Chapter 401
Chapter 401
At 6 PM, their plane touched down in Horington. After finishing the surgery on Jameson around 3 PM, Shermaine went straight back to the hotel to rest.
Her schedule in Horington was always packed. She spent nearly every waking hour immersed in the lab. That was why, after performing just one surgery, she was already exhausted.
Shermaine was half–asleep when the doorbell rang, jolting her awake. Thinking it was Steve, she moment she opened the door, a bouquet of baby’s breath was presented before her.
on a jacket and went to answer the door. But the
She blinked, momentarily stunned, then a smile began to curve at her lips. Standing at the door was Joshua along with her family, and they were here to
visit her.
Shermaine took the flowers, her eyes sparkling. “What are you all doing here?”
Speaking for everyone, Joshua said, “We’ve all missed you so much.”
It had been two weeks since they last saw each other. With them being in different cities, video calls were no substitute for each other’s presence. The calls only made the longing worse, like trying to scratch an itch through a boot.
Once inside, everyone settled into the room. Janice immediately pulled Shermaine in for a good look, her concern written all over her face. “Sheary, have you been working too hard? You look like you’ve lost weight.”
“Yes, she’s lost weight,” Ruth agreed.
Ross gently reminded, “Make sure you’re getting enough rest, and don’t stay in the lab till too late.”
Surrounded by their care, Shermaine felt nothing but warmth. She didn’t mind the fussing–if anything, it felt comforting. Truth be told, she really hadn’t had much time to rest these past few days.
“I’ve already submitted my transfer request to the hospital. Once it’s approved, I’ll come over to help Sheary,” Danielle said after taking a sip of coffee.
Shermaine arched a brow. “That’s great. With your help, we’ll be much more efficient.” She paused, then teased, “But can you really bear to leave my brother?”
They just reconciled, so of course they were attached at the hip. During their hospital stay, the air had been thick with pink bubbles. The nurses had a blast watching their romance unfold in real life.
Danielle’s cheeks flushed. Just thinking about what Ross had done to her in the lounge earlier made her heart race with embarrassment. She cleared her throat and tried to play it cool. “Why wouldn’t I be able to? It’s not like he’s going anywhere.”
Ross, on the other hand, definitely didn’t want her leaving. After all, they’d only just started exploring the deeper sides of intimacy–stopping just shy of the final step. Still, with his sister needing help, he was more than willing to support Danielle’s decision to transfer here.
“With Danielle by Sheary’s side, they’ll definitely wrap things up quickly and be back home in no time,” Ross said with a smile. “Besides, the New Year’s only two months away.”
Stephen, meanwhile, remained silent. He wasn’t there to make small talk with Shermaine’s family—he was simply sticking close to Joshua. They didn’t share any common topics, and frankly, the less he said, the less chance he had of blowing his cover.
Still, it was obvious to everyone that something about him was off.
While the others were chatting merrily, Joshua quietly boiled water and brewed coffee. After serving everyone a cup, he finally took his seat right beside
Shermaine.
Joshua slipped his arm around Shermaine’s waist, drawing her closer. Shermaine leaned in, her voice soft and teasing as she whispered in his ear, “s what delicious treats did you bring me?”
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Lowering his head, Joshua murmured softly, “I made the desserts you love.”
At the mention of desserts, a smile appeared on Shermaine’s lips. “So, when are you all heading back?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Joshua replied softly.
There were plenty of rooms at the hotel, so staying the night was no big deal for them.
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That was exactly what Joshua had in mind. He affectionately tousled Shermaine’s hair and said with a gentle smile, “Get changed. I’m taking you out for
dinner.”
Shermaine smiled and nodded, “Sounds good.”
Just a short walk from the hotel was a restaurant that specialized in beef stew. The moment Stephen stepped inside, the rich aroma hit him, making his mouth water. He thought to himself, ‘This stew is going to be amazing.‘
They picked to dine in a private room. Throughout the meal, Joshua doted on Shermaine, making sure she was well taken care of. Noticing how attentive he was, Danielle playfully nudged Ross with her foot and cooed, “I want some meatballs.”
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Chapter 402
Ross called the waiter over and ordered a plate of meatballs.
“Here are the meatballs,” the waiter said.
“Thanks,” Ross replied.
