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Chapter 3 The Handsome Man

Sophia rolled into the Amber District, following the lead Daniel had given her.

This place was the crown jewel of Emerald City, with its posh vibe. Picture-perfect villas lined up against the mountain, with the ocean stretching out at the base.

From afar, one could catch the waves crashing against the rocks, ships cruising by, and seagulls doing their thing. It was like a postcard come to life.

Matthew lived in a three-story villa at 188 Brookside Road. The front yard was a floral wonderland with roses, orchids, tulips—you name it.

But before Sophia could soak in the scenery, two housekeepers showed up, grabbed some scythes, and went to town on the flowers, hacking them down and stuffing the remains into garbage bags.

Meanwhile, a couple of other folks were hauling stuff out of the house, dumping a bunch of junk into the bins out front. Sophia noticed some pricey cosmetics in the mix. 'Are they moving out?' she wondered.

She peeked inside and decided to head in. The door was wide open, and she could hear voices. "Ditch the TV, and clear out the bedroom. I don't want anything that reminds me of her, not even the bed."

Sophia stood at the entrance, watching a petite woman, maybe 4'9", with a knockout face and a slim figure, bossing around the housekeepers. She couldn't be more than thirty.

The woman spotted Sophia and looked a bit wary. "Who are you?"

Sophia walked over, smiling and extending her hand. "Hey, I'm from the Mystery Detective Agency. Is Mr. Moore around?"

"Mystery Detective Agency?" The woman frowned. "He's not here. What do you want?"

"I'm here to find out about Mrs. Moore," Sophia said, glancing around. "Do you know anything about her?"

"I don't know," the woman snapped, looking shifty. "We're busy. You should leave. If you have questions, ask Matthew."

Sophia sized her up, curious. "And you are...?"

"None of your business," the woman shot back, turning on her heel and heading upstairs. She waved to the housekeepers. "Come on, let's clear out the upstairs."

Feeling a bit awkward, Sophia turned to a male cleaner outside. "What's going on? Why are you tossing all this stuff? Some of it looks brand new."

The guy hesitated, glanced inside, and then whispered, "The lady of the house has changed. The new one wants to get rid of all the old stuff, says it's bad luck."

Sophia nodded, piecing it together. The woman inside was probably a mistress.

"Don't you want any of this?" she asked, pointing to the garbage bin.

The man shuddered. "Who'd want to use a dead person's stuff?"

As he spoke, a gust of wind knocked a broken photo frame out of the nearby garbage bin.

Sophia walked over and picked it up. The frame was busted, but the photo inside was still clear.

The woman in the picture was stunning, rocking a white wedding dress and a sapphire ring, smiling with an air of elegance. Next to her was Matthew, looking pretty average. Just a regular guy.

Sophia took a mental snapshot of their faces. She had Matthew's number from Daniel, so she gave him a call. As soon as she mentioned she was from the Mystery Detective Agency, he hung up on her.

Clearly, they didn't want her snooping around.

Sophia's curiosity was piqued even more.

She glanced up at the villa and saw that woman on the third floor, watching her. Their eyes met, and the woman quickly walked away.

Two housekeepers started cleaning the windows.

Sophia decided to bail and come back later. When she got to the Mystery Detective Agency, the door was open.

'Is the boss back?' she wondered. Driven by curiosity, she peeked inside and saw a slender guy wiping the counter.

He looked to be in his twenties, with a neat hairstyle, slightly melancholic eyes, and sharp features. He was about 6 feet tall, and his black trench coat gave him a bit of a mysterious vibe.

"Need something?" he asked without looking up, still wiping the table.

Sophia looked around, realizing he was talking to her, so she walked in.

"Are you a detective too?" she asked after a moment.

He still didn't look up, his voice cold. "How'd you guess?"

Sophia sat down on a nearby chair. "I heard the boss isn't as young as you. You seem pretty familiar with the place, so it can't be your first time here. Plus, your observational skills are sharp. I was barely peeking in, and you noticed me."

Hearing this, the guy finally looked up, his melancholic eyes meeting hers.

Sophia thought he was pretty handsome.

"I'm a detective here," he said, grabbing a wet wipe to clean his hands. "The boss said I should mentor you."

"You're gonna mentor me?" Sophia almost laughed. "I majored in criminal investigation in college."

The guy tapped the table with his fingers and asked, "Got a lot of experience solving cases?"

Sophia's smile faded. Her grades were top-notch, but she had almost no real-world experience. She'd done great in school simulations, but that was about it.

"Do you have a lot of experience?" she asked, looking at him skeptically.

He didn't look like someone who'd been through a lot.

"Over a hundred cases," he said calmly.

Sophia was stunned. "You don't look much older than me. Does the Mystery Detective Agency really handle that many cases?"

"Not just here," he said. "I'm also a criminal police officer."

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