Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David) novel Chapter 135

Chapter 135

"Do you want to speak again?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

The maid nodded frantically, her eyes wide with terror. She didn’t dare hesitate, as if any delay might seal her silence forever.

Danielle removed the silver needle with a deliberate precision and snapped her fingers.

Instantly, the maid’s eyes lost focus, her gaze turning glassy and void of emotion.

"Who sent you here, and what was your mission?" Danielle’s voice softened, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

"Mr. Morris... infiltrate... eliminate if necessary," the maid replied mechanically, her voice eerily monotone.

Danielle’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her tone grew firmer as she asked, "And was it Mr. Morris who ordered the poisoning? What’s his full name?"

"Yes. Hugh," the maid answered, her voice wavering.

A flicker of resistance crossed her face, but the compulsion to answer overpowered her hesitation.

"Are there other tasks you’ve been assigned?"

Danielle continued, carefully observing the maid’s responses and noting her subtle struggles.

"No..."

"Where are your people embedded in other families?"

"I... I don’t... know." Sweat poured down the maid’s face as her body tensed, struggling against an invisible barrier.

Danielle sighed inwardly. It was clear the maid had been hypnotized before, but the person who had programmed her lacked finesse. Pushing further could irreparably damage her mind. With a snap of her fingers, Danielle brought the maid out of her trance. The maid blinked, disoriented, before collapsing into a silent heap.

Joshua, who had been watching the entire exchange, stared at Danielle in awe. "You hypnotized her... without saying anything? No countdown? No ’breathe deeply’? Just a snap?"

Danielle shot him a side glance, smirking faintly. "You want to try it out for yourself?"

Joshua’s hands flew up defensively. "No, no, I’m good. Thanks."

David, standing quietly at her side, raised an eyebrow. Even he was impressed by Danielle’s mastery of hypnosis-it was far more advanced than he had imagined.

"She’s just a pawn. A small-time spy," Danielle concluded, brushing her hands off as if she had just finished a mundane task.

The trio left the basement, the stale air giving way to the relative comfort of the living room.

"Miss Darling," Joshua ventured, his curiosity getting the better of him, "how did you get so good at hypnosis? I thought it involved a lot more steps."

Danielle gave a nonchalant shrug. "You either have it or you don’t."

Joshua decided to drop the subject.

"Hugh is likely already in Soufield. The maids in various households are probably his contacts. If that’s the case, then the Wulf Clan is definitely linked to the Shadow Domain," Danielle deduced aloud.

David nodded grimly. "That’s a certainty now. I’ve been holding back on dealing with him to see if he’d lead us to his superiors."

Joshua brightened up. "By the way, Miss Darling, my grandfather’s eightieth birthday is next month. You and David have to come!"

"David already mentioned it. I’ll be there," Danielle replied. Still, her thoughts drifted elsewhere. She couldn’t shake the unease over Elliot’s safety.

Elliot and his team were tracking a major drug lord, and after days of monitoring, they finally got a lead. The word was that the transaction would take place tonight at the Westland abandoned warehouse. They had been tailing the operation for days and were ready to act.

Elliot glanced at his watch-there was still half an hour until 8 PM. "Position yourselves and stay hidden. Our primary target is Scorpion. Try to capture him alive. As soon as the deal starts, we move in," he instructed.

"Understood."

At 8 PM sharp, several cars slowly rolled into the warehouse. The headlights turned off, but the people inside didn’t get out for several minutes, making it hard to tell how many there were.

From his hidden spot in the corner, Elliot checked his watch again. Twenty minutes had passed, and no one had made a move yet. It didn’t seem like they’d been exposed-if they had, the targets would have bolted by now. All they could do was wait.

Ten minutes later, more cars arrived. The headlights went out, and again, the occupants stayed inside.

"Hold your positions," Elliot whispered into his earpiece.

Scorpion sat unfazed, a dangerous smile crossing his face. "Elliot, we meet again."

Back at the dorm, Danielle finished her shower and climbed into bed.

She planned to sketch some designs. The new skincare product line had been a massive success, and she was preparing to launch a few clothing series as well.

Danielle grabbed her pen and began sketching furiously, as if the ideas in her head flowed endlessly.

Since founding The Grace Group, Danielle had been the one creating the designs, and her unique vision had helped the company rapidly carve out a name for itself.

Her phone buzzed with a new message.

The message read: [Danielle, the response to the new products has been amazing. Our initial stock is

running out, and I’ve already ordered more production.]

Danielle replied: [Got it. I’ll send over the clothing designs in a couple of days, and we can get the new collection live.]

The reply came. [Of course, our beautiful and kind-hearted boss, you’re really making it happen!]

Another message popped up.

It was from Emery. [Danielle, I’ve tracked the killers’ location. They’re heading toward Westland. The IP from the order is also coming from Westland. It seems like Elliot is there. He might already be facing the person who placed the order. We’re worried he’s in serious danger.]

Emery knew Elliot well and understood how capable he was. However, this time, nearly all of the top ten assassins on the wanted list had mobilized. Each of these killers had dozens, if not hundreds, of contracts under their belt. As long as the price was right, they were sure to get the job done. "Danielle frowned. ’Westland? Isn’t there a large abandoned warehouse there? Could Elliot be on an operation there?’

Danielle quickly typed. [Take extra people and head to Westland now. Make sure Elliot is safe.]

Emery: [Understood. I’m on it.]

Emery responded: [Got it. I’ve sent the details to your email. I’m heading over right now.]

Emery didn’t dare delay. If anything happened to Elliot, Emery would never forgive himself.