Ross picked a meatball up, dipped it in sauce, blew on it a couple of times to cool it down before he finally held it up to Danielle’s mouth. “Here, have a bite.”
Danielle had gotten used to being pampered like this. She opened her mouth out of habit–and only after biting down did she realize they weren’t alone.
During the night, the dinner was filled with laughter and warmth.
Meanwhile, deep in the city’s sewer system, Natalie had no idea where she was anymore. Her wounds had mostly healed, but a ravenous hunger clawed at her sanity, urging her to feed now.
A rat scurried past her. She lunged, caught it, and without a second thought, shoved it into her mouth. She swallowed it whole–but the moment it slid down her throat, nausea roiled in her gut. Gagging, she shoved her fingers down her throat, desperate to claw it back out.
She wondered in despair, ‘What’s the difference between me and a beast now? Even beasts aren’t this horrifying‘
Hatred twisted through her like a knife. She screamed, raw and shrill, the sound echoing through the damp, black tunnels.
‘Why am I the only one who has to suffer? Why am I the only one who became a monster?‘ she cried in her heart. She seethed with malice toward the entire world, a dark aura of hostility radiating from her every pore.
Tonight, everyone had a hearty beef stew, and it was 10 PM when they finally returned to the hotel.
Just then, a car pulled up outside the hotel. With the window open, Bruce rested his hand on the frame, a cigarette between his fingers. He held his phone to his ear, but the call just wouldn’t connect.
The driver glanced back. It was rare for him to see his boss this concerned for a woman. However, he thought, ‘What a pity, though. Dr. Jean already has a partner, so Mr. Xavier can’t even have any ideas about her.‘
The call still wouldn’t connect, but Bruce showed no intention of leaving. He had Steve’s number and was just about to dial it when a car pulled up in front of the hotel.
Shermaine stepped out of the car, followed closely by Joshua. Then, her family followed.
The night breeze picked up. Joshua buttoned up her coat for her, a subtle, restrained smile playing on his lips. Then, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the center of her brow.
But someone just had to ruin the moment. Stephen rubbed his belly and let out a satisfied burp. Stuffed, he thought, ‘The beef stew was amazing. I could go for more.‘ Then, he even smacked his lips.
He thought to himself, ‘Once we’re back in Bastere, I’ll sneak out for beef stew alone. I absolutely can’t let anyone catch me.’
Hearing the burp, Shermaine looked at him with amusement. “Dad really enjoyed the meal, huh?”
Joshua said nothing, his face impassive.
Stephen coughed awkwardly. “I’ve always had a good appetite,” he said defensively, his eyes darting away sheepishly. “I’m tired, and I think I’ll turn in for the night. Good night, everyone.”
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With that, he slipped away.
“Ever since Stephen came back, he’s felt a little… off,” Janice commented, watching him go. “Though I must say, he’s gotten more cheerful and animated.”
Shermaine smiled without saying a word.
Joshua lowered his gaze slightly and thought wryly, ‘Of course he’s different. They’re not even the same person. I’m just waiting for the right time to rip off that mask of his.‘
Not far away, Bruce witnessed the scene but knew better than approaching them. Without hesitation, he ordered, “Let’s go. Head back.”
“Got it, Mr. Xavier,” his driver said.
Back in the hotel room, Shermaine was already tinkering with the drone. She needed to modify it before sending it down into the sewers. Otherwise, it’d short out for sure.
While tinkering with the drone, she nibbled on the desserts Joshua had brought her.
Joshua moved straight into Shermaine’s room. Fresh out of the shower, droplets of water still clung to his damp hair. His robe hung loosely, revealing a glimpse of his chest. He walked up behind Shermaine, wrapped his arms around her, and murmured, “How much longer until you’re done?”
“About half an hour,” Shermaine replied.
Joshua then got up to dry his hair. After half an hour, Shermaine was still tinkering away with the drone. Joshua chuckled, scooped her up in his arms, and said, “Go shower. I’ll take over.”
Caught off guard, Shermaine instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.
She’d already finished upgrading the system and setting up the program; all that was left was for her to reassemble the parts. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to Joshua’s lips. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Mr. York.”
“Anything for you,” Joshua replied.
Joshua carried her into the bathroom, murmuring, “Want a bath?”
