The Villains Must Win-Chapter 97: Valerian Cross 17

The moment Valerian returned to HQ, he went straight to the vaults. As much as he despised the thought, he couldn’t entirely dismiss Evelyn’s suggestion—because she had a point.

It took days to go through the inventories. The vaults held countless tomes, ancient relics, and alchemical supplies, and each item had to be checked one by one.

A tedious process, but a necessary one.

In an era without computers and with technology still in its infancy, everything had to be done manually—a painstaking and nightmarish task for the inventory team.

Meanwhile, Evelyn busied herself in her newly granted laboratory, brewing potions with an ease that put CROSS’s own alchemists to shame.

Though they had their own doctors and potion makers, nothing they crafted could compare to the work of a centuries-old witch. That was precisely why Valerian had reluctantly agreed to her presence—though he still didn’t trust her.

Then, after days of meticulous searching, the results were in.

Valerian sat at his desk, rubbing his temple as he read the report. Several critical items were missing from the vault inventory. But what truly unsettled him wasn’t just the theft—it was what had been stolen.

Among the missing items were advanced regeneration elixirs, the kind that could accelerate a vampire’s natural healing tenfold. There were also rare alchemical formulas—ones designed to counteract silver poisoning, neutralize the effects of garlic, and dull the impact of wooden stakes. Some of the stolen recipes even hinted at protective enchantments against holy relics.

The implications sent a chill through him.

These weren’t just random stolen goods. Someone inside CROSS had been supplying the enemy with the means to resist their most effective weapons. That explained why their recent hunts had been failing, why vampires had suddenly stopped falling to silver as easily as before.

And worse—whoever had done this had access to the vault.

Only high-ranking officials had clearance to enter that chamber. This wasn’t the work of an outsider or a low-level operative.

This was betrayal.

Valerian clenched his fist. Someone within their ranks was feeding the creatures of the dark—arming them, strengthening them. And that meant every mission, every strategy, could already be compromised.

His jaw tightened as he set the report down.

Evelyn had warned him, but she hadn’t given him the full picture. Either she was holding something back, or she wanted him to figure it out himself.

Either way, he would find out who the traitor was.

And when he did . . . there would be no mercy.

=== 🖤 ===

The next morning, Valerian and Evelyn sat across from each other at breakfast, as had become routine. Each day, she reported on the progress of her brews, a necessary arrangement—though neither of them would admit they had grown accustomed to these quiet meals together.

"You were right," Valerian stated casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence as she cut into her meat. "Right about what, exactly?"

Valerian exhaled deeply, his fingers drumming against the table. "About the traitor."

Evelyn smirked. "Oh? So, you’re finally admitting that the great and powerful Valerian was wrong? That must sting." She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "You should apologize to all the witches you accused—and especially to me. Imagine if you’d actually killed me. You’d never have figured it out, and the vampires would still be stealing from under your nose."

Valerian didn’t dignify that with a response. He simply stared at her with that no emotion on his face. "It’s impossible. No vampire or creature of the night could infiltrate our headquarters. We would have detected them long before they got anywhere near our vaults."

Evelyn sighed, slicing another piece of pork. "Right. Which means the traitor must be human, doesn’t it?" She popped the food into her mouth. "And not just any human—a high-ranking one, someone with enough access to let a vampire walk right in. "It would be impossible to sneak those items out undetected, especially with the magi detection devices in place. The only logical explanation is that vampires came here, took them, and conjured a magic portal—poof! Gone without a trace."

Valerian stilled. A flicker of realization crossed his face, and his grip on his fork tightened.

"I’m the only one with the key to deactivate the magical array," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

Then he trailed off. His entire posture shifted, muscles tensing beneath his uniform. Evelyn didn’t miss the way his eyes darkened, a storm forming in their depths.

Oho. So, he had an idea.

"What’s with the silence?" she teased, resting her elbow on the table and watching him like a cat stalking a particularly interesting mouse. "Don’t tell me you’ve actually figured it out?"

Valerian didn’t respond. Instead, his voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Where’s Stephany?"

One of the maids, startled, quickly answered. "Still asleep, my Lord."

Evelyn let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. "Must’ve been up all night," she mused. "Is she always late for breakfast?" she asked meaningfully.

Valerian’s jaw clenched. Stephany had always been an early riser, a morning person through and through. But that had changed—months ago, around the same time she suddenly developed an intense curiosity about creatures of the night, especially vampires.

Back then, he thought it was a passing phase, that she was simply indulging in some gothic fascination with vampires and their lore. He had dismissed her late nights spent poring over books as nothing more than youthful curiosity.

But now . . . now he wasn’t so sure.

His hands curled into fists beneath the table.

"Finish your meal and get back to work," Valerian said at last, voice tight with restraint.

Evelyn merely shrugged and continued eating, completely unbothered. She pointed at the untouched portion across from Valerian. "If your sister’s going to be late, can I eat her share too?"

Valerian sighed. "Have the cooks prepare another plate and send it to Stephany’s room."

Evelyn beamed, immediately pulling the extra plate toward her.

"For someone so small, you eat like ten people," Valerian muttered, watching in mild disbelief.