Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 158: Faces Beneath the Mask
The mask fell into his hand, revealing the sharp features of Cassius Varen. His eyes, though steady, carried a weight that words alone could not capture.
"History repeating itself," Cassius muttered, his voice heavier now, stripped of the performance he used with others.
Sophia finally lifted her gaze from the laptop, meeting his with calm curiosity. The glow of the screen reflected in her eyes as she tilted her head slightly. "Do you have in mind who it could be?" she asked. Her voice carried no panic, only quiet calculation.
Cassius lowered himself into the armchair opposite her, the mask still in his grip. His shoulders sagged slightly as though the weight of his own thoughts pressed against him. He shook his head once, the motion faint, almost reluctant. "No clue," he admitted dejectedly. "Everyone seems loyal after that incident."
Sophia studied him for a moment, then closed her laptop halfway, her hands folding neatly on top of it. "This is going to be hard," she said quietly. Her voice softened, though it retained its usual composure. "If our enemy is an insider, they already know how we move."
Cassius leaned back in the chair, running his thumb along the edge of the mask in his hand. His eyes darkened, not with fear, but with the memory of past betrayals and the bitter truth of repetition.
---
Back in the meeting chamber, silence lingered long after Cassius left. The Erasers remained seated around the long table, each still wearing the mask that concealed their identity. For a moment, none of them moved, as if waiting for some unspoken cue. Then, almost in unison, they rose one by one and quietly filed out of the room.
Their steps echoed faintly down the corridor, disappearing into the stairwell that led to the underground parking lot.
The first Eraser reached his car, a sleek black vehicle waiting at the far corner of the garage. As he opened the door, he paused, fingers brushing against the edge of his mask. With a deliberate motion, he lifted it away from his face.
The mask came off smoothly, revealing the sharp, charismatic features of Leon Blanco, the Underground King. A faint smirk tugged at his lips, his eyes gleaming with confidence that bordered on arrogance.
Sliding into the back seat, he leaned against the leather cushion with practiced ease. His driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, waiting for instructions.
Leon let out a short chuckle and adjusted his cuffs. "Let’s go," he said simply, his voice carrying the authority of a man who was used to being obeyed without question.
The engine roared to life, and the car pulled smoothly out of the parking lot, disappearing into the night.
Not far away, another Eraser approached his own vehicle. He removed his mask with calm precision, as though it were nothing more than an accessory. The face that emerged was one known to the nation: the Chief of Staff of the military.
His expression was unreadable, lips pressed into a thin line. Without a word, he entered the car. The driver, who seemed to already understand, started the engine and pulled away without asking for directions. The Chief leaned back in silence, his eyes fixed on the dark cityscape beyond the window.
At another section of the parking lot, yet another Eraser stood still for a moment beside her car. She slipped her mask off, revealing the familiar face of Dr. Farah, a renowned scientist. Her sharp eyes and composed features carried no trace of fear, only quiet calculation.
Had Reynold and Jeric been present, they would have recognized her instantly. She was the very same lab technician they once encountered during the Ted Frin case—now revealed as someone playing a far deeper role than they had ever imagined.
Farah exhaled slowly, running her fingers across the smooth surface of the mask before setting it aside on the seat next to her. Her driver gave a respectful nod, then started the vehicle. Without needing to exchange words, the car rolled out into the night, carrying her toward whatever secret work awaited her.
The last to leave was the Eraser who had sat closest to the Watcher. His car waited near the exit, surrounded by shadows. Sliding inside, he removed his mask at last.
The weary face of President Alfred Lan appeared, his sharp yet tired eyes illuminated faintly by the dashboard lights. He turned the mask in his hand, chuckling under his breath.
"This job is too tiring," he muttered with a trace of irony. "I’m the leader, yet I have no real power."
His driver glanced at him through the mirror, uncertain whether to respond. The President simply waved it off with a faint smile, leaning back in the seat. The car eased forward, blending into the traffic outside the garage, the mask still resting in his lap.
---
[91 Days Left to Live]
Levy woke up feeling as though her entire body had been drained. She sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her temples as she tried to shake off the fog clouding her mind.
As she dragged herself to prepare for class, she noticed Celeste and Mira rising at nearly the same time, both looking just as worn out, their steps heavy and faces pale with fatigue.
Levy frowned, brushing her hair aside. "Why do I feel like I’m missing something?" she muttered. "I can’t remember what I’ve been doing these past two days."
Celeste stretched her arms, yawning, then nodded. "Same here. It’s like a blur... I woke up this morning, but I can’t recall anything about yesterday."
Mira rubbed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. "Me too. It’s unsettling. It feels like something happened, but my head won’t let me remember it."
The three of them exchanged uneasy glances, none of them able to shake the same nagging feeling.
Meanwhile, across the city, Reynold stirred awake at his cluttered desk. Papers lay scattered in disarray, filled with notes and half-written observations. Jeric was already awake, slumped forward with his head resting on folded arms.
He stretched slowly, his voice groggy. "Why do I feel so tired? How long did I sleep?"
Reynold rubbed his face, glancing at the mess of documents in front of him. "Since when did we fall asleep while investigating?" His brow furrowed as he tried to piece the timeline together.
Jeric shook her head, exhaling sharply. "I don’t know. But honestly, until when are we going to keep monitoring that abandoned hospital? It seems like they’re not coming back to that place anymore."
Reynold didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as though trying to force clarity out of his foggy thoughts. Finally, he spoke, voice low and troubled. "Why do I feel like I forgot something important?"
Jeric looked at him, a flicker of unease crossing his features. Neither of them could find the missing pieces, yet both felt the same gnawing emptiness.
---
At the apartment, the atmosphere was starkly different. Kendrick and Zephany sat together at the dining table, enjoying breakfast. The smell of warm food filled the small space, wrapping it in a sense of comfort that neither had felt in days.
Between bites, Zephany glanced at him. "How long will the mission be? I didn’t see anything about that when I received the notification yesterday."
Kendrick set his fork down for a moment, thoughtful. "I think they didn’t set a time limit this time. But that’s strange. They usually do, so others have a chance to try if the first team fails."
Zephany nodded slowly, chewing in silence before speaking again. "But do we even have to accept it? It feels... different. Like it was sent only to us. I checked the mission tab, and it isn’t even visible to anyone else."
Kendrick leaned back, crossing his arms as he thought it over. "That seems to be the case. A special mission, meant for us. But it’s Level 5... not easy. I tried digging for information about it, but there’s almost nothing on this Helix Project."
Zephany rested her chin in her hand, her voice steady. "We’re talking about Brent Diamond. The mission says to retrieve Helix Project data from him. But Brent isn’t someone we can just mess with."
Kendrick raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Coming from you, the one who loves causing trouble, that says a lot. Seems like this Brent Diamond is really a hard case."
Zephany glared at him, setting her fork down. "What?" She pouted, narrowing her eyes. "I’m not that troublesome. I know when to fight and when not to."
Kendrick chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Yes, yes, I’m listening. My wife is the most well-behaved when it comes to missions."
Her pout deepened. "I’m just saying, Brent is the Vice Chief of Staff. He’s not someone easy to handle. So do we really have to take this mission?"
Kendrick’s teasing expression faded into something more thoughtful. "I’ll try to keep searching for data on the Helix Project first. Let’s not rush into this."
Zephany nodded at that, accepting his decision. For a while, the two fell into silence again, focusing on finishing their breakfast. The light clinking of cutlery was the only sound between them, the calm before the storm of their next investigation.
