Chapter 269

Ivan never called this late unless it was urgent. That meant something big had come up.

Verena's gaze flickered over to Isaac, who remained asleep on the bed beside her.

The harsh lines of his face seemed gentler in the moonlight, softened into something almost boyish and calm.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she eased herself away, moving with deliberate care so she wouldn't disturb him.

She slid her feet into her slippers and padded out onto the balcony, answering the call in a hushed tone. "Ivan? Any news?"

Her words floated quietly through the stillness.

Ivan's excitement was unmistakable as his voice crackled through the line. "Not news-breakthrough!I pulled up the missing surveillance video. You have to see this right now!"

Verena's drowsiness vanished. Her heart skipped,and her whole face lit up as she replied,"Seriously?That's incredible! I'm coming right over!"

She grabbed a coat from the closet, barely able to contain her anticipation.

All she could think about was getting to lvan's apartment as fast as she could and finally seeing the footage for herself.

Moments later, the soft click of the door echoed down the hallway as she slipped out, her voice fading behind her.

Back in the bedroom, Isaac's eyes snapped open-sharp and fully awake, despite his peaceful appearance just seconds before.

The moment Verena's phone buzzed, Isaac had woken up. He had stayed perfectly still, silently taking in every word she spoke as she answered the call.

The moment Verena said Ivan's name, lsaac felt a sting of jealousy, sharp and unexpected, as if someone had tugged on his heartstrings without warning.

He caught every word-news-clear proof that this was about the task Verena had handed off. Logic told him there was nothing to worry about, but emotion simmered beneath the surface, tightening his brow and dimming his gaze with a shadow of sadness.

Late night painted the city in darkness, muting the usual noise to a gentle hush.

With hardly any cars out, Verena pressed harder on the gas pedal, eyes locked on the empty stretch of road ahead.

She could barely contain her impatience. Every mile brought her closer to the truth-if she could see the footage tonight, maybe she could finally confirm her suspicions.

It took less than twenty minutes for her car to glide to a stop in front of Ivan's building.

She punched in the entry code Ivan had given her,pushed through the door, and found the computer room left slightly open.

Peeking inside, she spotted Ivan hunched over his desk, inhaling instant noodles with the kind of desperation only true exhaustion could bring. His hair stuck up at odd angles, making him look both comical and worn out.

Verena lingered in the doorway for a beat, half amused, half concerned. "Ivan, is this realy all you've eaten lately?" she asked, her tone gently scolding.

Ivan glanced up at the sound of her voice, offering a lopsided grin as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "What can I say? I get stuck on something, and I can't let go until I crack it. Guess we're alike in that way,Verena." There was a kind of stubborn pride in his tired eyes that made Verena smile, a mix of affection and worry bubbling up inside her.

He really was hopeless sometimes.

She stepped closer, tousling his hair in a gentle,sisterly gesture. "You've been pushing yourself too hard.When this is all over, dinner's on me. Whatever you want."

Ivan's whole face brightened at that, his reply quick and eager. "Don't forget you said that, Verena. I plan to eat my fill."

With that settled, the mood shifted as they turned to business.

"Did you already watch the footage?" Verena asked,her voice suddenly serious.

Ivan slurped up the last of his noodles,set the bowl aside without ceremony, and shook his head in answer.

He rolled his chair back to the computer, hands flying across the keys as he launched a flurry of code onto the screen.

Within moments, a new video file appeared.

He looked over at Verena, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "I haven't peeked yet. Figured I'd wait for you."

He wasted no time, dragging the mouse to the play button and clicking it.

Verena settled into the chair beside him, both of them leaning forward as the footage flickered to life.

She watched, absolutely transfixed, her attention locked onto every movement on the screen.

Ivan kept his voice low. "The whole video is about two minutes, starting a few seconds before the crash."

The video played out across a street alive with the ordinary rhythm of traffic. Cars rolled by, horns blared, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Then, out of nowhere, a massive truck lurched into view, veering wildly and smashing headlong into a sleek black Bentley traveling the opposite direction.

Inside that Bentley-Isaac and his father.

The collision erupted with a shattering boom, filling the screen with smoke and screeching chaos.

Verena's brow knitted as she watched the devastation unfold, a tight ache crawling up her throat. Still, she forced herself to stay sharp,determined to study every second.

She focused on the details, eyes darting across the screen, searching for any clue the footage might reveal.

As the recording drew to its final seconds, something in the corner caught Verena's attention. Her eyes went wide.

At the same moment, Ivan leaned in, his finger pointing at the monitor. "There-top right. Do you see that car coming up?"

Verena narrowed her gaze, spotting a shadowy black car drifting by. As it rolled past the wreck, the passenger window slid down partway.

She gripped the table so hard her knuckles turned white. "Pause it-zoom in here."

Ivan responded with a quick "Got it," and then paused the footage and zoomed in on the dark car lurking at the edge of the frame. Both of them leaned closer,tension thick in the air.

The screen filled with the image of a figure whose head and face were tightly swathed in gauze, only a pair of eyes visible through the layers.

At first, the figure's face was nothing more than a blur, almost impossible to make out. Yet those eyes immediately drew attention.

There was a cold, ferocious light in them-a spark that seemed to revel in the chaos erupting around the black Bentley. It was as if witnessing the crash brought the stranger a twisted sense of pleasure.

In the haze of smoke and ruin, those eyes burned like a spectral flame, a presence so haunting it seemed to seep straight from the darkness itself, making Verena's skin crawl.