Chapter 88. Spook a Royal

Lilly’s POV

“Is this the place where you need to meet Harold?” Ria asked as we stood in front of a small, somewhat scruffy Chinese takeout shop tucked between a laundromat and a pawn shop.

“It seems so,” I replied, squinting at the Chinese signboard. The shop didn’t look like much from the outside—faded menu pictures taped to the windows, a plastic lucky cat waving endlessly beside the cash register—but the food smelled absolutely divine. The mingled aromas of garlic, ginger, and sizzling meat drifted out each time the glass door swung open, making my stomach rumble despite my nerves.

I glanced through the steamy window, searching for Harold’s familiar figure. The place was crowded, full of people waiting for their orders, chatting, or hunched over their phones. Harold wasn’t the type to stand out—he would prefer to blend in.

Adira had sent him with a message. She was off visiting her grandparents, searching for answers to questions she hadn’t shared w