The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 284
After the meal, the two strolled along the mall corridors, but the atmosphere was clearly not as cheerful as before.
Suddenly, Leilani stopped. She acutely sensed that someone was following them.
Leilani’s intuition had always been sharp. The faint gaze from behind felt like a cold snake, silently latching onto the back of her neck.
Yvonne was excitedly looking at a necklace. Seeing Leilani stop, she looked up in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
Leilani turned her head slightly, her peripheral vision scanning the crowd behind them, but she didn’t see anyone suspicious. She frowned slightly, wondering if she was being too paranoid. “Nothing.”
Leilani calmly pulled Yvonne into an accessories store, using the reflection in the mirrors to observe the rear, but found nothing unusual.
Was she overthinking it? She frowned slightly and was about to look away when she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow.
By a pillar in the mall, a man wearing a black baseball cap was looking down at his phone. The brim was pulled low, obscuring his face.
Leilani’s gaze lingered on him for a second. The man seemed to sense her attention and suddenly looked The moment their eyes met, the man grinned, revealing a set of stained yellow teeth.
“Hey beautiful, got a light?”
He waved the cigarette in his hand, acting as natural as any passerby.
Leilani’s gaze was cool as she shook her head. “I don’t smoke.”
The man shrugged, turned, and blended into the crowd, quickly disappearing.
Yvonne leaned in, curious. “Who was that? Do you know him, Leilani? That guy doesn’t look like a good person.”
Leilani withdrew her gaze. “It’s fine. Just someone asking for a light.”
Unfortunately, Leilani didn’t see what happened next. After speaking to her, the man in the baseball cap walked to a corner of the mall. The angle allowed the pillar to hide his body while giving him a clear view of Leilani and Yvonne’s movements.
In the corner, the man pulled his cap lower and spoke into a headset in a low voice. A languid yet chilly female voice came from the other end. “Is it done?”
The man lowered his voice further. “There’s a snag. Yvonne has a woman with her, I think her name is Leilani. That woman seems cautious. If I hadn’t been quick, she would have spotted me.”
Silence fell on the other end for a moment, followed by a light laugh that carried a hint of amusement and malice.
“Leilani? Hah… enemies really do cross paths.”
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The man hesitated. “Should I handle them together?”
The woman hummed, her tone disdainful. “I originally only wanted to get rid of that nuisance Yvonne, but since Leilani delivered herself to the door… clean them both up.”
She paused, her voice turning abruptly cold. “Remember, make it clean. Don’t leave any loose ends like last time.”
“Understood.”
The woman seemed to think of something and added slowly. “By the way, that Leilani is cunning. Be smart and don’t give her a chance to pull any tricks.”
The man hung up and quietly trailed behind Leilani and Yvonne. The two friends wandered through the streets, walking along the bustling downtown avenues to digest their meal.
The evening city center was surging with people and heavy traffic. Neon lights reflected off the crowds, creating a noisy and lively scene.
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