She is a natural disaster.

Chapter 3 Perilous

"Father, tell me about little Montague, whom you watched grow up!"

Anastasia's mind was made up, her eyes filled with determination as if she were about to join some great organization.

"Mike lost his mother at a young age, and without her mediation, his relationship with Bill deteriorated."

According to Father Lawrence, the relationship between the Montague father and son was strained, with Michael harboring a one-sided hatred for his father and believing that old Montague had ruined the family.

Bill, as a father, desperately wanted to mend the relationship between father and son, but father-son relationships are always difficult to manage. They shared a proud spirit, making it hard for them to put on a tender and affectionate show.

In short, the more Bill tried to salvage the father-son relationship, the further Mike distanced himself, and their relationship gradually reached a freezing point. They would not see each other for ten days or half a month, and even when they did meet, they would not speak to each other.

The harder you try, the more heartbroken you become.

“Well, Mr. Montague sounds a bit rebellious,” Anastasia said. “What are his hobbies?”

At this moment, Father Lawrence showed an embarrassed expression, but when Anastasia directly exposed his feigned retreat, the old man did not show any embarrassment.

"His hobbies are quite simple," Father Lawrence said slowly. "Drinking, horse racing, women, and occasionally playing cards with a few friends. That's pretty much all he likes."

His very simple and unpretentious hobbies fit Anastasia's stereotypical prejudice against rich young men.

"Okay, that's a very good hobby."

Anastasia emphasized the word "excellent," pressing it very hard.

After all, Michael Montagu was the most outstanding young man Father Lawrence had ever seen.

"How wide is his usual area?" Anastasia asked. "Does he live alone, or does he live with someone?"

"Mike lives alone in an apartment on Riverside Boulevard," Father Lawrence said. "His usual activities are limited to the area around the apartment, except when he goes to the horse races."

"Riverside Avenue...Upper Town?" Anastasia asked, suddenly no longer wanting to protect Mike Montague, and even wanting to join the villains.

Comparing people is a recipe for disaster; comparing goods is a recipe for discarding them.

Although both lived in apartments, Anastasia and Mike were worlds apart.

Anastasia's apartment is located in Gloria's Old Town, at 7 Angel Street, Seraphim District.

As the name suggests, the Old Town is the old town of Gloria, with numerous factories and countless tall chimneys reaching into the sky. It is also a bustling area with countless people coming and going every day.

Mike Montagu's apartment is located in Gloria's New Town, on Riverside Boulevard in the Upper Town.

Most of Gloria's important figures live in the new city, while the upper city has many commercial companies and is highly favored by the middle class and elites.

To put it another way, Mike Montagu's apartment along Riverside Avenue could buy the entire 7 Angels Street, and he'd still have some left over. It's the same type of apartment, but the difference is that huge.

Gloria is a city where heaven and hell coexist. Some people live high in the clouds, while others are as low as dust. Some are born into great wealth and honor, while others are born into great burdens and kneeling.

Anastasia temporarily set aside her resentment towards the wealthy and asked again, "Besides that terrible suggestion of retreating to advance, are there any other suggestions?"

An old house where a treasure.

Although Father Lawrence harbored many secrets and was cunning, there was no harm in listening to the old man's words.

"My advice is to protect him discreetly and avoid too much contact with Mike," Father Lawrence said. "Until Mike is truly in danger, he will most likely distance himself from you because of Bill."

Anastasia understands the rebellious mentality.

If Mike Montagu were to go to extremes, he could very well end up in danger trying to get rid of Bill's arrangements.

"How about I just break his legs and tie them to my belt?" Anastasia said.

This is a good idea, perfectly solving the problem of Mike Montagu's potential rebellious attitude, which could easily provoke the employer's dissatisfaction, or even lead to Anastasia not being paid.

"There's another reason," Father Lawrence said to himself. "We're not sure who wants to harm Montague, and those who do don't know you. By protecting you secretly and observing you closely, we might be able to find their weaknesses."

