The next morning, Cassidy’s transition to alertness was credited not to her peppermint tea, but to a text message sent from Crow.

 

Heads up: E. Belmont’s roped in Vincent Sharpe. They’re setting Gianna Rizzo on Mariposa’s trail. Scored this info yesterday; broke in and bugged their joint. Thought it’d be handy – and yup, I was right.

 

Her eyes snapped open as skimmed over Vincent’s name. Why’s he involved?!

 

Cassidy called Crow, who then devoted the next thirty minutes to catching her up on the detailed exchange between Vincent and Edward. Once she grasped the circumstances, she thanked him for informing her, ended their chat, and went about her original morning plan. She donned a navy blue and pleated skirt, had a brief breakfast, and left at the stroke of the hour with Wynn for the first day of training.

 

“I had quite the unexpected start to my day,” Cassidy said as she slipped into the backseat of the sedan. “Guess what it was.”

 

“Something I’d rather be in the dark about?” Wynn said, his attention on starting the car.

 

“Well, if Crow’s gift doesn’t pique your interest—”

 

Wynn swiveled around and revealed a face etched with concern. “What’s he done now?”

 

Cassidy launched into the story of Vincent and Edward right before Wynn turned the key and steered them into the forested pathway of The Crown. Once she had him brought up to speed as well, Wynn added his own commentary on Crow’s actions.

 

“Him not screwing up doesn’t take away from him being a liability. And an asshole.”

 

“I’m well aware,” Cassidy said, “and addressing that concern is on my list of priorities. Still, we must focus on the investigation first. At this point, I’m having second thoughts about meeting with Mari. Our cover may be compromised.”

 

“There’s always a chance… Maybe we should bail on the whole covert thing. I mean, you’re not looking to put Rebecca in the line of fire, right?”

 

Cassidy’s teeth grazed her inner cheek. Risking Rebecca wasn’t an option, obviously. Still, the plan wasn’t beyond saving… “We can still steal her data. It might yield some useful intel.”

 

“You want me to clone her phone, then?”

 

With her elbow propped on the door and her chin in her hand, Cassidy pondered briefly before saying, “No. My plan doesn’t involve Gianna seeing you if I can help it. And, to preempt your next question, sending Rebecca isn’t an option I’m considering either.”

 

The vehicle's rhythmic thrum underscored Cassidy's pause.

 

“…You sure Crow’s the right call here?” Wynn asked. “There’s no telling what sort of chaos he might unleash.”

 

Cassidy’s lips curled. “I think we can curb his chaos.”

 

“If you’re planning something crafty, I’m all ears. The craftier, the better, in fact.”

 

Her smirk stretched into a broad smile. She couldn’t help but find it amusing how Wynn's reservations about her schemes vanished when they were aimed at people he disliked. “Sounds like you’ll appreciate this then. Here’s something to ponder: how was he able to swiftly install surveillance in The Belmont Estate?”

 

“Probably Lilah. But what’s the advantage in knowing that? She’s made a career out of this kind of thing.”

 

“Say that once more, if you will.”

 

“She’s made a career—”

 

“Career! As this is her job, she would logically charge him. But if he’s her spy…”

 

The rearview mirror framed the moment Wynn’s forehead creased with realization.

 

“What if he paid with a favor?” Wynn asked. “I mean, not exactly unheard of. And Lilah would undoubtedly see him as resourceful for something.”

 

“There’s a detail you’ve failed to consider; he’s only an asset if she can trust him. If his actions during the gala weren’t per her orders, his trustworthiness is null. Thus, Lilah extending a favor seems out of the question – if she’s innocent.”

 

“Alright, that adds up. But what’s the plan if she isn’t running the show?”

 

“If her hands are clean, we’ll enlist her help. I’d bet she’s found some form of leverage on him.”

 

“Maybe… You mind if I hang back for this round? I’m not in the right headspace for Lilah right now.”

 

Cassidy’s brows knitted together. Wynn’s enduring ire towards Lilah was something she hadn’t foreseen. Still, she couldn’t fault him; she too had her grievances with Lilah schooling Sylvia as a criminal.

 

“It’s fine,” she said. “I've got the situation under control.”

 

The discussion tapered off not long after, so Cassidy turned inward and reviewed everything she learned until they arrived at the training facility a little before ten.

 

Once she met with Rae and warmed up, their training kicked off with a technical assessment. The air resonated with the thud of tennis balls and their coach’s advice, which interlaced the physical drills.

 

Their training intensified after lunch, as they practiced technical drills against a pair the coach recruited. With each round, Cassidy’s serves became a deceptive dance of spins and angles. Rae’s relentless baseline power, meanwhile, dominated the court. In the end, they left their opponents scrambling.

 

Cassidy and Wynn bid their farewells not long after that and made their way to a self-storage unit that doubled as one of Cassidy's safehouses. There, they swiftly changed into their disguises, which consisted of different clothes and wigs. Cassidy's final touch was a pair of glasses that concealed a miniature camera within the frames.

 

Transformed and incognito, they stowed the sedan and set off in a different car stored at the safehouse.

 

The familiar jingle of the door and air perfumed with a woodsy incense welcomed Cassidy when she entered the storefront. She passed the polished shelves that housed books, herbs, and candles and delivered a line to the stout, cinnamon-toned man at the counter she always did: “Could you inform Aaron that Arlene Lopin is here?”

