"Aspen, how did you know they'd leave through the back door?" Christina asked as she and Aspen appeared at the VIP exit after Andrew and Elsie were taken away.

"With such precious items in hand, Radiant Group would obviously arrange a secret exit," Aspen replied with a cold laugh. "Too bad Elsie isn't clever enough to outsmart me."

After a moment of silence, Christina spoke up. "Aspen, once you get your things back, could you maybe ask them to go easy on Andrew?"

Aspen was shocked. "Christie, you can't be soft-hearted about this. Donald is in charge of Jayrodale Police—whatever punishment he decides is out of my hands."

Christina hesitated before asking, "But once they recover your items, that should be the end of it, right?"

Aspen replied mockingly. "That depends on Donald's mood. Though I didn't tell him exactly what to do, he's one of my most devoted admirers. When he learned how Andrew conned me, he was furious. Andrew won't be released until he's learned his lesson."

C