Anastasia nodded. The old man's suggestion made sense. For those who wanted to take action against Montague, she, a relatively unknown private detective, was an unknown factor.

"What we need to worry about most are those people in the FBI," Father Lawrence continued. "They know you exist, and they might leak your information, or they might arrange for someone to secretly assassinate you."

The intelligence leak wasn't the scary part; the people in the Bureau of Investigation had limited knowledge of Anastasia, and most of their information came from the action reports submitted by Father Lawrence.

Would a cunning and treacherous old man be the kind of person who tells the truth?

The answer is obvious: he is not the kind of honest person.

What's truly worth noting is the underhanded tactics of those people. They might, as the old man said, arrange for someone to ambush and kill them, or they might secretly kidnap the entrusted target, or something else entirely.

It all depends on what those people in the Bureau of Investigation are capable of, and where their bottom line is.

"I have a question, a very important one," Anastasia said seriously. "What's the worst that the Bureau of Investigation is capable of? Would they just stand by and watch Mr. Montague Jr. be in danger?"

Father Lawrence fell silent; he wasn't sure either.

Famous wealthy businessmen may seem high and mighty, but in the eyes of truly powerful people, they are nothing more than slightly stronger ants.

Father Lawrence was unsure of whose interests Bill had threatened, how powerful that person was, whether he had infiltrated the Bureau of Investigation, and how much influence he had on the Bureau.

A storm is brewing, and a fierce wind fills the building.

Father Lawrence knew that a monstrous storm was about to engulf the glorious city of Gloria.

His gaze shifted back to Anastasia. Who was this young woman shrouded in mystery? And what role would she play in the impending storm?

After a long pause, Father Lawrence slowly spoke, saying, "I don't think they'll directly take action against Mike. The news that Bill sought help from the FBI has already spread throughout the department, and they have to consider the FBI's reputation."

Bill Montague privately sought help from Father Lawrence, while the old man advised Bill to publicly appeal to the FBI, essentially handing the knife to those who opposed Father Lawrence.

Anastasia would never believe that Father Lawrence hadn't made a backup plan, but it's highly likely that this plan wasn't intended for her.

In other words, during the execution of the entrusted task, Anastasia could only rely on herself.

That's good too. You take responsibility for yourself and don't owe anything to others.

"I have no further questions, and I'm ready to leave anytime."

Anastasia looked at Father Lawrence standing by the window. The old man probably wouldn't protect her, but he would likely protect Mike Montagu.

A carefully prepared trap by someone in the Bureau of Investigation, an unknown person who wants to take action against Montague, the unspeakable secret between Father Lawrence and Bill Montague, and that research on the anomaly... It's getting more and more interesting.

Anastasia's heart was restless; she couldn't wait to fly to Mike Montagu's side and begin the perilous commission.

"This is Mike's photo, and the back shows the apartment's address and door number," Father Lawrence said, taking out a photo.

Father Lawrence casually tossed the photograph across the window and onto Anastasia, who was sitting on the sofa.

Anastasia reached out and took the photo. The old man hadn't lied; Mike Montagu was indeed a very handsome young man, with a dignified appearance.

"He's a very handsome little boy."

Anastasia flicked the photo with her finger, a frivolous gesture, her expression even more ambiguous.

Father Lawrence turned to look out the window; he knew Anastasia was telling that terrible joke again.

"Nothing else, I'll be going now," Father Lawrence said. "I'll find out as soon as possible who's trying to harm Montague. Mike is in your hands now."

"Goodbye, old man." Anastasia waved. "Next time, remember to knock and get permission before coming in, or I'll poke a few holes in you."

As the apartment door opened and closed, the room became quiet, so quiet that you could hear breathing.

After a while, Anastasia lit a cigarette. Her soft, sweet oval face was hidden in the wisps of smoke, making it impossible to see clearly what she was thinking.