Chapter 220: Drive faster

"It is still jumping, but one of the pin locations I picked up was very close."

"How close?" Manuel looked at the screen again. "Very close." Viktor’s expression changed. "Close to what?" Manuel looked at him. "The Cross mansion." For a moment, nobody spoke.

Viktor immediately leaned forward. "Drive faster." Marcus pressed his foot harder on the accelerator. The car moved faster down the road. Viktor took out his phone and called the Cross mansion.

The call connected. "Hello?"

"Listen carefully. I need everyone inside to stay alert." The voice on the other end became serious. "Sir?"

"There may be someone watching the house, check the doors and the windows. Keep everyone inside, and if you see anyone you don’t know, engage immediately."

"Yes, sir." Viktor ended the call. "Drive faster damnit."

"Going as fast as I can, boss." Viktor looked out through the window. His mind went straight to Sienna. What if someone had found her? What if she was already in danger? He gripped his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.

Viktor leaned back, but he could not stay still. His breathing became heavier. If he could make the car fly, he would. Viktor stared at the road ahead. He tightened his grip around the phone.

—-

It was almost noon at the Cross mansion, and the morning had disappeared quietly, the sunlight had climbed over the tall windows and spilled into the bedroom in long, golden stripes. It had patch of light rested against the edge of the bed, warming the rumpled sheets. Another stretched across the wooden floor, catching the tiny dust particles floating lazily through the air.

The room was completely still. Sienna and Aria were still asleep. Somehow, sometime during the night, they had ended up tangled together in the middle of the large bed.

Aria had one arm wrapped around a pillow, her cheek pressed deep into it. Sienna was lying beside her, half on her back and half turned toward Aria, one hand resting loosely against the mattress.

The blanket had given up sometime during the night. It was hanging halfway off the bed, bunched around their feet.

Their hair was everywhere. A few strands of Sienna’s blond hair were spread across her face, while Aria’s hair had become a complete mess against the pillow. Neither woman seemed to care.

They breathed slowly, deeply, completely unaware that half the morning had already passed. A soft knock came at the door. She waited for a response. Nothing. She smiled to herself.

She knew Aria had been sleeping badly for weeks. Some nights she would wake up suddenly. Other mornings she would barely touch her breakfast.

But lately, things had been different. Sienna had been around. And somehow, whenever Sienna was nearby, Aria seemed to sleep better. The maid slowly pushed the door open.

"Miss Aria?" She stepped inside. Then stopped. Her eyes moved from Aria to Sienna. For a moment, she simply stared. Two grown women who, during the day, could walk around the mansion looking perfectly composed, arguing about serious matters and carrying themselves like people who had the world on their shoulders.

And here they were. Sleeping like two little girls who had spent the entire day playing and had simply collapsed wherever they landed.

The maid covered her mouth to hide a laugh. "Oh, these two." She shook her head. She had never seen Aria sleep this peacefully. And Sienna... There was something about that girl. The maid had noticed it from the beginning.

Sienna never made a big show of taking care of Aria, she simply did it. If Aria forgot to eat, Sienna noticed. If Aria was tired, Sienna noticed. If something felt wrong, Sienna was usually the first person in the room to look up.

She had the strange habit of watching everything without saying much. Like a very quiet guard. The maid looked at them one more time. If Sienna was here, she thought, then Aria was safe. She didn’t need to wake them. They deserved the sleep.

Carefully, she stepped backward and pulled the door almost completely shut. The latch clicked softly. She turned and began walking down the hallway. Her slippers made barely any sound against the polished floor. The mansion was unusually quiet.

Most of the staff had already finished preparing lunch. Somewhere downstairs, she could faintly hear dishes being arranged in the dining room. The kitchen smelled of roasted herbs and warm bread.

It was one of those peaceful moments that made a house feel lived in. The maid had taken only a few steps when she heard it.

"Woof!" She stopped. Her head turned toward the windows. Then..."Woof! Woof!" This time it was louder and sharper. The barking was coming from outside.

Near the garden. The maid frowned. That wasn’t the usual sound of one of the mansion’s dogs getting excited over a passing car. There was something different about it.

The barking was urgent, almost angry. She walked toward the nearest window and pulled the curtain aside. The bright sunlight made her squint. For a second, she couldn’t see anything. The garden looked normal.

The flower beds were neat. The tall trees swayed gently in the afternoon breeze. Beyond them, the iron gate stood at the end of the driveway. Then the barking came again.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" The maid’s hand tightened around the curtain. "What is wrong with you?" She couldn’t see the dog clearly from where she stood, but she could tell it was pacing near the door. Back and forth. Its body was tense.

The maid’s smile disappeared. Something had caught the dog’s attention. She glanced down the hallway. The mansion was still quiet. Her eyes moved toward the bedroom where Sienna and Aria were sleeping.

Another burst of barking answered the question before she could make up her mind. "Woof! Woof!" The maid quickly released the curtain. She gathered her skirt slightly and started toward the stairs. Whatever was happening outside, she needed to see it.