Oliver didn't hesitate. He reached out and pulled the USB drive from the computer. But the moment he did, an alarm blared from the system, its sharp tone cutting through the silence like a knife. The sound caught him completely off guard. Outside the villa, Seraphina flinched at the noise, her eyes widening in alarm. What has just happened? Panic surged through her veins as realization struck. Da*n it. He must have triggered the security alert. Inside, Oliver didn't waste a second. Clutching the USB drive tightly, he bolted from the study, heading toward the living room. Just as he reached the open space, his foot caught on something unexpected. The next moment, his body went sprawling across the floor, landing hard with a dull thud. The USB drive slipped from his pocket during the fall, skidding silently across the floor before disappearing beneath the couch. Seraphina's urgent voice crackled in his earpiece. "Hurry up and get out! Security is on their way. I can buy you a few minutes, but you need to move now!" Oliver's hand darted to his pocket, searching frantically. His stomach sank when he realized the USB drive was gone. Desperation clawed at him as he dropped to his knees, scanning the darkened room for the small device. But the dim light made it nearly impossible to spot anything. Minutes ticked by, each second stretching unbearably. Seraphina's voice came again, sharper this time. "Oliver, you have to leave now! They're almost there!" He clenched his teeth in frustration. As a beam of light from a flashlight swept toward his direction, he knew he had no choice. Reluctantly, he pushed himself to his feet and slipped out the side entrance, blending into the shadows. Ten minutes later, the two of them regrouped outside the villa district. Seraphina glanced at him, noting the tension in his jaw and the frustration clouding his expression. "Don't beat yourself up," she said, trying to ease his disappointment. "We didn't get the things this time, but it's not the end of the world. We can always try again." He shook his head, his frustration evident. "It's not that. I got what we came for. But I found another USB drive while I was there. One that has all of Myles' criminal records. I had it in my hands, and I lost it. How could I be so stupid?" "Another USB drive?" she asked, surprised. This was the first she had heard of it. Oliver nodded grimly. "Yeah. I had it. It was right there, and then I tripped in the living room like an idiot, and it fell out of my pocket. Now it's gone." His voice cracked slightly. "How could I be this careless?" He pounded his head in pain and self-reproach. She grabbed his hand firmly. "With this evidence, it's enough to get him arrested and convicted.""You're absolutely right," he agreed. The two began reviewing the footage, only to realize that most of the videos were obscured. The obstruction? The very camera stand used to record the footage. It became glaringly obvious that Myles had set up his recordings in the exact same positions and angles as they had. Occasionally, a person could be seen in the video, but nothing incriminating that could lead to a conviction. "What do we do now?" Oliver asked, frustration seeping into his voice. "I'll go get that other footage," she replied resolutely. They had no choice. That footage was critical, and they needed it tonight. They had already alerted Myles to their suspicions. If he destroyed the evidence or worse, wiped out all traces of his crimes from the area, gathering anything substantial later would be nearly impossible. Myles was notoriously paranoid and hyper-vigilant. The moment he sensed trouble, he would undoubtedly relocate his entire operation. Time was of the essence, and they still had a narrow window before he returned. "I'll go instead," Oliver offered. Seraphina's eyes fell to his injured leg. "You're in no condition to go. Stay outside and keep watch for me. I'll be quick." "Alright," he reluctantly agreed. … The two made their way back to the gated villa community. Security guards were patrolling the perimeter. "It looks like no one's here. Let's go," one of the guards murmured to the other. Moments later, one of the guards pulled out his phone and made a call. "Mr. Fraser, we've completed the patrol. No sign of anyone. We've been standing guard for over half an hour now, and it's completely quiet." "Alright, alright." After hanging up the call, the two security guards left the premises. Barely moments after they were out of sight, Seraphina slipped into the villa. She didn't dare turn on any lights. Guided solely by her memory, she navigated her way to the living room. The polished marble floor beneath her feet was smooth, cold, and unforgiving. Lowering herself onto the floor, she began to feel around carefully. Finally, her fingers brushed against something beneath the base of the couch. Her breath caught as she fumbled to retrieve it, and with the faint silver glow of moonlight filtering through the windows, she confirmed what she had found—a flash drive. Relief washed over her as she tucked it securely away and prepared to make her exit. But just as she was about to leave, the sharp sound of a car horn pierced the night from outside. At the same time, a voice crackled urgently through her earpiece. "Seraphina, he's back. Myles has returned," Oliver's anxious tone warned.