Chapter 1003

"Do you know who it was?"

The house surveillance tapes had been erased. It was clear the woman had come prepared. A heaviness settled in Alexander's heart; for the first time, he felt truly faced with a crisis.

Lily shook her head. "It was a woman, but she was masked. I don't think I know her."

Alexander fell silent. He suspected he did know. After a moment, he asked, "Are you sure you're not injured?"

"There you go again!" Lily feigned anger, poking his forehead. "I'm fine! She was fast and ruthless, but she gave me space to react. Maybe she just wanted to test me."

"I'm guessing she's also from a kickboxing family. Do you think it's…" She hesitated, unsure.

"Heather Riggs," Alexander said calmly. He decided honesty was the best policy; further secrecy would only increase the danger. He needed to talk to her, to plan their next steps.

"That name sounds familiar." Lily nodded. Years in the perfumery industry, away from the Lodge family, had left her knowledge of other kickboxing families somewhat lacking. The name resonated, but she couldn't place a face to it.

"She's the eldest daughter of the Riggs family, their heir," Alexander explained. "And she'll soon be my aunt."

"Your aunt?" Lily sat up, startled. An aunt…

"Yeah!" He sat up, too, nodding. He covered her with a blanket, his hands around her. "She's engaged to Ralph—their wedding's around the same time as ours."

Lily was stunned. "Then why did she sneak up on me? If she wanted to test my skills, she could have just asked."

"Perhaps it's for her…handbook."

Lily was even more shocked. The situation grew increasingly bizarre and confusing. "Handbook? What handbook?" This was more serious than she'd imagined.

"I think it's more than that."

Alexander got out of bed, pouring himself water. As he drank, Justin's earlier words returned, clouding his face with solemnity. "Actually…at first, I didn't want to tell you about this."

"You should have," Lily mumbled quietly.

"I know." Alexander nodded. "I didn't expect her to be so bold, so capable of bypassing our security and erasing the tapes. This woman is something else. Most members of ancient kickboxing families fade into obscurity, lacking talent or knowledge. Those who make a name for themselves quickly must possess real skill."

Lily doubted she possessed such skill. She hadn't continued her training, her passion for perfumes having overshadowed it. Kickboxing relied heavily on innate talent, and Lily's perfumery ambitions had taken precedence.