"You talked to Leo?" Tony sipped the coffee while sitting on the couch. The apartment was filled with sunlight, and the sounds of the birds chirping can be heard clearly because Samantha had opened the glass window to water the houseplants. It was a warm Saturday morning.
"Yeah, I did," Mia said, sitting by the kitchen counter eating the eggs that Samanta had cooked for her. It was almost 10.
"Will you be going then?" Tony asked and to indulge in the conversation Samantha softly closed the glass door and put down the sprinkler. She then took a seat on the bean bag right opposite Tony.
"Yes." Mia said and continued to eat her eggs unbothered. Tony looked at Samantha with concern and his sister just shrugged.
"Mia-"
"Tony, do you forget who you are talking to right now? Am I starting to look more like your classmate than your boss?" Mia had a serious tone and her words started to come out more like a threat.
"Sorry, Pericolosa," Tony says and bows his head down. Mia stands up and turns around to face the siblings sitting by the couch.
"I will go to the Art Gallery," Mia says and she looks more like Pericolosa now. She wants to be more like Pericolosa anyhow. Yesterday, Leo informed Mia about the Art Exhibition that is happening in the city. It was obviously not some ordinary Art Exhibition, it was being held by the Gonsalves. Gonsalves has been on Mia's nerves ever since she has been leading Serpents. Of course, they got the air of Pericolosa being in New York and as a challenge, they are putting up an exhibition. Invitations were sent to the Serpents and Pericolosa being Pericolosa, has decided to go.
"Be careful, Mia," Samantha says and tries to smile.
"Is the audio tracker ready, Sugar?" Mia asks Samantha. Samantha immediately nodded and stood up. "I'll go get it." Mia eyed Tony sitting still with his head held low. He is just staring at the floor with both of his hands clasped together. Mia sighs and takes a seat next to him. Tony immediately tenses and sits straight up. Mia places a hand on his shoulder and caresses him lightly. "Do you not think that I'm capable?"
"No. No…Mia." Tony replies and looks directly at Mia. He can see his Mia back now, Pericolosa is long gone and he is relieved.
"I trust you more than myself, Mia. I do but going to that event alone can be… you know…" Tony sighs and decides to just keep his mouth shut.
"But I'm taking Leo." Mia says, "and nobody has ever seen me. They wouldn't even know that I was there. I'll go as a student." She says. In her mind, she has the perfect plan.
"I know, I know. Just be safe." Tony says and gives his best friend a tight-lipped smile. Samantha clears her throat before entering the living room again and Mia looks up at her.
"Pretty quick reconciliation." She laughs and takes a seat on the same very spot that she left earlier. Tony chuckles and Mia just shook her head lightly. Samantha brings her hand in front of her and opens up her fist to give the two people a glimpse of the audio tracker.
"Excellent," Mia exclaimed.
"It will record the audio crisp and clear," Samantha says and smirks.
Mia takes the tracker in her hand. It is as small as a matchbox. Tony looks at Mia's hand and in her hands, the tracker looks quite big.
"Are you sure you will be okay today?" Samantha says and looks at Mia with worry. "I mean… you know, it's like going into a tiger's den." She adds.
"Do you really think that asshole is a tiger?" Mia laughs and Samantha dryly chuckles too. "You just need to put up this tracker anywhere you want and hurry back," Tony says to Mia and Mia nodded.
"Carys Jones." Mia softly says.
It shouldn't hurt Tony like that when Mia says Carys' name with that tone. He wants Mia to forget that Carys' have a name, he wants Mia to call Carys a 'target' as she always has called all her other targets.
"All the best," Samantha says to Mia and Mia gives her a hug before leaving the living room to go to Carys' house just like he asked her, yesterday.
The drive to Carys' house was not a very long one but it must have felt like ages have passed to Mia, particularly. Mia was not always this nervous but Carys somehow made her sweaty and stutter-y.
The tires of the car screeched and the halt made Mia realise that the tiger's den was right in front of her. When Carys invited Mia to his house yesterday, she was enchanted. She had the opportunity to visit the CEO's house because she knew that Carys still lived with his parents. He wasn't someone who could give up luxury to be independent, he was smart.
"Ma'am." The person on the driver's seat said and Mia just nodded her head.
The black iron gate is immediately pulled apart and opened. Mia gets out of her car and peeked inside. A long rocky path is covered with trees on either side. The trees are tall and branchy, looking scary even in the broad daylight. It feels like Mia will teleport into a forest if she takes one step inside the gate.
"Bracelet Girl, you're here?" A raspy voice calls and Mia looks right in front. Carys is standing at least twenty steps away from Mia but she still can hear his voice loud and clear. "I thought you were bluffing."
Mia scoffs.
"Come on in." He says, "or do you want me to lay a red carpet for you?"
"I expected it to be already there." Mia says and takes steps forward. The rocky path which is unfolding in front of her bends to the left a little. Finally, when Mia reaches exactly where Carys is standing, she can see the mansion. Mansion of the CEO of Cares Technologies AKA Carys' father.
"It's huge." Mia takes a deep breath.
"That's what she said." Carys laughs.
Mia decided to ignore the joke. They take steps towards the entrance of the house. The white mansion has a beautiful front porch.
Carys finally opens the front door. "Ladies first." He flashes his pearls at Mia.
A second passes before Mia finally steps inside the mansion.