Anomaly

Victor and Rupert didn't have much trouble arranging a private conversation with the girl's parents. At first glance, they seemed like nothing more than a friendly middle-aged couple devoted to raising a daughter who looked somewhat rebellious, yet surprisingly displayed more responsibility than many kids her age.

According to her parents, the girl spent part of her free time helping at community centers and volunteering for social programs, not out of obligation, outside influence, or a desire for recognition, but because of a genuinely altruistic nature.

Rupert, in particular, found that strangely suspicious. In his opinion, nobody that young should be so selfless or so willing to sacrifice their own time for others without expecting something in return.

Victor thought that conclusion was a bit extreme, but he had to admit there was something unusual about the girl. The truth was that she was a complete enigma. It wasn't just her maturity. It was the way she spoke, the way she observed the people around her, and the way she seemed to analyze situations with a depth that felt completely out of place for someone still in high school.

On several occasions, she had made comments that left even experienced agents uncomfortable. Not because they were threatening, but because they carried a coldness and understanding of the world that shouldn't have existed in an ordinary teenager. freewёbnoνel.com

Some of her observations about human nature, violence, and even death sounded like they came from someone who had lived for decades, not from a girl who had barely entered adulthood. All of that only reinforced Victor and Rupert's suspicions.

The more they investigated, the less they believed they were dealing with an ordinary high school student. There was something hidden beneath that seemingly normal façade, something neither of them could identify, yet something that made them question whether the word "child" could truly be used to describe her.

With that said, Victor and Rupert were escorted into the mansion's family living room. The walk there was relatively short, but it was still more than enough to impress both men. As they moved through the spacious hallways, their eyes wandered over every detail of the residence.

The walls were decorated with elegant paintings housed in ornate frames, while porcelain vases and carefully positioned sculptures occupied alcoves and side tables. Some of those pieces probably cost the equivalent of two or three months' worth of salary.

And that was coming from Victor and Rupert's perspective, two men who earned more than enough to live comfortably, enjoy a few luxuries, and never worry much about money. Even so, the wealth displayed throughout the mansion belonged to an entirely different level. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Naturally, both of them had more than enough resources to invest in larger homes or acquire similarly valuable pieces. However, from their point of view, spending outrageous amounts of money on decoration had never seemed particularly sensible.

Rupert, in particular, always set aside a considerable portion of everything he earned for his family. Most members of the organization probably did the same, but in general, they all tended to be discreet about their wealth.

It wasn't unusual to find them living in affluent neighborhoods, surrounded by comfort and security in large, well-maintained homes. However, those homes were rarely extravagant enough to be called mansions. Flaunting wealth simply wasn't part of the organization's culture.

When they reached the end of the hallway, they were greeted by the soft creak of hinges as the door to the main living room swung open. Rupert and Victor stepped through almost simultaneously and, for a brief moment, both fell silent at the sight that greeted them.

The room was enormous, with a high ceiling that made the space feel even larger. An elegant stone fireplace occupied one wall, though no fire burned within it at the moment. Several dark leather couches, all looking exceptionally comfortable, were arranged in a semicircle facing a colossal television.

The screen was so large that Victor blinked a few times just to make sure it was actually a TV. At first glance, both he and Rupert could easily have mistaken it for one of the screens found in a movie theater, only slightly smaller.

Discreet chandeliers cast a warm glow throughout the room, their light reflecting softly off polished wood accents and bookshelves decorated with books, photographs, and carefully selected ornaments. It was a room that radiated luxury without ever feeling excessive.

Everyone settled into the spacious living room, sitting across from one another. Victor and Rupert sat side by side on one couch, while the girl took the seat opposite them beside her parents. The contrast in posture between them was almost comical.

While Victor and Rupert maintained relatively rigid postures, alert to both their surroundings and the situation, the young woman appeared completely unconcerned.

Leaning comfortably against the couch, she casually scrolled through her phone, absorbed in whatever she was looking at as though the meeting held absolutely no importance. For several seconds, silence dominated the room.

The distant ticking of a clock and the faint hum of the air conditioner seemed strangely loud in the absence of conversation. Victor studied the faces in front of him, searching for an appropriate way to begin the discussion. Unfortunately, talking had never been his strongest skill.

Missions, combat, and dangerous situations were simple. You just acted. Delicate conversations, on the other hand, required an entirely different set of skills.

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Beside him, Rupert remained silent, apparently relaxed, but only because he had decided to leave the entire responsibility to Victor. It wasn't due to a lack of ability, just personal preference.

Rupert had always been the kind of man who handled the action during a mission, not the negotiations that came before or after it. If someone needed to kick down a door, confront an anomaly, or deal with a dangerous situation, he would be on the front line without hesitation.

If the task involved diplomacy, formal introductions, or any sort of overly polite conversation, however, he would rather be anywhere else. From Rupert's perspective, that kind of thing was a complete pain in the ass. So he simply crossed his arms and remained silent, leaving the task to whoever was better suited for it. Or, in this particular case, Victor.

Victor, on the other hand, watched the couple discreetly, doing his best to remain as unobtrusive as possible. Just as he had assumed at first glance, they seemed like kind people, the sort of patient parents who had to deal every day with a daughter who was... particularly energetic.

