Zuri looked up as the car pulled into the yard.
Damn!
With no time to think, Zuri turned and ran upstairs. Just as she disappeared at the top of the stairs, Miles opened the villa door, and the entire house was instantly illuminated.
Miles squinted, scanning the room. It was spotless, with no footprints. After a quick survey, he found nothing missing and prepared to go upstairs.
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught a small scratch on the base of the sofa. He walked over, crouched down, and squinted at the tiny mark.
This seemingly insignificant detail did not escape Miles' meticulous eye, which had kept his crimes undetected for so long.
Who's been here?!
Miles quickly made his way upstairs, heading straight to the study. Seeing the USB drive missing from the laptop, his face turned grim.
He had left in a hurry this morning and forgot to remove the USB drive. Now it was stolen.
Anxious, Miles called his secretary, "Xiao Li, get some people over here right now to handle something. Yes, now. Immediately."
While he made the call, Zuri was climbing down a drainpipe from the second-floor balcony. Just as she was about to reach the ground safely, a flashlight beam hit her.
"Who's there?" a security guard shouted.
Damn it!
Zuri jumped down and sprinted in the opposite direction.
Hearing the commotion, Miles rushed to the window and saw a figure running away with security guards in pursuit.
"So it's that guy."
Under the streetlight, Miles could vaguely make out the person's shape and the color of their clothes. He immediately made another call, "Someone broke into my villa and stole something. The thief just ran out. It's a young woman, wearing a yellow top and jeans. Please catch her as soon as possible. Thank you."
Zuri spoke into her earpiece, "Everyone, split up. Don't worry about me."
She then removed the earpiece and started running. After fifteen minutes of sprinting, she finally shook off her pursuers. Just as she was about to reach the main road, she heard sirens approaching from a distance.
Miles works fast!
How dare he call the police!
Zuri had no choice but to take a detour. Fortunately, she was familiar with the area from planning her actions against Miles and knew the safest routes.
After circling around for a while, Zuri emerged from a secluded alley, only to be blocked by a police car parked at the alley entrance.
Two officers got out and walked towards her.
Seeing them, Zuri turned to leave while they were still a distance away.
"Stop!" one officer shouted.
Zuri paused for a moment, then discreetly tossed the bracelet from her wrist into a nearby trash heap. She continued walking towards the trash can.
"Miss, stop right there!" the officer repeated, drawing his gun and aiming it at her.
Zuri turned to face the black muzzle, raising her hands with a frightened expression, "What are you doing?"
The officers approached, seeing that she was a young and pretty girl, though they remained vigilant, guns subtly pointed at her.
"What are you doing here?" one of the officers asked.
"I lost something and was looking for it," Zuri replied.
"Why didn't you stop when we called you? Why did you turn and walk away?" the older officer questioned.
Zuri frowned, looking annoyed, "Officer, please put your gun away. If it accidentally goes off and I die, it would be for nothing. I'm still young and don't want to lose my life over something so stupid."
The older officer signaled the younger one to lower his gun.
"Answer my questions," he said, scanning her carefully.
"I realized my bracelet was missing and turned back to find it. It's that simple. As for you calling me, how was I supposed to know you were calling me?" Zuri said irritably, "Do I look like a criminal to you?"
The older officer smiled, "Criminals don't have 'criminal' written on their faces. Routine check, please show your ID."
The police had been alerted to suspicious activity in the area, where certain gangs had resurfaced. They had been on the lookout for suspicious individuals for days.
A young woman wandering a dark, deserted alley in the middle of the night was suspicious.
Zuri frowned but didn't seem nervous. Instead, she smirked, "Who carries their ID with them all the time? Are you looking for criminals?"
"Routine check," the older officer replied.
Although he didn't say much, Zuri had a good guess.
These weren't ordinary patrol officers. Their presence here at this hour meant something significant was happening.
Zuri felt frustrated. Despite her efforts to plan around the area's weak surveillance, unforeseen circumstances had thrown a wrench in her plans.
Her lack of ID didn't surprise the officer.
"Come with us to the station."
"Okay, but I need to find my bracelet first."
The older officer signaled the younger one, who discreetly positioned himself at the alley's exit, gun ready.
"What does it look like? I'll help you find it," the older officer said, bending down to search with her.
While seemingly searching, Zuri's mind raced, trying to find a way to escape. The incident at the villa hadn't spread yet, but if she got taken to the station now, things would spiral out of her control.
As Zuri racked her brain, footsteps approached. A pair of polished shoes stepped into the alley.
The young officer tensed up, ready to act.
Before he could speak, a deep, pleasant voice echoed in the alley, "What are you doing here?"
Zuri looked up. The dim light stretched the figure's shadow long. Though she couldn't see his face clearly, the gentle light in his eyes shone brightly, like a beacon in the dark, landing in her eyes and heart.