Soon, James returned to the villa and leaped onto the second-floor balcony. He was about to enter his room when an unexpected voice from behind caught him off guard.

“Where did you go?”

James turned to the sound and saw an old man sitting in a lotus position in the courtyard.

Lucjan jumped and instantly appeared on the second-floor balcony.

James looked at him calmly, but internally his heart was racing.

He had specifically checked the area before leaving. There seemed to be no one around, and he took great caution to ensure he was not being followed. He never expected Lucjan to spot him on his way back.

James shrugged and replied, “I bored in the room, so I went for a short walk. What’s wrong? Am I not allowed to leave?”

“Of course, you can.”

Lucjan parted his mouth and said, “James, I really like you and I genuinely hope that we can work together as comrades instead of me having to use the poison against you.”

“That’s out of the question.”

James refused. “This is the last t