Chapter 378

The man stared at Vanessa for a moment, and then, to everyone’s surprise, he laughed. A deep, ugly laugh that echoed off the walls.

"Did she just say she won’t do it?" he said, almost amused.

Before she could move, his hand shot forward. He grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back so hard her neck screamed. Then he dragged her forward like she was nothing more than a rag doll.

"Let go!" she snapped, clawing at his wrist, but his grip was iron.

He didn’t let go. Instead, he hurled her straight into the vault door.

Bang!

The impact rattled her bones. Vanessa hit the cold steel and fell to her knees with a groan. Her head spun, pain ringing through her back and shoulders. She looked up at him, eyes narrowing. The strength in that throw was not normal.

He wasn’t just some big thug.

Her chest tightened with realization. Shit. He’s evolved.

The man’s lips curled into a cruel smirk as if he could read her thoughts. To prove his point, he snatched one of the hostages by the arm—a female security officer, short-haired, blood already dried on her temple. He lifted her like she weighed nothing.

The hostage let out a muffled scream through her gag, her body twisting in his grip. His hand clamped around her neck, and everyone in the room could hear her bones creak under the pressure.

His eyes locked on Vanessa’s. "You think this is a game? Get into that vault now, or I snap this woman’s neck. Don’t think I won’t."

The guard’s wide, tear-filled eyes turned to Vanessa, pleading, begging. She couldn’t speak, not with the gag choking her mouth, but her terror was loud enough.

Vanessa froze. She knew he meant it. There wasn’t a flicker of bluff in his tone, no hesitation in the way his hand tightened on that woman’s throat.

Her mind raced, but she forced herself to breathe. Slowly, she raised her hand. In her palm, the detonator glinted under the fluorescent light.

"Okay, okay!" she said quickly, her voice sharp, controlled. "I’ll do it! Just get that thing away from me first."

Before he could react, she hurled the detonator back at him. It sailed through the air, spinning. He caught it in one hand like it was nothing, smiling like he’d just won.

"Smart girl," he muttered. He waved the detonator lazily at her like a threat. "Now hurry up, woman. Or this whole place goes boom."

Vanessa’s jaw tightened, but she turned toward the vault. She pressed her palms against the steel, her breath steadying. On the outside, she looked like she was obeying. On the inside, her thoughts ran sharp.

Another advantage, she reminded herself. That night with Liam hadn’t just been fire and sweat—it had changed something in her. Her powers felt different now, stronger, sharper. Before, she had to see where she was going to teleport. She needed a clear image. But now, as long as she could imagine it, she could move anywhere within her 250-mile range.

She didn’t need to see inside the vault. She just needed to focus.

The room held its breath. Every robber’s gun pointed at her back. Every hostage stared through wet eyes, praying she would somehow fix this nightmare.

Vanessa closed her eyes. She pictured the vault. The inside. The cold air, the untouched walls, the stillness of a place sealed for years. She let the image fill her mind until it felt real.

And then—

Flicker.

Her body vanished in a blink of light.

Gone.

The robbers cursed, jerking their guns up, scanning the room like she might reappear behind them. Panic rippled through the air.

"She disappeared!" one shouted, spinning in circles.

"No shit she disappeared, idiot! Isn’t that what we want her to do?" another barked, keeping his rifle trained on the vault door.

The leader didn’t move. He stayed stone still, his grip on the hostage finally loosening. He let her drop to the floor like trash and raised a hand to silence his men. His face was dark, unreadable.

"What do we do now?" one of them asked nervously.

The leader’s eyes stayed on the vault. His jaw was tight, and for the first time, there was weight in his voice.

"We do nothing," he said. "We wait."

The men exchanged uneasy glances, shifting from foot to foot. Sweat dripped down foreheads. No one liked this. No one wanted to be here.

They had signed on for money. A fast job. A score. They would’ve knocked over a jewelry shop or a cash depot if they wanted to get rich.

But this?

This wasn’t about cash. None of them even knew what they were supposed to be stealing. The only reason they were here was because someone—someone powerful—had given them orders.

Orders they didn’t dare disobey.

And now they were trapped in this bank, waiting for a woman with powers they didn’t understand, hoping she didn’t turn the tables on them.

The silence pressed in. The hostages trembled. The robbers clutched their guns tighter.

The leader’s eyes stayed locked on the vault door. His expression didn’t change, but his voice carried a quiet edge of unease.

"She’ll come out," he muttered to himself. "She has to."

———

A minute ago.

Lilith and Dickson were moving through the darkened halls, sharp and quiet, their eyes sweeping for any sign of Vanessa. Dickson grumbled under his breath, nervously twirling sparks between his fingers, while Lilith stayed focused, her icy aura cold enough to bite through the heavy air.

They turned a corner, and then—

Flicker.

Vanessa suddenly appeared right behind them, her figure materializing like a ghost stepping out of the shadows.

Lilith whipped around instantly, ice already forming at her fingertips. The moment her eyes recognized Vanessa, her expression cracked into surprise. "What the hell—? I thought you were in their hands."

"I was," Vanessa said, brushing her hair back like it was nothing. "They wanted me to teleport into a vault."

Dickson’s jaw dropped. "A vault? What, they’re after cash?"

"That’s what I thought at first." Vanessa shook her head. "But no. It isn’t money they want. Not exactly."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. Her posture didn’t relax; instead, she folded her arms and leaned slightly to the side, waiting. "Explain."

"They told me to break into the vault and... get something." Vanessa’s voice was steady, but her face showed the irritation she’d been holding in since the encounter.

"Something?" Dickson repeated, his brows furrowing. "That’s it? Not cash, not gold—just something?"

"Yes." Vanessa’s tone was sharp. "They wouldn’t even say what it was. Which tells me they don’t know. They’ve just been given the job."

That made both of them pause. Dickson blinked stupidly, trying to process it, while Lilith tapped her chin with one gloved finger.

"That doesn’t make sense," Lilith said finally, her voice quiet, suspicious. "You don’t hire a crew this big, plan a heist this complicated, and then keep them in the dark about what they’re stealing. Unless..."

Vanessa cut in, nodding slowly. "Unless there’s something inside that vault that’s special. Something they weren’t trusted to know about. They’re just the delivery boys."

Dickson whistled low, sparks crackling faintly in his palm. "So someone hired these psychos to grab a mystery box for them. Damn. That’s worse than money—it means the real problem’s not even here."

Lilith’s eyes stayed cold, calculating. She didn’t like being blindsided, and every word Vanessa said made her gut twist tighter. There was more at play here, she could feel it.

Dickson finally broke the silence, snapping his fingers toward Vanessa. "Wait, wait. If you were their captive, then why the hell are you standing here right now? Shouldn’t they be tearing this whole place apart looking for you?"

Vanessa’s lips curved into a small, sly smile. "Because they think I’m still inside the vault."

For a second, both Lilith and Dickson just stared at her.