Adrian then shared his thought.
He wanted to go to that middle-aged man.
âWe could somehow unlock the password by chance, but face recognition would definitely not work.
We have no choice but to have him do it,â
Adrian explained.
âWow, thatâs a brilliant idea!â Ariana smiled sarcastically and applauded Adrianâs suggestion.
âDo you think thatâs possible? You forgot why we are here.
That man caught us.
How could he possibly let us escape?â
Adrian knew the idea was absurd.
Yet, it was the only option they had.
Adrian remained silent, prompting Ariana to lean tiredly against the door.
She found herself thinking about Holden and how he was doing.
Then, her thoughts shifted to Bennett.
The realization that Bennett, their foe, was still alive sparked a renewed determination in her.
âCome on, Ariana!â she muttered to herself.
After a moment of self-encouragement, Ariana stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and grabbed Adrian by the arm.
âGet up.
Letâs find another exit.
There has to be more than one way out of here.
Weâ¦â
Before she could finish, a burning odor filled the air.
As the smell grew stronger, Ariana paused, looking puzzled.
âDo you smell that?â she asked Adrian.
Adrian took a sniff and nodded, finding it difficult to breathe now.
âIs that man trying to suffocate us in here?â Adrian covered his nose and muttered, âThat man is too cruel! Using such a method to kill us.
â
Hearing Adrianâs words, Ariana covered her nose and wondered if he might be right.
âLetâs go find that man,â Ariana said as she exchanged a determined look with Adrian.
âLetâs see what heâs up to.
â
Together, they followed the burning smell, which led them down to the third floor of the basement.
The door was ajar, and upon entering, they immediately saw the middle-aged man slaughtering a sheep.
Ariana recalled the scent she had smelled from the man.
She realized now that it wasnât the scent of human blood but that of an animal being butchered.
It appeared that the man wasnât a murderer but rather a poor cook, given the sheep was only partially butchered and parts of it had turned into charred pieces of meat now.
Completely absorbed in his task, the middle-aged man didnât even notice Ariana and Adrian.
The man was busy throwing freshly cut mutton into a frying pan, where it quickly charred under the high heat.
After a while, Adrian whispered in disbelief, âIs he trying to suffocate us or himself?â
Ariana watched silently as more pieces of meat turned to charcoal.
Unable to watch the culinary disaster any further, she gathered her courage and said to the man, âDo you need any help? I know how to cook.
â