No one else would ever enter the leader's room through there. Did that mean Fiorella was back? Selene called out, "Fiorella, are you here?" A woman's voice answered from upstairs. "Get up here!" "Yes, ma'am!" Selene straightened up immediately, her posture snapping from cleaner to loyal subordinate. She rushed up the stairs, moving fast. Before climbing, she slipped off the short dress she'd been wearing and hid it in the storage room's toolbox. Pleasing a female leader was a completely different game from flattering a male one. That little dress was for the team leaders. Men always liked to take advantage of their female subordinates. Even if she wasn't pretty, she made sure to keep her figure and dress appealing. But around a woman like Fiorella, appearances had to change. She had to look modest, reliable, and professional. Selene sprinted up the stairs in one go, ruffling her hair as she went so she'd look like she'd been working herself to exhaustion. The leader's tone hadn't sounded pleasant at all. But the second she stepped inside, she froze. Fiorella was slouched in a leather chair, her face swollen and bruised, one eye nearly shut, her lip cracked and crooked. Selene's eyes went wide. Who the hell did this to her? Her face was wrecked. Fiorella glared at her and pressed a hand to her cheek. "Why are you just standing there? Go get the first-aid kit!" "Yes, right away!" Selene darted back downstairs, grabbed the kit, and slipped a small bottle of eyedrops into her pocket. She tilted her head back, squeezed two drops into her eyes, and felt the sting hit hard. It burned like hell, and the tears came fast. By the time she returned upstairs, her cheeks were wet. She crouched beside Fiorella, hands trembling as she dabbed ointment on the bruises, her voice cracking as she cried, "Oh, God, Fiorella! Who did this to you? Who could be so cruel?" Her tears were so convincing that Fiorella's anger started to ease. "All right, all right, I know you care. Stop crying and finish the job." After a moment, Fiorella growled through gritted teeth, "Those two bastards. I'll make them regret it." Two bastards? Selene's pulse jumped. She instantly thought of the couple Selina had mentioned. Had they actually managed to beat Fiorella? She kept her tone light while applying more ointment. "Who were they? What kind of people could hurt you?" Fiorella spat to the side. "They're nobodies. Two cocky little punks who thought they were smarter than me. Stayed at my inn for two days and started acting like they owned the place." That confirmed it. It had to be that couple. Fiorella kept cursing under her breath. "When Anthony brings them back, they'll beg for death." Selene closed the kit, offered a few sweet compliments, and watched Fiorella's mood lift just a little.Then, suddenly, the sharp crack of gunfire echoed from outside. Both women froze. That wasn't a handgun. The rapid shots came one after another, rattling through the air for several seconds before fading. Fiorella's expression turned cold. "Go find out what's happening," she said. Selene cursed her up and down in her head. Why don't you find out yourself? But she didn't dare let it show. She forced a weak smile, her hands trembling as real tears spilled down her face this time. "Fiorella, I'm scared." Fiorella, who had been civil moments ago, was now seething. "What the hell are you scared of? Get out there and find out what's happening!" She smacked Selene on the head hard enough to sting. "You're not fighting anyone. Just sneak over, see what's going on, and come right back to report. "Move it. Now!" Selene nodded, tears welling again, and hurried downstairs. She darted into the storage room, slipped her short dress back on, and ran toward the door. But the second she stepped into the freezing air, her pace slowed. In her head, she flipped Fiorella off. What do you think I am, an idiot? You think I'm running straight into a hail of bullets? She muttered under her breath and slowed down even more. The gunfire sounded distant, maybe near the city limits. If she dragged her feet long enough, the shooting would be over by the time she got there.Then she'd take a quick look, figure out what happened, and either bolt or head back to report. Perfect plan. After hours of quiet, the snow started falling again. The wind howled through the narrow streets, biting into her skin like shards of ice. Selene pulled her coat tighter and swore as she trudged forward. Inside the small building, Fiorella, her face still bruised and swollen, finally lost her patience. She hurried down to the storage room, grabbed a stool, and sat beside the tunnel entrance, ready to vanish underground if things went bad. But unease kept gnawing at her. After a moment, she ran back upstairs, yanked open the drawer beside her bed, and took out several signal flares. Each one was marked with a word written in thick black ink—"Red," "Yellow," and "Green."