Chapter 176 The Mysterious Castle
After chatting, Dorian left, and Matthew returned to his room alone. Victor happened to come out of his room just then and looked behind Matthew, "Where's Dorian?"
"He left. We're heading over the day after tomorrow."
Dorian had informed him before leaving that this was their safe house; they would meet there when everything was over.
"Arrange for some more manpower and equipment to come over, just in case."
"Will do, Matthew."
"Get me a laptop."
After Victor left, Matthew returned to his room. About half an hour later, Victor brought in a laptop. Matthew opened the computer and stared intently at the screen, his fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard.
Soon enough, using the address Dorian had provided, the location for the backend meeting with K appeared on the screen—an inconspicuous building located right in the center of Rome.
Matthew carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain and buildings, finally realizing there was only one path leading in, and that path was also the only way out. Huh, it's definitely a hideout!
He sent Victor the terrain analysis and then called him into the room. The two of them worked on their deployment until late into the night before resting.
On the third morning, Matthew and Victor drove to the address Dorian had given them. Surprisingly, at the entrance of the small, unassuming building, two men in black stood guard. After parking the car, Matthew and Victor approached the door, but they were stopped by the menacing gaze of the two guards.
With a lazy lift of his eyes, Matthew fluidly spoke in Italian, "The Eagle sent us." After his declaration, the guards exchanged puzzled glances between Matthew and Victor. The guards looked at each other, one keeping an eye on them while the other stepped aside to use a walkie-talkie to make contact. After a while, the guard returned, speaking in Italian, "Only one of you may enter."
Matthew glanced at Victor, and Victor looked back at him. After a brief moment of silent communication, Victor realized Matthew's intent. As Matthew stepped forward, Victor, still concerned, stepped up and called out, "Matthew!"
Matthew looked back and gave Victor a slight nod, reassuring him before standing still.
The two guards thoroughly searched him and then blindfolded him with a black cloth. One of them then led him inside by the arm.
Blindfolded, with darkness enveloping his sight, Matthew had to rely on the sounds around him to navigate. He felt he had entered through the main door and was led along a very long corridor, then down some stairs, and felt the space brighten slightly. The person leading him stopped, and so did Matthew.
The black cloth was removed from his face, and the sudden brightness momentarily blinded him. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he could finally see that he had arrived in front of a castle. The small building was just a decoy, a façade to mislead. Here was most likely the real headquarters. Who could imagine that behind the small house lay such a vast secret? It was cunning indeed, and he had no idea how he'd even gotten to this castle, let alone how he might escape.
Matthew casually pressed a button on his watch with a built-in tracking system. The watch sent its location to Victor, hoping he could quickly find another entrance or exit to the place.
The castle doors opened, and one of the men in black extended an arm in a welcoming gesture, indicating it was time for Matthew to enter.
No sooner had he entered the castle than a lean maid approached him, dressed in gossamer fabric, her curves accentuated in just the right places. She was silent the entire way, leading him to a room resplendent with gilded decorations. There, she prepared a bath and fresh clothes for him.
"Sir, please take a bath and change," she finally said. "May I assist you further?"
Matthew responded with an icy tone, "No thanks, I don't need a bath. Where's your boss? When do we discuss the deal?"
The maid's face, void of any expression, made Matthew question whether she was a person or an android.
"The master has not yet summoned you, so I'm not sure," she responded.
As she moved to unbutton his shirt, Matthew grabbed her wrist firmly and thrust her back several steps.
"I'll do it," he said through clenched teeth. His voice was cold, his anger barely contained, and a hostile aura surrounded him.
Startled by his reaction, the maid retreated, her voice trembling. "Then, sir, take your time. I will wait outside for you."
Once she'd prepared everything, she left the room. Matthew carefully inspected the room's layout. The décor was beyond luxurious; it was downright opulent, with solid gold faucets and showerheads. Diamonds were embedded around the bathtub, and prying one free would yield a small fortune.
He studied his surroundings with detachment, understanding this had to be K's hideout.
When he tried to contact Victor with his phone, he found all signals blocked, cutting him off from the outside world. He could only hope Victor received the location information he'd sent earlier.
Outside his room, besides the maid who had exited, two men in black stood guard. Matthew realized he couldn't rush things. He took a quick shower under the showerhead and, donning the clean clothes provided, opened the door to exit the room.
To his surprise, the two men in black blocked his path and refused to let him leave. As the maid brought in afternoon tea and pastries, Matthew shot the guards a nonchalant look and retreated into the room to sit on the sofa.
Once the maid had set down the tea and treats and left, Matthew eyed the food on the table, not daring to touch it, following the principle of caution.
It wasn't until evening that the maid appeared again, respectfully offering, "Sir, the master invites you to dinner."
The castle was vast, an air of ancient mystery looming. Matthew followed the maid through corridor upon corridor before finally reaching the dining room.
The table was set with some chilled soups, but the dining room still needed more people.
The maid led Matthew to his seat. As soon as he sat down, he heard an old but hearty laugh echoing from the back of the restaurant. "Hahaha! I'm in high spirits today. I might have a couple more drinks later."
The voice grew louder until Matthew finally saw who it belonged to.
An energetic man strides through the middle, flanked by several stern-faced subordinates, one of whom was Dorian. They also had a woman with them, and when Matthew got a clear view of her face, he froze in his seat.
It was her, Brianna.
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