Chapter 55: Diligent at Work (Please Add to Favorites! Please Keep Reading!)

In the study, Verinice hung up the oversized phone and tucked it back under the desk. After a moment of silence, she instructed Roan to bring Lydia into the room.

Once Roan and Lydia were seated, Verinice leaned back, crossed her legs, and addressed Lydia with an impassive expression:

“Ms. Lydia, I’ve contacted my superiors. He will get in touch with the top officials at the Marshal’s Office and have you added to the Witness Protection Program, to ensure your safety going forward.”

At these words, Lydia breathed a sigh of relief, but Verinice continued without pause:

“Within the next forty-eight hours, you must sell the ‘Flame Queen.’ Aside from that bar, all your other real estate assets will be frozen and confiscated by the FBI. After testifying in court, for your own safety, you will leave New York under the protection of the Marshal’s Office and can never return for the rest of your life.”

“What did you say?”

Lydia had prepared herself for leaving New York, but hearing that the FBI would confiscate her buildings sent her into a rage. She shouted at Verinice:

“Are you FBI people after my money too?”

“Ms. Lydia, please mind your words.”

Facing Lydia’s furious glare, Verinice’s expression didn’t change. She shot a glance at the absent-minded Roan before fixing her cold gaze on Lydia:

“First, you attempted to harm a federal agent under my command. Assaulting a federal agent is a serious crime! If you hadn’t agreed to turn in evidence and join the Witness Protection Program, I would have sent you straight to federal prison, where you’d spend the rest of your days among the criminally insane and murderers.

Second, you confessed to this case only after being interrogated by Agent Roan, so your actions do not constitute voluntary surrender.

Third, all the money you used to buy those buildings was illegally obtained. Freezing your assets is entirely legal under federal law—not only your funds will be frozen, but all those involved in the case will have their assets frozen as well!”

“Bullshit!”

Lydia’s beautiful face turned ashen with fury as she screamed at Verinice:

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re really after. You FBI types are no different from those NSA people—you just want to rob me! Damn it, I should never have said a word!”

“If you hadn’t come forward,”

Verinice opened an email on her computer and displayed a photograph of a corpse in front of Lydia:

“Then this fate that befell Ms. Bettina would soon be yours as well. By the way, this Bettina is the ‘Daisy’ you spoke of.”

Seeing the familiar elderly woman in the photo, sitting in a car with a bullet wound in her forehead, eyes wide open in death, Lydia’s face went white. Her knees buckled and she collapsed back into her chair.

She had only suspected before, but now the photo told her she’d been right: the NSA’s higher-ups had already started eliminating witnesses.

Seeing Lydia’s terror, Verinice quickly closed the photo and asked coolly:

“You should be thanking us, Ms. Lydia. Between money and your life, I think you know which matters more.”

…

A few minutes later, still pale, Lydia was led by Lacey to another bedroom in the apartment.

Until the Marshal’s Office arrived the next day, Lacey would stay by Lydia’s side to keep her safe.

Unless something unexpected happened, after Lydia testified in court she would be relocated to some remote small town under a new identity, living out her days in constant caution, unable to stand out or draw attention.

For Lydia, who loved luxury and was used to flaunting herself in public every day, this was a fate worse than death.

As Lacey led Lydia away, Verinice tilted her head and glanced at the still-silent Roan, her gaze flickering as she asked calmly:

“Are you feeling sorry for Lydia?”

“Sorry? No!”

Roan shook his head firmly.

He and Lydia had only shared a physical relationship, with no emotional entanglements whatsoever.

Besides, Lydia had once tried to drug him and control his actions. If she hadn’t eventually confessed to this major case, Roan had already decided to make her regret ever being born.

The view from the bottom of the Hudson River must be interesting.

At the same time, in this elaborate honey trap scheme, the NSA higher-ups were no saints; the so-called political criminals who exploited their own people and then fled to the federal system for a comfortable life were no good people; and Lydia and the other women who executed the scheme were no better.

It was simply a matter of dogs biting dogs, nothing more.

Sympathize with Lydia?

Roan was no bleeding heart.

Turning to look at Verinice, whose makeup gave her an icy edge, Roan grinned and said:

“I was just thinking about what reward my superior might give me for cracking such a major case.”

Leading Roan back into the study, the two sat down, and Verinice crossed her legs again:

“You know, Roan, this case is highly sensitive, so the FBI’s New York office will never officially acknowledge its existence, nor will you receive any reward from them.”

Roan nodded; he had already guessed as much.

The case involved high-level NSA officials—keeping it quiet was standard procedure. If the FBI’s New York branch ever made a public announcement about his work on this case, he’d know it was time to run for his life.

So the reward Roan had in mind was from those behind Verinice.

He wanted his rightful share.

“Before you came to see me tonight, the Columbus Foundation sent me an email.”

Noting Roan’s attentive gaze, Verinice hesitated for a moment, but chose not to keep the Foundation’s involvement a secret.

After briefly explaining the situation, Verinice informed him that not only had he successfully joined the Foundation, but he was also being granted the funding level of a senior agent, despite only holding the rank of ordinary field agent.

“Of course, this is what you deserve—not really a reward.”

Upon hearing this, Roan raised an eyebrow; as he expected, there was more to come.

Verinice pulled up a website and searched, but couldn’t find Auction Lot 113. Her brows furrowed, but then she understood and opened another site.

She turned the monitor toward Roan and said with a faint smile:

“Half a year ago, we managed to arrest a notorious international con artist. This small apartment in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, was one of his properties.

It’s listed for $1.2 million, but the FBI’s internal price is $900,000. If you want it, it’s yours for $500,000.”

Seeing the bright, spacious, sunlit apartment on the screen, a smile spread across Roan’s face:

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll prepare the money tomorrow.”

A Manhattan apartment in 2005 with a market value of $1.2 million, and he could get it for $500,000.

He’d regret it for life if he passed up that deal.

Seeing the smile on Roan’s face, Verinice’s expression remained unchanged, but she was clearly pleased. After a moment’s thought, she added:

“Once this case has been settled, you’ll receive a substantial bonus.

Also, regarding this apartment, you can apply for a loan through the Columbus Foundation. Their interest rates are about one to three percent lower than outside banks, so you can pay it off slowly.”

“Thank you for your kind offer, ma’am, but I’d like to pay the full amount up front.”

Upon hearing this, Verinice’s face changed and she eyed him suspiciously:

“You can come up with $500,000?”

“Of course.”

Roan nodded. Noticing her expression, he realized what she might be thinking and quickly waved his hands:

“Don’t get the wrong idea, ma’am. I haven’t violated any FBI regulations. I can come up with the money because I’ve been working hard and earning a lot in bonuses, that’s all.”

Verinice: “?”