“It’s too late for that,” she said, shaking her head.
Joshua nuzzled against her, stealing a few more kisses. He murmured,
your pajamas.”
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Chapter 403
Joshua was unusually sweet tonight. Shermaine touched her lips and couldn’t help but chuckle softly to herself.
Twenty minutes later, she stepped out of the shower, and Joshua had already assembled that drone. So, all they had to do now was call it a night.
Only a single night light remained on in the room. Shermaine hopped onto the bed and rolled right into Joshua’s arms, curling up like a contented little
kitten.
Joshua murmured, “Sweet dreams, Sheary.”
“Good night, Mr. York,” Shermaine whispered. Snuggled in his embrace, Shermaine closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep. Soon, the quiet room was filled only with their soft, even breathing.
The next morning, Shermaine woke up feeling exceptionally refreshed. Rolling over, she straddled his waist and playfully tugged at the sash of his robe. With a single pull, it came undone.
Joshua didn’t stop her. Instead, he steadied her waist with a chuckle and teased, “Feeling passionate today, Sheary?”
“Passionate? I could never outdo you, Mr. York,” Shermaine teased playfully.
That made Joshua gulp. Smiling, he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand.
They woke at 6 AM, but stayed in bed until well past 8 AM.
After another quick shower and a change of clothes, Shermaine grabbed the drone, went downstairs, pried open a manhole cover, and carefully lowered the drone into the sewer.
She deployed five drones into the sewer. The easy part was done, but the real challenge remained. They couldn’t relax until Natalie was found.
With someone like Natalie, there was no telling what she might do–something extreme wasn’t just possible, it was inevitable.
In fact, Bruce had already sent search teams into the sewers last night. Yet, after searching all night, they still hadn’t found any trace of Natalie.
Just as expected, several patients–all employees at a 24–hour KFC+were admitted into General Hospital later that morning.
All of them claimed they’d been attacked the night before by a filthy, reeking vagrant. By morning, something felt seriously off.
After the doctors finished examining them, the patients were immediately rushed to the isolation ward. And all throughout the day, more and more patients poured in.
At 9 AM, Joshua and the rest returned to Basterel. After seeing them off, Shermaine headed straight back to the lab to continue her research on the virus strains extracted from the police officers.
Joshua went straight to work, while Stephen returned to Riverswood Villa. The moment he stepped inside, he felt that something was off–his home had been burglarized.
Sensing movement upstairs, Stephen rushed up and quickly found the intruder in the study. It was a woman clad in a black catsuit and mask.
The room was a wreck–drawers were overturned, and papers scattered everywhere. Clearly, she was looking for something.
“You’ve got some nerve breaking into my house,” Stephen shouted, striking a defensive pose. “Let’s see how you like getting caught-” But before he could do anything, a wave of dizziness hit him, making his legs wobble unsteadily.
Stephen thought, ‘Huh? What’s happening? Why am I suddenly so dizzy?‘ The next second, his body gave out, and he collapsed to the floor with a thud
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The woman let out a scoff. After tearing the place apart and finding nothing, she pulled out her phone and snapped, “There’s nothing here. I looked everywhere.”
“That’s impossible. Search again, and properly this time,” the person on the line demanded.
“The cops are here,” she hissed.
“Fine. Get out of there now,” the other party ordered.
Meanwhile, Joshua, having turned back halfway, arrived just in time to see both police cars and an ambulance parked out front.
Stephen had passed out. Joshua asked, “How is he doing?”
The nurse replied, “Has your father been eating too many sweets and fried foods lately? With blood pressure this high, no wonder he fainted.”
Joshua was rendered speechless.
Soon after, Bradley arrived to report what he’d learned from the police. “Nothing seems to be missing, but Mrs. York’s belongings were clearly targeted. Some of her personal items were even deliberately destroyed.”
Clearly, the intruder was after Shermaine–and whatever it was she had, they wanted it badly.
Joshua’s eyes dimmed, glinting with suppressed fury. “Check the nearby surveillance footage and find the intruder now.”
“Should we inform Mrs. York about this?” Bradley asked.
“I’ll tell her myself later,” Joshua said.
“Understood,” Bradley said.
