Neither Vanessa nor Kelly flinched at first. Both of them kept their expressions steady, their eyes locked on him.
Vanessa tilted her head faintly. "I don't know what you mean," she said coolly. "We came here for business. Nothing more."
"That's right," Kelly added. "If we wanted games, we would've gone elsewhere. We want serum supplies. Nothing else."
The old man chuckled again, his smile now wide enough to reveal the faint lines around his mouth. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasping together as he looked at them closely.
"Let me guess," he said slowly, savoring every word. "Liam is hiding somewhere nearby. Watching. Waiting. Waiting for me to slip. For me to hand over the location of Crimson Hand."
At the mention of Liam's name, both women froze for a fraction of a second. It was subtle—barely a flicker in their eyes, a tightness in their lips—but it was there.
And that was enough.
