Race Against Time

The interrogation in the cell was still ongoing, while Princess Jade Hayes kept working tirelessly on temporary disguise masks.

These spies were secretly captured, so to prevent any leaks, Jade had to quickly make sixteen temporary disguise masks for her own operatives to wear, allowing them to impersonate the captured spies.

After that, Jade would need to make sixteen long-lasting masks for the fake spies to wear.

Time was extremely tight—Jade had to race against the clock to finish the temporary masks first.

Even though these were temporary masks, they were still difficult to make and mentally exhausting. Jade worked nonstop all morning, her team barely pausing for breath, not even for water, and managed to complete only four temporary masks. Each time a mask was finished, it was immediately put on and the operative sent out.

By lunchtime, Jade didn’t even have time to leave for a meal. She simply had food brought to the dungeon, ate a few hurried bites, and went straight back to mask-making.

She managed five more masks that afternoon, and dinner was just as rushed.

As night fell, Jade lit a lamp and continued making masks, clearly determined to work through the night.

Sean Hayes and Mrs. Penny watched, unable to help but advise, “Lord Chancellor, you’ve been at this all day and already made twelve masks. Why not take a break and finish the rest tomorrow?”

But Jade shook her head and said firmly, “There are still four masks left—I have to finish them before dawn. If those four spies vanish for too long without a trace, the other spies will get suspicious. If we can’t explain it, and the cover is blown, all our efforts will be wasted.”

Jade said this as she rubbed her sore eyes and wrists, refusing to stop her work.

Sean Hayes and Mrs. Penny didn’t try to persuade her further, knowing how much Jade cared and how critical this counter-espionage plan was. Every step was tightly linked—one slip and all would be lost.

Jade worked through the day and night without sleep, finally finishing all sixteen temporary masks.

After a brief rest, she hurried to start on the official masks.

Seeing Jade work herself to the bone, Alexander Hayes felt a deep ache in his heart. But when Jade set her mind to something, she wouldn’t budge—no matter how much Alexander pleaded with her to rest, she insisted on finishing the masks.

The official masks were far more complicated, and even for someone as skilled as Jade, they were a real challenge.

Alexander watched all this, feeling both worried and helpless. He turned to Sean Hayes and ordered, “No matter where White Pete is—even if he’s at the ends of the earth—bring him back immediately!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Sean broke out in a cold sweat, thinking White Pete had better return soon, or Alexander’s expression alone could kill someone.

Sean hurried to ask his men if there was any news of White Pete. Thankfully, the scouts had already tracked him down—he wasn’t far from Charleston, and people had been sent to fetch him days ago.

Sean muttered a prayer of thanks, relieved White Pete had been found. He figured they’d be able to bring him back today.

If White Pete couldn’t be found, Alexander’s glare alone would peel the skin off Sean.

So when White Pete and his daughter White Lily arrived in Charleston by carriage, just as they reached the city gate, they saw Sean waiting anxiously. The moment Sean spotted White Pete, his excitement was greater than seeing his own father!

Sean, tears streaming down his face, grabbed White Pete’s hand: “Mr. White, you’re finally back!”

If you didn’t come back, my boss would have killed me.