After Stephen was carried away by the ambulance, a wisp of blue mist drifted out of the house. Seeing Joshua about to follow the ambulance, it slipped into the next–door neighbor’s cat. The little cat let out a strange mewl and darted out.
An hour later, Stephen regained consciousness, but he looked bewildered. He pushed himself up in the hospital bed, frowning as he muttered, “How did i end up in the hospital?”
Joshua was outside the room on the phone with Owen when he heard movement inside. “He’s awake. I’ll go check on him.”
Stephen got out of bed. The moment he saw Joshua, he froze momentarily, looking stunned and uncertain. He hesitated before asking, “You… are
Joshua?”
Joshua looked at him calmly and said, ‘Yes.‘
Stephen muttered in confusion, “Wait… I was just at the research institute. How did end up in the hospital?” Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his
head.
Joshua’s eyes dimmed slightly. Without offering an explanation, he simply said, “You’re still weak. Focus on resting for now.”
In a shadowed corner of the room, the white cat sat quietly, licking its paw with apparent nonchalance. It let out a nervous meow, thinking, ‘Oh no. I’ve blown my cover. Joshua must have noticed something is off!‘
As the sky darkened, Bruce stood watch at the entrance to the sewer. Moments later, several men were carried out from the sewer.
They were the search team he had sent. They encountered Natalie and was viciously mauled by her. One of them suffered particularly horrific injuries, where a huge chunk of his flesh was torn clean from his arm by her teeth.
He was barely clinging to life when they carried him out. Upon hearing the news, Shermaine rushed out of the lab, insisting on performing the surgery
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herself.
Two of the drones she placed into the sewers were also destroyed.
Late at night, by the reservoir, Natalie emerged from the shadows, a twisted, feral grin spreading across her face. With one sharp flick of her claw–like nails, she slashed open her finger. With that, thick, dark blood oozed out, drop by drop, sinking into the still reservoir water.
If she had to become a monster, then the whole city could join her. She wanted everyone to turn into monsters and fall into the abyss together with her
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Chapter 404
Shermaine stepped out of the lab close to 10 PM. By the time she returned to her hotel room, a video call from Joshua was already ringing.
She grabbed the bottled water from the table, poured it into the kettle to boil it, then turned on her laptop. “I heard Dad was hospitalized for hypertension?”
Joshua hummed in response, but he seemed to have mixed feelings about it. Shermaine noticed and asked, “What’s with that look?”
“He woke up only to completely forget about going home,” Joshua said.
Hearing this, Shermaine raised an eyebrow, lost in thought. Ever since Stephen’s return, Joshua had sensed something was off about him. Shermaine herself shared the same concern, worried that something bad might happen to him.
But their investigation didn’t turn up anything suspicious, so they decided not to tip off the suspect. But after spending some time with him, Stephen didn’t seem to harbor any ill intentions toward them.
At times, his forced acting was so bad it was downright comical.
“Could he be faking it?” Shermaine asked.
Joshua shook his head. “No, that’s not it,” he replied, then briefly explained the situation.
No matter how many years had passed, Joshua would still recognize his own father. There was no way he could ever mistake someone else for him.
Shermaine listened, finding it rather unbelievable. “Maybe Dad has schizophrenia,” she suggested.
With two personalities, he’d naturally be like two completely different people, which would explain why he had been giving off such an eerie vibe before. Yet, Shermaine wasn’t buying her own explanation.
Of course, just because she was a doctor didn’t mean she was an expert in every field, and psychiatry wasn’t exactly her specialty.
Besides, even a psychiatrist wouldn’t be able to diagnose schizophrenia at first glance without directly observing both the primary and ser
personalities.
“I’ve called in a psychiatric specialist,” Joshua said.
The kettle whistled as the water reached a boil, and Shermaine poured herself a cup.
Joshua called, “Sheary.”
Shermaine replied, “Hmm?”
“Since you know about Dad fainting,” Joshua said slowly, “you must know someone broke into our house too.”
Jary
“I do.” With the security system at Riverswood Villa, someone managing to bypass it meant they were not a random burglar. “What’s the story?”
“The intruder was Kylie,” Joshua said gravely.
That afternoon, Bradley reviewed the nearby surveillance footage and identified Kylie from footage from a convenience store. She hadn’t tried to hide her face. It was almost as if she wanted to be seen and to declare that she was back.
