After a moment, she exhaled and added, "I hope Mr. Romano doesn't think I acted impulsively. It's just that... well, he seemed to already know I was pretending. If I didn't turn the tables on him, I'm afraid he would've exposed everything."
Sam nodded repeatedly, clearly agreeing. "You did well, Ms. Valtieri. If Mr. Silas Romano had spread word of this, it could've caused a lot of trouble for Mr. Romano."
Liesa smiled, relief washing over her. "I'm glad to hear that."
Sam, feeling guilty for his earlier assumptions, returned a small smile. The two of them stood in mutual politeness, neither breaking the silence until Angus spoke again.
His voice cut through the tension. "Sam, leave us."
"Of course, sir." Sam quickly wiped the smile from his face, his expression turning serious as he exited the room.
Liesa pinched her cheek, as if trying to calm her nerves. Noticing the coffee on the table, she walked over, picked up the cup, and offered it to Angus. "Mr. Romano, please have some coffee."
Angus took the cup, the steam swirling in the air and softening his sharp features. After a long pause, he spoke quietly. "From now on, call me 'sir.'"
Liesa, holding her own cup, was about to take a sip when his words suddenly reminded her of the conversation she'd had with Nina. A warm flush spread across her face.
"...Understood, sir." Why did it sound so natural when Sam called him that but awkward when she did?
It was Nina's fault. Liesa took a slow sip, trying to regain her composure.
Angus glanced at her, his gaze piercing. "Weren't you curious why I decided to return to the old house?"
"I was a little curious, but whether you say anything or not depends on your mood, Mr... sir." Liesa smiled. So far, his return seemed to benefit both Richard and Silas, but for Angus himself? She didn't see any advantage. She didn't understand why he had come back.
Angus lowered his gaze, masking the harshness in his eyes. "After my car accident, the driver fled, and the surveillance cameras on that road were conveniently broken. From that day on, no one was allowed to enter or leave Silas's room, including Nina."
Liesa's eyes widened in shock. "You mean, you suspect the footage is in Silas's room?"
A mocking smile curled on Angus's lips. "The road surveillance footage can't be deleted, and damaged equipment automatically uploads its data to the national network. He's too scared to do anything with it. All he can do is hide it."
Liesa's eyes narrowed as she processed his words.
She nodded slowly, realizing that only by making Silas pay would Angus's anger subside.
Her thoughts drifted, studying Angus's demeanor as his mood grew darker. Unable to stand the growing tension, Liesa knelt down, gently placing her hand over his. "Don't worry, Mr...sir. I'll help you," she said, her voice steady, despite the unexpected intensity of the moment.
It was a sign of trust when a patient opened up, and Liesa recognized this shift in their dynamic. Though the trust had come quickly, she wasn't about to let that stop her from offering comfort.
At this point, the patient should feel grateful for her kindness, something that could speed up the healing process. She watched Angus with anticipation, hoping he'd respond to her gentle gesture.
Angus glanced down at her hand resting atop his. It was smaller, softer than his own. The warmth from her touch seemed to stir something deep within him—something long buried.
Slowly, he raised his gaze, meeting her innocent eyes. His voice was low, almost a warning. "Don't think that because of this, Silas's fifteen million is yours."
Liesa froze for a moment. Seriously? Was now really the time to bring up money? She thought,
To prove she wasn't just some gold-digging woman, Liesa stated firmly, "He hasn't even sent me the money yet!"
Angus's lips curled slightly. "When he does, make sure you send it my way. Sam will give you the account number."
"... Oh." While the money meant little to her, as a woman who wasn't ashamed to admit she liked money, the fact that it hadn't been deposited yet bound to vanish stung more than she expected.
Angus noticed her distracted expression, her smile still in place, but her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Irritated, he reached out and pinched her chin, his fingers cold against her skin. Liesa's eyes instinctively flicked to his.
"Don't zone out when you're with me," he said, his voice low and measured.
Liesa gave a nervous laugh, nodding slightly.
The tension in the air felt strange, but she didn't show it. She stood up, casually brushing past his hand, and steered the conversation back to the topic. "So, sir, you suspect the accident was orchestrated by Silas, and there's evidence in the surveillance footage, right?"
"Yes." As he spoke, the unusual tension from earlier faded, replaced with a cold determination.
Liesa nodded thoughtfully. "But you've got people at the mansion. Why not let them sneak into Silas's room to find the evidence instead of coming back yourself?"
"Guessing there's surveillance in his room isn't enough. I can't risk exposing my informants for a hunch," Angus replied.
Liesa paused, processing. It made sense. If Silas had set a trap to lure people in, sending someone to find evidence would have been a huge mistake.
She smiled lightly. "Now that you mention it, I might actually be the best person for the job. The worst that could happen is Silas finds out. But honestly, I wasn't planning on sticking around anyway. If he catches me, it's just someone who walked into the wrong room, right?"
If Silas's room really had something to hide, even if she didn't succeed, Angus would likely force the evidence out.
And if there was nothing, well, that was fine too. Silas might just get more suspicious, and it could lead him to slip up faster.
Angus watched her, his gaze steady, but he didn't answer.
In fact, when he'd first asked her to help deal with his little problem, he had already considered this plan. He had been testing and observing her to learn more about her background.
But now that he was sure she wasn't hiding anything, he found himself reluctant to continue with this plan.
"Sir?" Liesa raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.
"You're overthinking things," Angus replied coolly.
"What do you mean?" Liesa's voice softened in surprise.
He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Silas may not be the sharpest, but he's not dumb enough to let anyone waltz into his room and steal something.
My people found out that he's bought a lot of high-tech equipment and stored it in his room.
You're not exactly the stealthiest, so the moment you step in, you'll get caught. You'll be making too much noise, and that's not the point, is it?"
Liesa's lips twitched in offense.
Just as she was about to argue, a thought crossed her mind. "You're worried about me, aren't you?"