulders tight, waiting. The faint rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the estate filled the silence as Noah’s voice faded completely. Then, a faint click echoed to his left.

Roman spun. Too late. The space where Noah stood was empty. His pulse kicked harder, a sharp, restless beat under his skin.

"Where did he go?" he muttered, already moving.

He rounded the corner quickly, his eyes scanning, expecting to catch a glimpse of Noah’s back, but instead, he was met with nothing but an open stretch of green. The lawn spread out wide and undisturbed, the late afternoon light lying soft across it.

No movement. No sound. No trace. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Roman slowed to a stop, his breath coming a little faster now as he turned in a slow circle, searching. He was gone. Just like that.

His brows pulled together as his gaze swept the area again, sharper this time. The back of the house stood quiet. The only visible entry was the kitchen door, shut tight.

So where did he go? The question pressed in, heavy and insistent.

—

On the other side of the wall, closer than Roman ever imagined, Noah pushed open a concealed door.

The air grew cooler as he moved down, carrying a faint sterile scent that clung to the enclosed space.He pushed the door open gently.

Inside, Estelle lay on the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. At the sound, her eyes shifted immediately to him. She didn’t speak, she just watched, waiting.

Noah stepped closer, and the tension in his face eased. A small smile broke through. "I have good news," he said.

Estelle’s heart gave a sharp, hopeful jump. "You do?" She pushed herself up slightly, her eyes lighting despite everything. "What is it?"

Noah let the moment stretch just a second before answering, his smile widening. "I spoke with Magnus."

Her fingers curled slightly into the sheets. "And?" she pressed, impatience slipping into her voice.

"He agreed," Noah said. "You can talk to Roman."

For a heartbeat, she just stared at him, like the words needed time to settle. Then it hit.

"Really?" Her eyes widened, a real smile breaking across her face for the first time in what felt like forever. It softened her entire expression, made her look lighter. "Can we go now?"

Noah paused, watching her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then he laughed softly, the sound easy, almost reassuring. "Of course."

The words had barely settled when a phone rang. Sharp. Sudden. Close. Both of them froze as the sound cut clean through the quiet room, too distinct to ignore.

Estelle’s brows knit together as she turned her head slightly, listening. "You heard that, right?" she asked, her voice lower now.

Noah nodded slowly, his gaze already shifting. His eyes flicked toward the small, high window near the ceiling, where a sliver of light filtered in.

"I heard it," he said, more serious now. "I’ll check."

Estelle nodded, but her heart had already started racing again, fast and uneven beneath her ribs. Her hand moved instinctively to her chest as if to steady it.

Something about that sound, something about the timing, it made the air feel different. Like the distance between her and Roman had suddenly thinned, and something was about to snap.