Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

It seemed Esther found a sense of security in the company of the seemingly distant yet kind-hearted secretary.

"I guess we could if we really put our effort into it," she replied.

Amelia couldn't help but laugh at Esther's naive statement. "Alright, Miss Esther, my comrade. Keep working hard." "Why aren't you scared? The girl next to you was shaking like a leaf." Esther couldn't hide her curiosity.

Amelia gave Esther a once-over and smiled. "You could say the sfor yourself." Esther was expecting that question. So, she showed her palm, marked with her nails.

Amelia looked at Esther admiringly. "You were so nervous but didn't faint. That's pretty amazing." Esther heaved a long sigh and sat on a wooden stool. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Amelia stared at Esther for a while, then screamed, "I got it. You're Esther!" Esther, puzzled, looked up. "Didn't I tell you my nearlier?" "No, I just remembered. You're famous, right?" Esther nodded. Being famous didn't matter much here. No one in the secluded mountain village knew her.

But Amelia seemed even more excited. "Fantastic! I have an even better idea now. We're going to make it out of here!" Esther remained nonchalant to Amelia's sudden burst of enthusiasm. But then she sensed something amiss. "How do you figure we'll get out?" Amelia looked awkward and hesitant. "Well, because..." Esther smiled at Amelia knowingly. "I know. You're a cop." Amelia was caught off guard. "How could you tell? I thought I hid it well." Esther shook her head. "You weren't very discreet." That made Amelia feel defeated. "What do you mean?" "You were too calm, which was weird. But we could say you're just brave. Then, when Mister Finnegan chose you, you weren't surprised. Most women would be thrilled to be selected. "When we got here, you said I was your comrade. That's something a police officer might say. It didn't make sense towho else would say that.

"Finally... you said we were going to be saved. That means you must have a team ready to help." After piecing everything together, et Esther felt smarter, but she didn't let it get to her head. Instead, she looked conflicted. "So... what brings you here?" ŚwIt was clear Amelia had infiltrated the place.

Amelia looked around, then closed the door and windows. "Alright, I'll be honest with you. I'm an undercover cop from the criminal investigations unit. I'm here to bust this place." Esther nodded in understanding. "So, Finnegan picked you because you're a cop!"