The room was dim, the only light filtering in through the heavy drapes that lined the tall windows.
"Mr. Jaxon," Anthony began, his voice steady, "you wanted to see me?"
Mr. Jaxon gestured for him to come closer, his expression unreadable. "Yes, Anthony. I wanted to talk to you about something important. You can take the day off today. Go anywhere you like, or perhaps visit home for a while."
Anthony’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Why, Mr. Jaxon? Is there something wrong?"
Mr. Jaxon moved towards the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He stared out at the sprawling estate, seemingly lost in thought. 
"In the months you’ve been with us, you’ve never mentioned much about yourself. I was just wondering if there’s somewhere you’d like to go, someone you’d like to see. Do you have family, Anthony?"
Anthony’s heart quickened, but he had anticipated this moment. He knew Mr. Jaxon would eventually probe into his personal life. 
Keeping his composure, he replied, "Yes, Mr. Jaxon, I do. But my priority is to protect Miss Victoria."
A faint smile played on Mr. Jaxon’s lips as he turned back to face Anthony. "Anthony, you’ve proven to be brave and trustworthy. That’s why I’m offering you this break. Take the day off. Relax. You can return tomorrow."
Anthony maintained his calm demeanor, though his mind raced with questions. What was Mr. Jaxon’s true intention behind this unexpected offer? 
He nodded respectfully. "You can count on me, Mr. Jaxon. I’ll be back tomorrow."
With a final nod from Mr. Jaxon, Anthony turned and left the room, his thoughts rumbling. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this than a simple day off. What was Mr. Jaxon planning?
As soon as Anthony left, Mr. Jaxon called one of his men to follow Anthony.
Mr. Jaxon sat in his lit office, a faint sneer playing on his lips as he watched Anthony ride away on his motorcycle. The sound of the engine faded into the silent mansion.
"Mr. Jaxon," his man began cautiously.
"He has left," Mr. Jaxon confirmed, his eyes narrowing. "Watch him closely. You know what to do, just scare him."
The man hesitated, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Why not just kill him?"
Mr. Jaxon's expression darkened instantly. "Are you stupid? How about I kill you instead?"
Fear flashed across the man's face. "Yes, Mr. Jaxon. I'll just scare him," he stammered before the line went ended.
With an irritated grunt, Mr. Jaxon slammed the phone down on his desk. "Catch me, Blaze, but Mae will get caught up in what you do too," he muttered, a wide smirk spreading across his face.
Unknown to Anthony, Mr. Jaxon already knew his secrets.
"I'll wait for the day you regret your actions," Mr. Jaxon whispered to himself. "I know you're still acting like innocent, after all, it's all about either Mae or your mission."
Outside the office door, Victoria froze. She had been about to enter but had overheard everything. She backed away silently, her heart pounding in her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she stumbled back to her room.
"Anthony... Anthony is Blaze? H-How could this be? I- I don't understand..." Her mind raced with a torrent of questions and fears, the revelation shaking to her core.
Victoria shook her head, "Mission? What mission is she talking about? I’ll find out everything about that," she resolved, her voice barely a whisper but filled with determination.
She stood up, straightening her posture and brushing off any lingering doubt. She left her room with a facade of innocence, her steps measured and deliberate as she navigated the grand hallways of the mansion. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she maintained a composed exterior until she spotted Mr. Jaxon near the front entrance, ready to leave.
"Father, where are you going?" she asked, her voice steady and curious.
Mr. Jaxon paused, glancing back at her. "I'm doing some business," he replied curtly, adjusting his coat.
"I'm going to be alone here?" she asked, injecting a touch of vulnerability into her tone.
Mr. Jaxon's stern expression softened slightly as he placed a hand on her shoulder, patting it gently. "Victoria, you know what you need to do, and you know that I don't want you doing anything that would make me angry, right?"
Victoria nodded, her face a mask of obedience, concealing the turmoil and determination brewing inside her. "Yes, Father," she replied quietly.
Satisfied, Mr. Jaxon turned away, leaving the mansion without another word. Victoria stood there, watching through the window as his car disappeared down the long driveway. The moment the vehicle was out of sight, her demeanor changed.
She quickly go up to the grand staircase to the second floor, her destination clear in her mind. Reaching Mr. Jaxon's office, she grasped the door handle and attempted to turn it. Locked. Frustration bubbled up inside her, but she didn't let it show.
"The heck? The key, I’m sure he left it here somewhere," she muttered under her breath, scanning the nearby area with sharp eyes.
Mae's mind raced, the urgency of the situation pressing down on her like a heavy weight. Her thoughts flitted back to the last place her father had been, the library. Books lined every wall, extending to a second floor above, a veritable place of knowledge and secrets.
Stepping into the library, Mae felt a pang of hopelessness. How was she supposed to find anything in this sea of books? She clenched her fists, willing herself to focus.
"Mae... think! Think!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the shelves, a plea to her scattered thoughts.
As she spun around in frustration, her eyes caught a glimpse of something familiar, a black book. It was the book her father always seemed to have in his hands, a constant companion.
Hope sparked within her as she reached for it, her fingers trembling slightly. She opened the book, expecting to find pages filled with a novel, a story, or perhaps a legend. But instead, she found something entirely unexpected.
The book was a photo album, its pages filled with family pictures. Mae traced a finger over the images, her heart aching with nostalgia as she saw her father in each one.
"Family pictures... they're always together in the photos..." she murmured, her eyes scanning the photographs.
But then, she paused, her brow furrowing. There was someone else in the photos with her father, someone she didn't recognize.
"But... who is this in the photo with my father?" she wondered aloud. "A sibling? Father never told me about this unless he’s hiding something again."