 

Cassidy was quickly ushered into a reserved room with a velvet-blue sofa. Across from her, a seemingly male figure with espresso-brown skin sat. Their bald head and rugged features offset the flowery embroidery of their snow-white tunic.

 

“Didn’t peg you for a visit today,” they said.

 

“No celestial warnings today, Lilah?” Cassidy asked with an undertone as sharp as a torn. “And here I thought you and the stars were on speaking terms.”

 

Lilah’s expression stayed as still as a pond. “Why’d you drop by?”

 

“You aided Crow with The Belmont Estate, correct?”

 

“Sure did. I assumed you gave the green light.” Lilah tilted her head to the side. “He didn’t pull a fast one again, did he?”

 

Cassidy pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an elongated sigh. “He did. But as it turns out, it’s been quite advantageous.”

 

“Glad to hear something good. Still, it must be frustrating, him going off-script like this.”

 

“Quite.”

 

“My bad for not keeping you in the loop. If he pulls any more sneaky stuff, you’ll be the first to know, promise.”

 

Cassidy lowered her hand and took Lilah in once more. As expected, her calm was unyielding. It was truly quite commendable. Still, it wasn’t a perfect defense. With the right angle, the calm which guarded her would trap her.

 

“I appreciate that,” Cassidy said with a voice carefully modulated to convey a sense of guarded gratitude. “While I know we’ve had our issues, knowing I can count on you in these times is a welcome relief.”

 

“Just ‘cause we butt heads doesn’t mean we can’t watch out for each other. Is there anything else you need while you’re here?”

 

“Thank you,” Cassidy said as she rose from the sofa, “but I have everything I need. Besides, I didn’t plan to linger here for too long today. I have quite a list of things to do.”

 

Lilah nodded and flashed a beaming white smile. “Best of luck out there.”

 

Cassidy’s departure from the sofa was as composed as her conversation. She crossed the room with purposeful strides, her movement akin to a model owning the catwalk. Then, just shy of the threshold, Cassidy executed a model’s pivot.

 

“Actually,” Cassidy said as her gaze snapped back onto Lilah, “one more thing, if I may. How much did you charge Crow?”

 

The minimal yet evident dilation of Lilah’s eyes, followed by an almost undetectable narrowing of her eyelids, answered Cassidy’s question.

 

“Didn’t charge a crown,” Lilah said, her face and voice as composed and casual as a seasoned poker player. “I was under the impression it was for your sake, remember?”

 

“Strange…” Cassidy frowned and stroked her chin. “If memory serves, you’ve regularly charged me for your assistance. And, not too long ago, you made it very clear that I’m just a client.”

 

“Times shift, you know? Now that you’ve got Sylvia under your wing, I’ll see what I can chip in. I can’t be handing out freebies left and right though.”

 

A decent performance, Cassidy mused. Lilah was formidable. Nevertheless, she had outfoxed her. After all, the words that came out of her mouth couldn’t erase the truth seen in Lilah’s eyes. Crow was, without a doubt, her operative. She wouldn’t have shown fear if there was no link with him. Without a connection to him, the question would’ve been irrelevant.

 

Cassidy felt the beginnings of a smile, but she pushed it back down and maintained her composure. She had recorded Lilah’s reaction. There was no need to press further. She’d save the revelation for a more strategic time.

 

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Cassidy said. “And I’ll make sure Sylvia hears of your love.”

 

“On that note,” Lilah said, “how’s Sylvia faring these days?”

 

A slight, almost elusive ache settled in at the base of Cassidy’s skull as she shifted her mind back to Sylvia.

 

Sylvia, a prodigious preteen hacker, lay at the heart of the chaos that erupted two months ago. Safeguarding her had demanded more effort than Cassidy preferred. As The Grandmaster of Theft, her first step was to coax Sylvia into hiding at a private school, which Cassidy disguised as part of her training. Then came the delicate task of integrating her into Cassidy's actual life without exposing the crew.

 

For Sylvia, Cassidy spun a tale which portrayed herself as the victim of blackmail by The Grandmaster of Theft to explain her guardianship. For her parents, they fabricated a narrative about Sylvia being Wynn's long-lost half-sister, who she was told to reach out to if anything ever happened to her mother. Following a falsified DNA test, the Cain family swiftly leveraged their extensive resources to ensure her well-being and security.

 

“Although she’s not enthusiastic to talk to me,” Cassidy said, “Sylvia’s in good shape.”

 

“That’s a relief. Just let me know if anything changes, alright?”

 

Cassidy nodded.

 

“Pass along my best to August too,” Lilah said. “And that I am here, ready to talk whenever he decides it’s time.”

 

“I’ll see that he gets the message.”

 

Mission accomplished, Cassidy stepped out of Crossroads with her head held high and made her way back to the car.

 

“What’s the verdict?” Wynn asked as Cassidy slipped back into the backseat and sealed the door.

 

“I’m quite convinced of her guilt. She made a valiant effort to conceal it, but micro expressions are inescapable.”

 

“Super,” Wynn said, his voice as dry as a desert. “What’s the big plan now then?”

 

“We stick to the script and show our hand when the situation demands. In the meantime, I’ll send Crow to clone Mari’s phone, as discussed earlier. It’s uncomplicated, so it should proceed smoothly.”

 

“Might be smart to have me in the wings, just in case. After all, simple plans have a funny way of turning into anything but.”

 

A swift throb pulsed in Cassidy's veins. Then she crossed her arms and sealed her eyes. His insight was annoyingly accurate… “Very well. Just take care to remain out of Gianna’s line of sight.”