As soon as Seven stood between them, Xander's gaze shifted away from Scarlett, and he frowned in displeasure.
"No, I just want to talk to this madam. I think I've met her before," he said calmly.
"Oh, she's my wife," Seven replied, smiling at Xander.
"Your wife? Oh, I'm very sorry." Xander was taken aback, surprised to learn that the young woman was married to this older man. "I thought she was someone else. Someone dear to me. Someone I missed so much..." Then he excused himself.
With a despairing look, Xander turned and left for the party hall, leaving Scarlett and Seven alone to process what had happened.
Scarlett couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as Xander left, but sadness still lingered in her heart. She knew she couldn't be frank with him about her other identity as a core member of The Fox.
As she stood there with Seven by her side, Scarlett couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt and regret. She wished she could tell Xander the truth, but she knew it would only lead to trouble and danger for their organization.
Scarlett climbed into the car with a heavy heart, and Seven followed suit.
As they drove away, Scarlett couldn't help but wonder how long she could keep up this charade and how much longer she could keep her secrets hidden from the people she cared about the most!?
Scarlett, in silence, took a deep breath to calm her racing but sad thoughts. Xander's image repeatedly played in her mind, making her heart ache with longing.
As much as she wanted to talk to him and hug her husband, she knew she couldn't — not while on a mission. He looked so close, yet so far away. She was restless, knowing that any mistake could blow her cover and jeopardize their guild's mission.
eαglesnᴏνel She took another deep breath and opened her eyes, staring at the Hill Mansion from afar.
Now, she can't wait to return to base camp to call Xander and hear his voice again. She wanted to be with him, feel his arms around her, apologize for doubting his love, and tell him how much she loved him.
...
In the Wedding Hall.
Xander walked into the hall with ease. But he's not here for the celebrations; he aims to find his wife. Xander walked past the other guest, heading to the back of the hall where a room resembling a control room awaited him.
As he entered the room, a tall man of his age, built like a military officer, greeted him with open arms.
"Xander Riley, my friend! What a surprise to see you here!" The man's voice was warm and filled with disbelief that one of his friends from Astington country had come to his brother's wedding.
"Alex Hill, my friend! It's been too long!" Xander exclaimed as he accepted Alex's warm embrace. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your family event with my personal matters," he added, feeling slightly guilty.
Alex waved his hand gently. "Nonsense! My friends are always welcome, whatever the reason for their visit."
Xander felt a surge of gratitude towards Alex, who had always been a loyal friend. "I appreciate that, Alex. But I'm here for a reason. I need your help."
Xander can't wait to meet his wife, so he uses various means to find her. He knew Scarlett was in this country, but Rex didn't explicitly give Scarlett's location to him. All Rex had told him was that Scarlett had plans to get a DNA sample from Dax Withers.
But with that clue, Xander could easily guess where Scarlett was tonight. Dax Withers was scheduled to attend a party, and Xander had a feeling that Scarlett would be there too.
Xander feels grateful that this party belongs to the Hill family. The reason is that Alex Hill, the family's first child, was Xander's best friend and a special forces officer in Country X. They often worked together secretly solving international crimes.
"Hahaha, don't worry. I'm a bit bored at this party. You know, my stupid little brother got married before me!" Alex shook his head, displeased.
"But sure, why do you suddenly want to see the control room? Are you looking for someone?" Alex continued his words. He was confused by Xander's strange request.
Xander's smile was faint as he spoke, "I'm searching for someone, but I'm not certain if they'll be at this party..."
Alex chuckled, "You don't have to look through the control room, buddy. Who are you looking for? I can trace them using the guest list." He reached for his iPad and began to search the list of invited guests for the night. With only a hundred invitations, it was a quick search.
Xander remained silent, contemplating whether Scarlett would use her real name to attend the party. He hesitated momentarily, unsure whether to disclose to Alex that he was searching for his wife in disguise. Ultimately, he decided to keep it to himself and instead requested access to the CCTV footage.
"Sure thing," Alex replied with a smile, understanding the sensitive nature of the search. As special forces in the military, they are used to keeping secrets like this.
Alex quickly granted Xander and his team access to the CCTV and instructed his staff to leave the room.
"You're welcome, buddy..." Xander said before Alex left the room.
Xander turned to the thin man with thick glasses standing in the corner, "Alistar..."
Without uttering a word, Alistar approached the computer and began to expertly navigate through the footage, his fingers dancing across the keyboard as his eyes remained fixed on the monitor.
Alistar had received photos of Scarlett's appearance from Xander before arriving at the control room, allowing him to identify the woman he was searching for in the CCTV footage.
Xander joined Alistar, sitting beside him with his gaze locked on the monitor as they analyzed the footage from multiple angles.
They remained vigilant, aware that Scarlett could be in disguise, and her disguise had always been perfect. So, they needed to be careful in their search.