Sophia Sullivan followed the procedure to the mask selection area.
Ryan Lawrence slipped in from somewhere unnoticed.
He lounged casually on the sofa.
His gaze landed on Sophia with feigned innocence.
"Boss, the team's never seen your real face."
"Someone whispered to me that you must be ugly."
"Why else would you always wear a mask during video calls?"
Ryan crossed his long legs carelessly.
His attention remained fixed on Sophia.
"If they knew how beautiful you are, they'd lose their minds."
Sophia always concealed her face behind a mask.
Apart from Ryan, her most trusted subordinate, she never revealed her appearance.
For regular members, she even used a voice modulator.
"Oh? How ugly do they think I am?"
"Not ugly—just too powerful."
"They imagine you as some muscle-bound, bearded brute."
"Or a three-headed, six-armed monster."
Ryan couldn't help laughing.
"The Decagon—"
He barely started before Sophia cut him off.
"Watch your words outside. Walls have ears, don't they?"
"I know... I'm just bored."
Ryan tilted his head, pouting dramatically.
"You've been in A-City so long but never visited me."
Though they usually communicated through secure channels, Ryan hung onto her every word.
"By the way, I noticed you liked this pendant earlier."
"I bought it for you."
Ryan produced the pendant from a brocade box.
He removed his mask, revealing striking features.
His peach-blossom eyes shimmered with mischief.
That smile alone could enchant anyone.
"Boss, this pendant would pair perfectly with your bracelet."
"Don't reject me this time."
Ryan gazed at her with puppy-dog eyes.
His entire expression screamed "I'll be heartbroken if you say no."
"Enough. The lotus pendant is more than enough."
"I don't need this."
Sophia's eyes caught the pendant's crimson hue.
It reminded her of something else.
"I'll visit you all this weekend."
"There's something I need you to investigate."
She rested her chin on her hand, thoughtful.
"Ethan Sullivan's mother—do you have detailed records?"
"I've looked before. I'll compile them for you."
"Focus on her social circle and lifestyle when she was younger."
"Leave it to me."
Ryan suddenly remembered something.
"Boss, I checked when you first asked."
"But here's the weird part—most of her records were erased."
"And it wasn't Ethan's doing."
Ryan found it suspicious.
The Decagon, a top-tier intelligence network, rarely encountered such obstacles.
It only fueled his curiosity.
"Ethan's information was also deliberately concealed."
"Pushing further might alert them, so I held back."
Ryan analyzed seriously.
"And their methods of concealment differ."
"What do you mean?" Sophia frowned.
She had suspicions but needed confirmation.
"Ethan covered his own tracks."
"His approach is aggressive—impossible to breach."
"That 'burn-it-all' attitude is wild."
Methods reflected personality.
Ryan paused, his expression turning peculiar.
"Boss, this Ethan Sullivan is far more dangerous than rumors suggest."
Sophia recalled the secret chamber. She wasn't surprised.
"And Mrs. Sullivan?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately.
He rose slowly and approached her.
"Before that... can I ask for a reward?"
His tall frame loomed over her.
Sophia's lower back pressed against the desk edge.
Ryan leaned down, meeting her eye level, hands braced on the desk.
Sophia looked up. "What do you want?"
"Just to put this necklace on you."
Ryan blinked, eyes bright.
His boyish face raduted innocence.
"Can I, sis?"