As he gathered his thoughts, he decided to start with the basics. Introductions were a simple and effective way to break the ice: "It's a pleasure to meet you both" His voice was calm and cordial, immediately drawing the couple's attention.

The man straightened slightly on the couch while the woman offered him a polite smile: "Before anything else, I'd like to clarify one thing" Victor continued: "Your daughter isn't in trouble. We're not here to accuse her of anything"

The mother's shoulders seemed to relax a little at that: "Thank God" she murmured with a small sigh: "When we got our daughter's message before you arrived, we started imagining all sorts of things"

"Especially after she refused to explain anything until she got home" the father added, shooting a sideways glance at his daughter.

Victor followed his gaze. The girl remained completely absorbed in her phone, her fingers moving across the screen while an amused smile played at the corner of her lips, as though she were watching something infinitely more entertaining than the conversation happening around her.

For a moment, Victor remained silent, observing the scene. Then he shook his head slightly and turned his attention back to the couple: "Anyway..." he said with a faint smile: "we'd just like to ask a few questions"

The couple exchanged a quick but meaningful look. The uncertainty on their faces was obvious, as though they were silently weighing their options before reaching a conclusion. After a few seconds, the man let out a quiet sigh and nodded: "All right... we'll do our best to cooperate" His voice was firm, though a natural caution still lingered beneath it.

Victor studied him more closely. Despite his neatly trimmed beard and the streaks of gray scattered throughout his hair, he had a relatively youthful appearance, someone who looked younger than he actually was: "My name is Richard Whitmore" He made an open-handed gesture before indicating the woman seated beside him: "And this is my wife"

The woman offered a polite smile and inclined her head slightly: "Victoria Whitmore. It's a pleasure to meet you"

"The pleasure's ours" Victor replied courteously.

Victoria maintained her smile for another moment before turning her attention back to her husband. Richard, in turn, looked toward the final member of the family. The girl remained completely engrossed in her phone. If someone had been watching only her, they would have had a hard time believing she was part of the same conversation.

Her fingers moved rapidly across the screen while her expression remained relaxed, almost bored. There wasn't the slightest sign of concern, curiosity, or even interest in what was happening around her. Victoria cleared her throat softly.

"Dear" Victoria's voice cut through the silence gently, yet carried that unmistakable authority only a mother could have.

The girl lifted her eyes from her phone just enough to look at her: "Hm?" she replied distractedly, without even pausing her movements on the screen.

Victoria raised an eyebrow: "What did I tell you about using your phone? Especially when we have guests?"

Charlotte let out a dramatic sigh, the kind that made it abundantly clear she considered the rule a terrible injustice. Even so, she obeyed. She slipped the phone into her coat pocket and straightened in her chair. The transformation was almost instantaneous.

Her relaxed posture disappeared. Her shoulders squared, her gaze became composed, and her carefree smile vanished, replaced by an elegant and polite expression.

For a brief moment, she truly looked like the daughter of one of the country's most influential families: "My apologies for the poor manners" she said with flawless diction: "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Charlotte Whitmore"

Victor blinked. Rupert remained silent for several seconds. Then the two exchanged a quick glance. Rupert had to make a considerable effort not to laugh. Because that did not suit her at all.

Victor gave a single nod, maintaining the impassive expression that seemed permanently etched onto his face: "I'm Victor Hale" He gestured lightly toward the man beside him: "And this is my partner, Rupert Osart"

As he spoke, he leaned back slightly farther into the couch, adopting an apparently relaxed posture. In reality, he was carefully watching every reaction from the couple sitting across from him. If they chose to cooperate, this would be over quickly. If not, the conversation could drag on far longer than anyone wanted.

"As I said before, there's no need to worry" Victor's voice remained calm and controlled: "We're not here to cause trouble. We're just going to ask a few simple questions, and we only ask that you answer honestly"

The silence that followed lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to reveal the tension lingering in the room. The couple exchanged another quick look. The mother, seated beside her daughter, discreetly squeezed the teenager's hand, a nearly imperceptible gesture that betrayed her concern.

The girl seemed to return the squeeze instinctively, though she continued to display a surprising level of calm for someone in her situation. Victor noticed the gesture immediately but said nothing.

Small details like that often revealed more than lengthy speeches ever could. Rupert, however, seemed distracted by an entirely different problem. His eyes moved from one family member to another before he frowned slightly.

"Wait a second..." he muttered, more to himself than anyone else: "I just realized something"

Victor shot him a sideways glance: "What?"

"We never asked her name" For a moment, Rupert subtly pointed toward the teenager.

"We've been with this girl for hours, and we've still been calling her “the girl” Now that I think about it, that's kind of rude" The girl finally looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow: "Took you long enough"

"Yeah, well" Rupert shrugged without the slightest trace of embarrassment: "I'm not exactly the introductions guy"

A brief smile threatened to appear on the teenager's lips before she suppressed it. Victor observed the exchange in silence. From the very beginning, the girl's name hadn't seemed particularly relevant to the mission's objective. Even so, Rupert's comment had an unexpectedly useful effect. The atmosphere in the room seemed to relax by a few degrees.

Taking advantage of the opening, Victor uncrossed his arms and turned his attention back to the family: "All right. Now that everyone's a little more comfortable..." His tone remained calm: "I think we can move on to the really important questions" Victor's gaze swept across the couple before settling on the teenager. The introductions were over. Now came the part that actually mattered.