Chapter 71

.Wilbur watched the street, then shifted his gaze to Elias. "Ms. Harris just got into a car. Should we go after her?"

"Go ahead," said Elias, leaning back and closing his eyes, needig a moment of quiet.

Before long, Wilbur's brow creased in concern."Looks like someone else is on Ms. Harris's trail."

Their vehicle maintained a safe gap, careful not to draw attention while making sure Emilia stayed in view. But further up the road, a taxi trailed close behind Emilia's car. That cab had slipped in behind them a minute ago.

As soon as Wilbur spoke, Elias's eyes flew open, the coldness in his stare clear as day.

"Make sure they won't notice us," instructed Elias. Wilbur nodded right away. "Got it."

Both of them watched in silence until the driver brought Emilia to her apartment. They waited until she disappeared inside.

Elias's shoulders eased just a bit. His attention moved to the taxi that was still parked ahead.

A few moments passed. Then the door swung open and Edwin stepped out.

After taking a long look at the apartment, Edwin slid back into the taxi, and it pulled off into the night.

Elias's lips curved in a faint, hard line. "Find out who he is."

"Right away." Without wasting any time, WNilbur made the call to dig up information about Edwin.

In a short while, he returned with Edwin's details and handed Elias the phone.

Reading through Edwin's background, Elias's frown deepened. Nothing about the man seemed out of the ordinary, and there was no hint of a questionable past.

Edwin's father was gravely ill, and his mother suffered from mental health issues after one of her children had gone missing. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Edwin had no choice but to take on part-time work as a male escort just to keep his family afloat. Today marked his very first shift.

Annoyance flickered in Elias's eyes as he squeezed the phone tighter. Of all days, Edwin's path crossed Emilia's on his first assignment. What a coincidence.

"Did you find anything dangerous about him?" Wilbur asked quickly, noticing Elias's expression.

A suspicion crept into Wilbur's mind that Edwin might have been planted by a rivalfamily hoping to snatch away Emilia's chance at receiving Asclepius's treatment. That possibility tightened his chest with unease.

"No," Elias said flatly, his tone leaving no room for debate. "Then what if he was purposely sent to get close to Ms. Harris?" Wilbur pressed, still voicing his doubts.

The reports they'd gathered offered nothing to back up that theory. Even so, Elias wasn't about to let down his guard. He issued his orders in a steely tone."Put someone on him. I want his every move tracked."

"Understood." Wilbur wasted no time making the call,relaying the orders without hesitation.

Thirty minutes ticked by while their car sat idle in the same quiet spot.

Not knowing what else to do, Wilbur peeked at Elias,who still looked as if he might be asleep.

In a low voice, Wilbur asked, "Are we camping out here till morning?"

"Head back," Elias replied, his eyes still closed, voice steady as ever.

Saying nothing more, Wilbur started the car and pulled away from the curb. ···

The following morning arrived.

At Oticester's Dance Academy, Violet caught 'snippets of gossip about a woman who had stunned everyone by nailing a tough routine the day before.

"That woman who succeeded in the challenge-she's here now. Any idea what her main dance style is?"

"Word is, she's waiting by the north entrance. She smashed the record. That's unbelievable!"

"I want a look for myself! People say she's gorgeous and carries herself like a star. I'm curious if she's really as dazzling as everyone claims."

Violet lingered by the door, caught between leaving and giving in to curiosity.

With so many whispers flying, she wanted to see for herself whether this newcomer lived up to her reputation. More importantly, a question tugged at her: Did the woman dance ballet too? As long as their styles didn't overlap, Violet figured her own spotlight would remain undimmed, no matter how gifted the newcomer might be.