Headstrong

Seeing Amosta Breen and Kingsley turn their eyes on her, Louise Andell shrank back fearfully beneath the heavy pressure in their gazes. She was dazed for a moment, then immediately realized how they might intend to arrange things for her.

"I'm not staying here!"

Though the two men before her belonged to a secret government agency, Louise still cried out indignantly.

"I'm going to Italy too. I'm going to find the bastards who killed Fraser and send them to prison. He was my brother—I have to do this!"

Kingsley frowned, but he offered no opinion. Instead, he looked at Amosta Breen.

"You should understand, Louise, that we are dealing with a group of vicious criminals capable of every kind of evil—"

Amosta said calmly.

"As the investigation progresses, we will inevitably come into conflict with them. That would be extremely dangerous for someone untrained like you, so I suggest that you stay here. Trust us. We will drag these people out, and we will make those who killed Fraser pay the price."

"No, you have no right to do this!"

Louise shouted indignantly. She moved away from Amosta and Kingsley, casually snatched a spoon from the dining tray, and kept waving it at them.

"You have no right to order me to stay here, even if you are agents. Oh, gentlemen, this is illegal detention. If you dare do this, I'll expose your illegal conduct in the newspapers!"

Amosta continued to watch Louise with calm eyes. That utterly emotionless gaze made her shudder, but she still returned his look firmly, demonstrating her resolve.

"I don't need to go with you. I'm a reporter, and I have my own ways of uncovering leads. But you can't imprison me here. Absolutely not!"

Louise's face was resolute.

Kingsley's thick lips moved, and he