“Sir, I think we should gag her. It’s risky if she starts screaming on the street. People might think we’re the bad guys!”

My hand froze mid-motion as Toni spoke. He had a point—if she started screaming when we brought her to the car, things could get messy.

“Alright then, find something to cover her mouth. No duct tape, though. Something safe—something that won’t make it hard for her to breathe.”

Toni nodded and began searching. It didn’t take long before he returned holding a scarf—or something like it. A long piece of cloth women usually use to cover their heads.

“I found a pashmina, Sir,” Toni reported.

I smiled. Ah, yes—pashmina!

“Good. Give it to me.” I reached out, and Toni handed it over.

Sylvia’s eyes lit up as she saw me walking toward her. She probably thought I was going to untie her.

“Sorry, but I have to do this. You left me no choice.” I started moving toward her face with the pashmina, but she immediately tried to dodge me, struggling hard.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Don’t touch me! Let me go now or—”

Sylvia thrashed around, trying to avoid the fabric I was aiming to wrap around her mouth.

After a brief struggle, I finally managed to tie the pashmina securely over her mouth. She looked furious—her eyes wide and glaring at both me and Toni. Muffled sounds came from behind the cloth.

“Sorry about this, but we can’t risk you screaming out in public. And don’t worry—we know you’re not some hired thug or an agent for the Big Boss. You’re safe with us,” I said, trying to reassure her.

“Sir, should we search her room?” Toni suggested. “There might be more useful evidence inside.”

I shook my head. “No need. We’ve already found enough. Besides, it wouldn’t be right to rummage through her things. We’re not here to wreck her house. Our main goal is to bring her with us. The rest isn’t our concern.”

Toni nodded in agreement. It seemed Sylvia had heard me too. She wasn’t struggling anymore. Her body was still, no longer fighting us like she did earlier. She just sat there in silence—probably deep in thought.

“Miss Sylvia, nod if there’s anything you’d like to bring with you,” I said.

She quickly nodded.

“Alright.” I gave Toni a signal. “We’ll take off the gag before we leave, but only if you promise not to scream.”

Sylvia nodded eagerly. Toni began untying the pashmina from her mouth.

“I promise I won’t scream. But please, don’t gag me again. It’s really uncomfortable...” she pleaded softly.

“You sure? You won’t make a scene later on the road?”

“I swear. Honestly, I’m scared too. If the authorities get involved in this…”

Ah, just as I thought. She knows. If this mess drags in the police, things will spiral out of control.

“Good. Then we’re on the same page. If the police get involved, a lot more people are going to get hurt. So… Miss Sylvia, I’m really counting on your cooperation.”

She let out a slow breath. “Can I ask… who are you guys? You’re not working for Madam or the Big Boss?”

I gave a faint smile. “Well, I’m the husband of one of the former employees at Wonderland.”

Her eyes widened. “Your wife used to work at Wonderland? Seriously?”

“Yeah. Funny thing is—I don’t know whether I should thank you or be mad. You’re the reason I met my wife, but you’re also the reason we got dragged into this mess.” I chuckled lightly.

Sylvia looked down. She must’ve understood exactly what I meant.

“Anyway, we don’t have time to talk. We need to get out of here before that old bastard finds you.” I glanced at my watch. “Is there anything important you need to take with you? Clothes? Anything? My assistant will grab them for you.”

Sylvia started listing a few personal items. Toni went to fetch everything she needed from her room.

“There’s more… There’s something else I haven’t mentioned—and it’s very important,” Sylvia said suddenly after Toni asked if that was everything.

I looked at Toni, then back at her. “Alright. Can you tell us where it is so we can grab it quickly?”

“It’s… documents. Important documents that belong to the Big Boss. I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s been looking for,” she muttered, her voice trembling slightly.

“Is that so? Alright, where are they?” I kept my voice calm, not wanting to pressure her.

If we managed to take those documents, the Big Boss would be in panic mode. Let him squirm. Let him feel the fear. I couldn’t help but smile darkly at the thought.

Sylvia explained the hidden location of a safe in one of her bedroom cabinets. Toni found it and asked for the passcode. Sylvia hesitated at first, but after I assured her, she finally gave in and told us the combination.

Just as Toni picked up the envelope I had pointed to earlier—thick, official-looking, and sealed with a red stamp—Sylvia’s head whipped around so fast I thought she might hurt her neck.

"Wait—wait! Not that one! Don’t touch that envelope!" she cried out, suddenly panicked.

Toni paused, looking at me.

I raised an eyebrow. “This one?”

Sylvia’s face paled. “That’s not what you think it is. It’s just… personal stuff. Old letters. You don’t need to bring that along.”

I walked over and took the envelope from Toni, flipping it over carefully. The name printed on it caught my eye—someone from a major law firm in Vienna. And beneath that, a bold title: **“Shareholder Agreement & Property Transfer—Confidential.”**

“Old letters, huh?” I shot her a sharp look. “You sure you want to stick with that story?”

Sylvia swallowed hard. “Fine. It’s legal stuff. But it’s mine! I had every right to keep it.”

“Funny,” I said, tapping the envelope lightly against my palm. “Because this says otherwise. This isn’t just legal stuff, Sylvia. This is a key to ownership of some satellite branches, isn’t it?”

Sylvia glared, her jaw tight. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, but I do. Madam was looking for this. You were planning to use this as leverage, weren’t you? Or maybe trade it in for safety once the old man found out you weren’t exactly the devoted wife he thought you were.”

“You think I had a choice?” she snapped. “Do you know what that man was like? Do you know the things he made me do just to survive?”

There was a brief silence between us. For a second, I saw a flicker of something raw in her eyes—fear, maybe… or regret. But it vanished almost as quickly as it came.

“Well,” I said, straightening up and tucking the envelope into my coat pocket, “you can explain that in Wonderland. Or to Madam Sarah. Or both.”

Sylvia groaned and flopped back on the couch, her tied wrists falling limply onto her lap.

“This is such a nightmare,” she mumbled. “You people really don’t know how to mind your own business.”

Toni chuckled under his breath. “Well, lucky for us, your business happens to be our mission.”

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