As the silence stretched on, Christian finally took the initiative and spoke in the calmest tone he could muster.

    "Actually, I''m just going to take care of an assassin and then come back."

    Annabelle''s pupils quivered slightly at his words, but in the end, she simply replied, "Is that so?"

    Feeling guilty, and unable to even meet her eyes, Christian nodded and said, "Yes. And you can ask Iris anytime about how things are progressing if you get worried... or just curious."

    Annabelle scuffed in frustration, her tone laced with spite. "If you didn''t want me to be worried at first, how could I possibly be now?"

    "That... was me not thinking enough," Christian admitted, his voice laced with regret.

    "I''m sorry," he added, lowering his head as he apologized.

    Annabelle stared at her brother, feeling like she had a million things to say. But in the end, she said nothing. Instead, she simply opened her arms, her expression softening ever so slightly.

    As Christian awkwardly hugged her, Annabelle tightened the embrace on her own, pulling him closer. They stayed like that for some time, the silence stretching between them, heavy yet comforting.

    When she finally loosened her grip, Christian instinctively moved his head back slightly, his gaze locking onto hers.

    At that moment, memories of earlier flooded her mind, his close breath brushing against her when he leaned down before leaving the room. She still didn''t know if that had been his true intention or if he had changed his mind upon managing to hear her heart pounding so loudly.

    But now, as she looked at him, her uncertainty gave way to determination. She moved her hands around his neck and gently pulled his head down toward her.

    ''If you can''t take the first step,'' she thought, her resolve unwavering, ''then I can do just that for you.''

    Catching on to her intention, Christian, still locking his gaze with his sister, felt his heart flutter slightly. But this time, he didn''t hesitate.

    He reached out, cupping her cheeks gently with his hands, then, finally kissed those appetizing lips.

    "Has she received any calls or further orders?"

    "And what about our surroundings? Is there anyone expected to help her?"

    [Currently, the area surrounding the house is clear with no one around, and the assassin is truly working alone, as she hasn''t made contact with anyone during all this time.]

    "Then, what is she doing? Can you tell?"

    [That''s something I don''t know.]

    Standing at the entrance of the house, Christian, feeling irritated, wondered what he should do next when suddenly, Iris''s voice came through again.

    [Master, the assassin has started moving.]

    "Finally."

    As he said that, Christian left the house immediately, while at the same time, observing the assassin''s mark as it moved on the map.

    While driving the car, Christian observed the road the assassin was taking, a route he hadn''t anticipated. Then, looking at the interception point Iris had selected, doubts began to form in his mind.

    [Master, since the assassin is actually on a motorcycle, the previous calculations were off. The new interception point I provided is relatively empty, especially at night.]

    [Most importantly, intercepting her at this point will be quite easy.]

    Hearing Iris''s explanation, Christian glanced at the map again. After thinking and memorizing the route he should take, he spoke.

    "From now on, display her live movements on the screen whenever she passes under a security camera, in addition to her location."

    [Understood.]