After the Secret Wedding Rise of My Queen

Chapter 222 They've Been Discovered

Before the sneeze escaped, a large hand suddenly reached over and covered Isabel's mouth.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she froze, straining her ears to listen intently.

"Don't move "Xander raised a hand, and all the bodyguards instantly halted, holding their positions.

Silence.

The room was so quiet that the ticking of the antique clock on the wall was deafening. Tick, tick, tick!

Isabel held her breath, not daring to make a single sound.

Richie, too, remained still, as his hand firmly covered her mouth.

A full minute passed. Xander stood up, his sharp eyes scanning the living room before focusing on the sofa.

"Is there something under the sofa?" Leo couldn't help but ask.

Xander kept staring at the base of the sofa. At his signal, Leo called two men over.

"Move the sofa."

Isabel nervously pressed a hand to her chest as if trying to calm her racing heart. Richie, although tense, was much calmer than Isabel. He knew that even if they moved the sofa, it wouldn't matter. Creak! The sofa was moved aside and it revealed nothing.

Isabel breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself that the hidden compartment design was ingenious. Only pressing the button on the sofa would activate it; simply moving the furniture wouldn't trigger the mechanism. "Boss, what was it just now?" Leo asked curiously.

"Nothing, maybe I misheard something," Xander replied, withdrawing his gaze from the floor.

"So, what now? We've searched every corner of the entire villa and found no one. They might have escaped through the window earlier," Leo speculated.

"Let's go. Keep men stationed here," Xander ordered before striding out with his long legs.

"Yes. You guys, stay here and keep watch," Leo instructed before following Xander out.

The living room was plunged into darkness once more after the lights were turned off and the door shut.

Slowly, the sofa moved back to its original position. Isabel and Richie emerged one after the other from beneath it.

"Who exactly are you?" Richie stared directly at Isabel, his eyes sharp with suspicion.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's get out of here first," Isabel said firmly.

Richie considered her words. She had a point-if Xander came back unexpectedly, they'd be caught red-handed.

nimbly climbed out. Isabel followed but

earlier, yet

window. Instinctively, he reached out and caught her, holding

pounded

That was close-too close.

leg went numb,"

fell on the emerald guardian

did you get

the pendant, then stared at Richie's face for a

but you have to show me your

a hunch that he was the person she knew as

eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her. "Fine, but only if

That's called fair trade. If you make another demand, it won't be fair-unless I get to add another condition." "What condition?" Richie asked calmly. He was curious to hear what she wanted, to gauge whether she was an ally or an

you are," Isabel demanded as her sharp inquisitive gaze locked onto the man whose face was

guess...

between them instantly became

grave that

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached.

them turned their eyes in the same

We had

deliberately feigned retreat, luring them out of

couldn't afford to be

she could already see him and the bodyguards following behind

enough time to

a solution, Richie's voice came close to

first! I'll hold

blurted that out. Perhaps it was because of the emerald guardian angel pendant she

did now was in honor of that

instincts told him she was most likely

volunteered to stay behind and let her

said quickly before

Xander

bodyguards broke

could take on the two guards about to close in on

she fought back, she'd be delayed, and the others would

suddenly reappeared, blocking the guards' path and

"Go!"

swiftly disappeared into the pitch-black

as he calmly surveyed