Chapter 18 Playing the Game

Klaus stood at the top of a lofty building, his gaze as keen as a falcon's, scanning the city below. The details of every street and intersection were clearly visible to him. His target moved silently through a dark alley, seemingly trying to hide.

Emily's figure wove through the narrow alleys, keeping herself deliberately in the shadows, keeping a careful eye on her surroundings as she advanced. Despite thinking herself well concealed, she did not know that a skilled hunter had anticipated her plans.

Klaus leapt lightly into the dark alleyway. He appeared to Emily with perfect timing, as if he had anticipated her every move.

"Ten minutes," Klaus held up her phone so Emily could see the time on the screen. His voice was calm and firm, betraying an unmistakable confidence.

Emily was dumbfounded when Klaus suddenly appeared. She had thought herself well hidden, but she had not expected to be found so soon by Klaus. She felt a pang of shock and bewilderment, wondering what would happen next.

"You have two more chances," Klaus said. His words were terse and clear, giving the impression of authority.

Emily glared at Klaus unconvinced, and then she ran past him and out of the alley. Still in no hurry, Klaus turned to watch Emily disappear down the alley.

Just now, as Emily passed him, the breeze carried a peculiarly sweet scent of her. Klaus took a deep breath until the smell subsided, then slowly squared his shoulders in preparation for the next round of the game.

This time, Emily got even more crafty. She chose to hide in an underground car park to avoid being discovered by Klaus. She leaned carefully between the tightly packed vehicles. Eventually, she noticed that the trunk of one of the cars was unlocked, so she didn't hesitate to lift the lid and get inside.

She considered herself lucky, because shortly after she hid in the trunk of the car, she heard it start.

"This time he certainly won't be able to find me," Emily curled up in the dark trunk with a secret joy.

The car was moving smoothly, and Emily even hoped that the owner would continue driving without stopping, and that she would just sleep and wait for the appointed time to pass, and she would win.

However, just as she imagined, the car came to a sudden stop. The next second, the trunk lid opened and Emily saw the face of Klaus, looking down at her.

The corners of his mouth curved into a playful smile, and the sunglasses on his face glowed with a yellowish hue in the reflection of the streetlights.

"Your destination has arrived, miss."

Reluctantly, Emily climbed out of the trunk and went around to the cab to take a look, but the driver's seat was empty.

Could it be that he was the chauffeur who had been driving just now?

"I hope you're satisfied with my driving skills." Klaus leaned against a streetlamp and lit a cigarette.

That was when Emily realized that he had taken her back to where she had started. She was unconvinced and couldn't understand why he saw through her plans every time.

He must have spotted her hiding in the trunk of the car and then he deliberately pretended to be the driver and drove off. Just when she thought the plan would succeed, he proved that she had lost, once again.

She was angry, but she couldn't bring herself to curse him. She could only stare at him, full of discontent.

"You have one last chance." Klaus looked sideways at her, a puff of smoke escaping his mouth. "If you give up now, I will..."

Emily folded her hands and made a gesture of refusal, as if to tell Klaus that she was going to play again.

"No?"

The pale yellow light fell on Klaus, who stood like a gilded statue beneath a streetlamp, and the sunglasses he wore over his face added a layer of mystery. He looked at Emily, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Are you sure the game is still on?"

Emily nodded vigorously; she would never let go of this last chance. What if she won this time?

"Good." "This is the last time."

Emily immediately turned away, knowing that this was her last chance. She had to win.

As she walked swiftly down the deserted street, she pondered. What was it that made him spot her so quickly?

It dawned on Emily that it was the smell. He must have tracked her by her scent.

It's amazing how Klaus was able to detect her scent without marking her.

A cacophony of voices interrupted Emily's train of thought at that moment. She stopped, saw a brightly lit bar not far away, and came up with a brilliant idea.

Emily walked quickly to the door of the bar, where many people were jostling each other to get inside. Two security guards struggled to maintain order while shouting at the crowd.

Emily noticed billboards of well-known strippers on either side of the bar's door, which was hosting a striptease party this evening. No wonder so many men were blocking the entrance.

Suddenly, a security guard was pushed aside, and the next second, people were pouring into the bar. Emily immediately followed the crowd inside.