"I… I must… check your pockets, sir," the guard stammered, his voice breaking slightly.
Leo didn't move, yet his gaze alone was enough to make the guard's knees weaken. With slow, reluctant hands, the guard reached forward, patting down the fabric of Leo's suit jacket. As expected, he found nothing but the whole time, Leo's presence bore down on him, sharp and suffocating, like the edge of a blade resting against his throat.
Meanwhile, Bella's heart thudded nervously as the maid approached her. The woman's fingers were fidgeting, her eyes darting everywhere but Bella's face as she hesitantly reached for her small purse. Bella forced herself to hand it over calmly, though her palms were sweating.
The maid unclasped it, tipped it slightly—then froze. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock. Something heavy and gleaming clinked inside.
The maid's trembling voice cut through the silence like a whip:
"F-FOUND IT!" she cried.
