The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 128: An Intruder

Chapter 128: An Intruder

Rory walked with careful steps through the thick foliage. There might be dangerous insects or poisonous vines along the way. She turned on the torch in her phone. But she heard the distant mumbles of the news reporters as they were talking amongst themselves.

She did not want to alert them.

She turned off the torch and walked in the darkness. The forest behind was pitch dark. Every movement of the branch made knots form in her stomach. She rarely takes this path and even when she takes this path, she never takes this path at night. Only Liam frequents this path whenever.

The worst of all... she thought that someone was watching her from a distance hiding in the darkness.

Holding her breath, she ran as fast as she could. She wanted to get to the safety of walls and doors. She managed to get to the fence. She could see the chicken coop from there. It was lit up and the workers were outside having their drinks.

She carefully dodged the security guard and walked to the back door. She entered using the spare key she had with her in case of emergencies.

She did not want to turn on the lights inside the house so as not to alert the workers. She mainly did not want to be caught spying in her grandmother’s house. She did think that there might be odd security arrangements like the one she encountered that day.

But still, she decided to give it a try. She did not think that she can get the file if she asks for it properly. So she should steal it. And there could be other information her grandmother can be hiding. If push comes to shove, she can trade secrets to help Liam.

Yes, she was planning on extorting those officials if properly handling it through the lawyer does not work out.

Although the lawyer they hired knew how to bend the laws almost enough to break them, she still was not confident. It was ingrained in her brain that Liam would be freed only when the true culprit was found.

And for that, she decided to do anything she can.

She searched the kitchen cabinets first. Other than with her grandmother, Mrs. Delport spends longer time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. She had a feeling that Mrs. Delport would have kept the files here. That file, definitely won’t be where she saw it the other day.

With the phone torch, it was not easy to search. She accidentally pushed a handle and the saucepan on the counter almost fell but she grabbed it before it fell to the floor. She was relieved that the crisis was averted. She placed the saucepan elsewhere on the counter.

She searched every cabinet carefully. And no jar was left unopened. She even checked the small spice jars wondering if they are there as trips to open a safe or a secret room. But she could not find anything other than some money and a couple of guns.

There were a lot of twenty-dollar notes and Rory threw them inside the cabinet out of frustration. She does not need money.

But then she thought about it.

Money is money.

She took all the twenty dollars and stuffed them inside her pocket. She decided to search Mrs. Delport’s room next. It was closer to the kitchen and as she walked through the hallway, she heard a soft clicking sound.

Her senses got alerted and she observed closely. She could not see clearly as it was pitch dark. All the windows and doors were closed and no light was inside the house.

*Thud*

She heard a heavy footstep by the front door. Her heart skipped a beat. She waited for a moment to see if that person is turning on the lights. If it was the security guard or someone who works here, they will turn on the lights.

But they did not turn on the lights.

Who could that be?

Rory carefully retreated to the kitchen. The heavy footstep was walking closer to the couch in the living room. Rory remembered a porcelain vase there. She has seen her grandma storing her jewelry there at times. Her grandma was weird at times. She would say that no one would expect that they will find a pearl necklace in a vase and so no one will look there.

But Rory did not think that it was a good idea.

And that person was walking straight to the vase as if he could see clearly where he was headed to. Rory thought that this person might be familiar with the arrangements in the house, or, he could be wearing night-vision goggles.

But if he was wearing night-vision goggles, he would see her.

She got more scared and pasting herself to the wall, she retreated to the kitchen. She hoped the guns she saw in the kitchen were loaded.

As she was walking back, she saw a small light blinking in the living room. The intruder probably was checking his phone. She only saw a shadow on the wall. And her soul almost left her body.

That man is gigantic! Who is he? A spy? Is he trying to steal information from here?

Rory gulped and stepped backward slowly. She felt something on her elbow as she just reached the counter and...

*clang*

The saucepan on the counter fell with a loud noise. Rory gasped.

"Who’s there?"

The deep voice of the intruder caused butterflies in her stomach. Rather than freezing on the spot, Rory ran to the counter and took the gun out. The moment she held the gun, she thanked God because it was loaded.

She turned the safety off the gun and walked to the hallway. The lights were on in the living room and she saw a big, brawny man wearing flannel walking toward her with a gun pointed at her. Although he was brawny, his face looked like that of a boy’s.

Even in the warm lights, his piercing blue eyes were so prominent. His sleeves were folded up to his elbow and Rory noticed the tattoo of a wolf on his forearm.

A gangster?

"Drop it...Pony," he said with a smirk.

"Pony?" Rory snorted. No one has ever called her pony. She did not know why he is calling her a pony. Is it because of my hairstyle?

"You drop your gun, Mister!" she shouted trying to sound as intimidating as possible. She turned on the lights in the hallway.

"Help! There’s an intruder in the house!" she shouted hoping the security would hear her.

"Hmm..." the man was not intimidated. He looked at Rory from top to bottom. "Your fingers are on the trigger, Pony. Haven’t you learned trigger discipline in your gun school or whatever...?" he asked.

"What?" Rory furrowed her brows and planted her feet firmly on the floor. She didn’t know what kind of weird person this is. She could see his finger on the trigger.

What? Trigger discipline does not apply to him?

"You broke into my grandma’s house! As per castle doctrine, I can shoot you dead without any consequence. My finger is on the trigger because I will shoot you if you take one more step forward!"

"Your grandma’s house? Look, pony... I like how feisty you are but why are you lying? If this is your grandma’s house, why are you sneaking in through the back door and stealing money from the kitchen?"

Rory pouted as she didn’t have an answer. She did steal money and she came here to steal a file. She was embarrassed and in front of the very handsome stranger, her embarrassment turned to anger.

She pointed the gun at him firmly. "Look, mister! I don’t have to prove to you who I am. Just because you have dark hair, doesn’t mean you can test my patience. Just..."

As she was speaking, the security guard got inside the house. "Please... calm down, both of you!" He stood with his back to the intruder.

Rory glared at the security guard. It seems like he knows who that man is.

"Who is he? Why is he inside the house?" She shouted. "Don’t you know grandma does not like others entering the house?"

"Miss Roberts, please lower your gun. He is a guest. Mrs. Delport informed me today. I am sorry I did not notify you beforehand. He is Robert Milroy from Fitzgerald Lumber Corp. They are the ones who are-"

"He’s a guest?" Rory raised her eyebrows.

She didn’t know whether she should be embarrassed about her uncouth behavior or if she should be surprised that her grandma lets someone else stay in her house.

Something is fishy.

"Alright, now, Pony..." Robert cocked his head. "Let us both lower our guns at the same time. What say you?"

"Don’t call me Pony, Mr. Milroy," Rory glared at him and lowered the gun.

"You can call me Bobby," he said and Rory clenched her jaws.

If there is a guest here, how can she steal the file?

It was then the phone rang. Rory quickly answered the phone. That guy is a guest... A guest... But she is...

Well, I too am a guest...

Mrs. Delport had called. "What are you doing in the house in the dark? You could have walked in through the front door if you had the keys!"

Rory wanted to ask Mrs. Delport how she knew all the details, but she figured that the house might be in surveillance.