Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 153: Chapter 153

Henry made his way to Zoe's room. Luckily, the Gracevale Grand Hotel had a strict rule—if one wasn't checked in, one couldn't get into the living area. If not, it would be super crowded.
Henry walked over to Zoe. "We've changed our flights. We're leaving tonight."
Zoe nodded. She was okay with the plan.
Henry paused for a moment, wanting to ask Zoe again about who she really was. But then he remembered how she'd denied it in front of all the media. Even if she was Fox, she probably had her reasons for hiding it.
Zoe had already brought fame to Clusia. Whether she was Fox or not didn't really matter anymore.
As time went on, more reporters got tired of waiting outside and finally left. Henry could finally relax.
"I thought we'd be stuck here all night, but most of the reporters are gone now. No idea why they all left," someone said.
"In past years, even when hotel staff tried to chase them off with batons, they wouldn't leave. This year, even they believe Zoe is Fox, they're not even sticking around. It's strange," another said.
"Anyway, when we get back, I really want to ask Zoe for some driving tips. Next time, we'll win even more for Clusia together," said the youngest racer on the team.
He clenched his fist, confident, eyes shining with hope for the future.
Seeing this, Henry couldn't help but feel a little softer. "Alright, everyone, we have a flight tonight. Go back to your rooms and get some rest. I'll let you know when it's time to go to the airport."
Once everyone else left, Henry gave Zoe a warning. "Daniel's not a good guy. I'm worried he might get back at you. Keep your phone with you all the time, and if anything happens, call me right away. I'm next door."
Even though she didn't really need his help, Zoe nodded anyway. Seeing her calm, almost indifferent look, Henry hoped he was just overthinking. He wished everyone could get back to Clusia safe and sound.
Meanwhile, at an old junkyard in Yaniston, two groups were getting ready for a secret weapons deal.
One was led by Bruno—Daniel's dad and Yaniston's top arms dealer.
This wasn't just any deal; it was way bigger—hundreds or even thousands of times bigger than the batch Shawn and his crew hijacked at the airport.
All the weapons Bruno's people had smuggled out of Clusia were gathered here. As the supplier, Bruno had already sent his men to check the place and set up traps, all to keep things from going wrong.
What he didn't know was, the other side was just as worried about being double-crossed. They had sent their own scouts to check the place out. Both sides were on high alert, each watching their turf.
Night was coming fast, and Henry, still unaware that a big storm was coming, was about to tell everyone to pack up and head to the airport.
Just then, Zoe stepped out of her room and immediately sensed something was wrong. Her nose was sharper than most people's.
After years as a mercenary, she could smell blood even in a glass of water. So when she caught that strong, metal-like smell, she got on edge.
Hotels usually don't smell like blood. But the air was heavy with a smell that couldn't be hidden. Something was seriously off. Zoe's face darkened.
"Zoe, you ready? I was just about to check on the two kids to see if they're good to go. Want to come?" Henry asked with a smile as he stepped out from next door.
When he saw Zoe's serious face, he stopped smiling. Just from that strong smell, Zoe already knew: "Someone's dead." Her voice was flat, almost like she didn't care.
That was just who Zoe was—cold and detached. On the battlefield, mercenaries with feelings never lasted long.
As soon as she said it, Henry's face froze. "W-what? Zoe, don't joke. We're about to go back to Clusia. How could anyone be dead?"
He saw Zoe walking straight to the room at the end of the hall—the one where the two youngest members of the Clusia racing team were staying.
With a loud bang, Zoe pushed open the door. Instantly, the strong, metallic blood smell hit Henry—so strong it seemed to go into his bones, impossible to ignore.
After kicking the door open, Zoe saw the youngest of the team—the one who talked the most, always asking her to teach him how to drive.
His eyes were wide open, shock written all over his face, a deep cut across his neck, blood everywhere. He was already gone, but his eyes still burned with defiance, not wanting to accept what had happened.
Just a little while ago, those eyes had been full of hope and dreams. Now, they looked dull and gray, lifeless as ashes. Even Zoe, who had seen death before, felt a chill run through her.
With a thud, Henry, who had followed her to the door, collapsed to the floor. His whole body shook, eyes wide with fear, guilt, and shock. "No—"
Even after half an hour, Henry was still in shock, tears running down his face as the rest of the team gathered around him.
"Who did this? Who the hell did this?"
"Damn it!"
No one there had an answer. The room was filled with a heavy, suffocating silence.
Only Zoe moved. While everyone else was frozen, she grabbed the laptop from the table and hacked into the hotel's security system.
It was almost too easy—no one had tried to erase the footage. The killer must have left it on purpose. The security footage from about ten minutes ago showed up on the screen.
That made Henry snap out of his shock. He ran to the laptop, shouting in grief and anger, "Who did this? Who the hell was it?
"He was only nineteen, so talented and hardworking. All he ever wanted was to make it big internationally. I didn't let him race this time—I wanted him to train more and get even better."
"But he never even got the chance." Henry's voice cracked.
One of the team members finally broke down, rushing at Zoe with tears running down his face. "Zoe, don't you have anything to say? He ended up like this because of you!"
"This isn't Zoe's fault. I'm the team leader—if anyone's to blame, it's me for not protecting everyone. I take full responsibility," Henry shouted.
The whole room went quiet. The security footage on the screen caught everyone's attention.
It showed the hotel hallway. A man dressed like a hotel worker walked up to the door, knocked, and slipped inside. Not long after, everything inside went quiet.
It was clear—one of their teammates had been killed, and the man disguised as staff had taken the other one, the missing teammate.
"So that means the other one is still alive."
"Yeah, he's still alive. We have to save him."
"But we don't even know where they took him. How can we find him?"
Just as everyone was stuck, Zoe's phone suddenly rang.