Chapter 42 - Suspected Agent

Of course, Winter is still not certain whether George can be trusted or not.

All she knows is that getting him on her side as early as possible will do her a lot of good things. The Ratri family doesn't often work together with those outside of their circle, but that's what makes them all the more intriguing and one of a kind.

They've got this huge organization of competent and multifaceted individuals backing them up, after all. The most top-secret information circulate in their group along with other kinds of intel. The head of the firm himself is also charismatic and distinguished -

And insanely hot, she must admit.

"You're quite the interesting one, I see..." George started and regarded Winter with a contemplative look.

"Say, Ms. Agreste, do you even know what kind of situation you are in right now?"

At that, she only blinks at him for a second before letting out a small giggle.

His brow twitches at her unexpected reaction - not because he's annoyed, but for the reason that he's a little stumped. She was not supposed to respond like that. After all, everyone who gets to meet him for the first time will get too intimidated to even talk. His appearance is that daunting, and so are the airs around him. 

But for some reason, this one is not even appalled. She is not nervous either. It was almost like she was not at all aware that she was abducted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Ratri. I just recalled someone saying something similar to me..." she chimed in as she ceased her display of mirth.

"Seems like there's a rule to react terrified in a kidnapping, huh?" 

"Not really. That's an expected reaction, not a law you need to follow. And that's why I'm baffled..." he trailed off while he stood up from his seat and walked closer to her.

"Not only did you laugh just now, but you said you were pleased to meet me? Who would be pleased to meet their kidnapper?" 

"It's not like you're gonna do me harm, right? I get that you want something from me, and I know that you're not going to do anything to me unless you get that. In that case, let us talk in peace. No need for any roughhousing. I will listen to you."

"Do you seriously hear yourself now?"

"Hmmm? Whatever do you mean?"

"That attitude of yours will put you in a disadvantage, you know. It makes me think that you're up to something. Perhaps, you're really more than what you seem to be."

"May I ask how exactly you've come to know me?" 

"You're that lottery winner, right?"

From that, Winter is enlightened at last.

Just as she speculated, it turned out that George took an interest in her after she won all the grand prizes from a fraudulent raffle at the mall. It couldn't be that their group was affiliated with that organization, though. Marcellus would've informed her if that's the case. Besides, they're already being investigated by the authority, and they'll be arrested soon.

They won't be able to make a move against her anymore, much less take her away.

"If you're asking about what I did to those prizes, I didn't use them even though they're authentic," she brought up at once, not wanting to drag the conversation longer.

"And that's because you know there's a cheat, right?" he asked to which she nodded.

"Yeah. I did get to learn about it."

"How so? That organization had been operating for almost a decade. You were the first to expose them."

"Huh? I was?"

"You're the last to win their grand prizes - and the only one who wasn't hired by them. Then, an investigation started to take place out of nowhere. It was so sudden. But because of that, a pattern formed. We got to learn about you through that sequence of events."

"Oh, I see... And then? What role does the Ratri's have here, then?"

"We were plotting the doom of the organization behind them - even way back before. You were the final piece of evidence that we needed, and you became an instrument for us to put an end to them at last. We never got to figure out what their cheat, but we did discover that everyone who would win was related to the board of committee that organized the event."

In the end, Winter somehow stole the spotlight away from the person who originally exposed that fraud. Marcellus was to blame here, however. He's the one who had Claude running around and gathering information about it. And soon, the authority learned about it and stepped in.

"And what do you need me for now?" she then asked with an intrepid stance.

"How did you know the cheat?" he asked back without hesitating.

"By luck."

"Doubt that. I heard you're acquainted with the CEO of Lexington Empire. You even hang around with him these days. And it just happened that they're the ones who started this whole thing. Not to mention, you said you didn't use the tickets you won. To whom did you give them, then?" 

"Could it be that you're suspecting me as an agent?"

"Indeed. What a sharp little miss."

No need to elaborate on that. His motive is already as good as explained.

George probably wants Winter for the same reason as Marcellus - she carries information with her. While that may be true, she isn't going to disclose what she has to just anyone. To begin with, she doesn't know everything. Back then, her line of work mainly revolved around the affairs of her husband, which was why he's the one she knew the most about.

Winter will really have to negotiate with George.

"Why don't you join me here in the meantime, Ms. Agreste...?" he offered with a meaningful gaze and scheming expression while she remained still in one place and listened to him come up to her side. 

"Then, let us talk in peace."

--- 

"Mr. Lexington! There you are!"

Marcellus was taken aback to find Violet barging inside his office.

Claude and the others are already in a mad rush to look for Winter. They'd been collecting information as much as they could - ranging from looking into surveillance footages to interrogating witnesses, they're doing all they could. It's only a matter of time before they find her.

Marcellus, on the other hand, had to return to his office after getting a call that there was someone who could help him in the search. Already getting frustrated from the lack of leads on their side, he decided to give this one a shot.

"Mr. Lexington, I've heard about what happened to Winter! And I can assist you! Please, let me help!"

And that help turned out to be none other than Violet.

For some reason, she knew about the kidnapping even though he ordered not to spread the news. If it's made public that the head of Lexington Empire was leading the search for some girl, the amount of attention from the media would be too much for her to bear. Besides, he swore he wouldn't let her be on her own for too long.

Before this day could end, Marcellus would've already saved Winter.   

"How'd you know about what happened, Ms. Miller?" he questioned in a haste.

"My younger brother told me!" she answered with a grin, looking somewhat proud.

"Your... younger brother?"

"Yeah! He was with Winter at the bookstore earlier!"

"What?!"

"At any rate, we need to go there now. We've already tracked down the vehicle that was used to take her away." 

He didn't see that coming - to think that Winter was actually acquainted with that person.

But as much as he wanted to know more about this little brother of hers, he had to concentrate on their search first. It seemed to him that she was already ahead of them. Then again, she isn't the heiress of Miller Holdings for nothing.

"Alright. Let's go there," Marcellus told Violet - and with that, they prepared to depart at once.

---

"Ratri Order...? You gotta be kidding me. What does this group of people even want from someone like Winter?"

Ace is dumbfounded at the moment.

Standing before the building of his destination, he remains thunderstruck for the next seconds to come. He was actually right about not taking the kidnappers lightly, but he didn't expect that an entity like this would be behind this entire thing. Then again, these individuals are on a higher level than the Miller's.

"Did she get the address wrong? How could this be?" he wondered out loud, unable to believe what was happening.

Nevertheless, this is a good opportunity.

For once, Ace will be able to know more about Winter. Her connection with these people intrigues him, but more than that, her role in all of this provokes his thoughts . He used to know her as an average girl from an average family - she's never one to do something 'non-average' or such.

Or at least, that's what Ace used to know.