Of course, Joshua found such behavior utterly unnecessary. He thought, ‘If she really wanted revenge, she should’ve kept a low profile. I crushed her once, and doing it again would be effortless.‘
Her rapid recovery didn’t surprise him either.
After all, Madeline had undergone a brain transplant and assumed a new identity through a cloned body. So if that same organization was behind Kylie’s
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survival, it made perfect sense that she came back from the dead.
Clearly, Kylie’s first move upon returning was targeting Shermaine. She was most likely acting on orders from the mysterious organization that had
rescued her.
Surprised, Shermaine thought, ‘Kylie? I get why my man’s looking so grim now.‘
“Sheary, think carefully. When you were overseas, did you ever come into contact with any shady organizations? And do you possess something they might want?” Joshua asked.
“Let me think,” Shermaine said as she rifled through her memories. After a brief pause, she replied, “No.”
During her time abroad, she operated under the name Dr. Jean. Whether it was the underworld or official circles, everyone treated her with utmost respect. If anything, they all just wanted to curry favor with her in hopes she’d save their lives someday.
‘Besides GPS, what else could they possibly want from me?‘ Shermaine thought. Then, it hit her. She narrowed her eyes and said, “The crystal
sarcophagus.
“Last year, when it was stolen, there was a group I couldn’t identify. Maybe it’s related to them,” Shermaine said, finding this possibility quite likely.
After all, while the crystal sarcophagus was taken away, all those precious books from the tomb had been removed by Bianca and delivered straight to
her.
‘Maybe that’s what they were really after–something hidden in those books. Trust me to figure it out,‘ Shermaine thought.
Then, she smirked. “The books are with me now, so they’re mine. If they want them, sneaky tactics just won’t do.”
Without needing to say a word, both already knew what their next move would be. Honestly, Shermaine was curious why they had stolen the crystal sarcophagus in the first place.
Until now, they had no leads. But Kylie’s reappearance changed the game. If they followed this thread, they might finally trace it back to whoever’s pulling the strings.
Just then, one of the three remaining drones captured Natalie’s movements; she appeared to be near the reservoir. Almost instantly, Shermaine realized exactly why Natalie headed there.
Her blood had contaminated the water source.
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Shermaine immediately called Nelson Connor, the person in charge at Horington’s CDC, then dialed Bruce without skipping a beat.
At this moment, the drone hovered overhead and soon spotted Natalie fleeing the scene at top speed. Shermaine smirked, thinking, ‘She thinks she can just run after pulling a stunt like that? Not a chance.‘
The water tainted with Natalie’s blood must be contained immediately.
Shermaine’s fingers flew across her keyboard. In just five minutes, she hacked into Horington’s water supply system and shut down the reservoir, cutting off the flow of contaminated water.
Still, even a few minutes at night–right during peak usage–meant thousands had already used the water.
About 40 minutes later, a helicopter swept across the sky. With her heightened senses, Natalie could hear multiple teams closing in from every direction. Sure enough, beams of flashlights cut through the night, closing in fast on her.
The blinding white light forced her to squeeze her eyes shut. Ever since she turned into this monstrosity, she hated the daylight. So, she was now extremely irritable and short–tempered. She would pounce on anyone who got close.
However, this time, the task force came fully equipped. Bruce took the tranquilizer gun from an officer, peered through his night–vision goggles, and fired -quick and precise.
Seconds later, a net was thrown over Natalie, pinning her down for good. That night, most of Horington was left without running water.
Just as the citizens began to wonder what was going on, a citywide red alert blasted across Horington’s entire network, with urgent notices warning everyone not to drink tap water. The alerts hit phones instantly, lighting up every screen with the same grim message.
Those who had already drunk the water were thrown into a panic due to their concerns about water contamination. They were terrified of getting sick.
Soon after, hospitals across Horington were packed to the brim with panicked patients. By midnight, the first wave of symptoms emerged–dizziness and lightheadedness, which soon escalated into raging fevers.
The quarantine center at General Hospital was already filling up fast, and they were running out of beds to accommodate the increasing number of
patients.
Shermaine had seen it coming. She knew that even if the hospital cleared out every ward, it still wouldn’t be enough to handle what was co
..g
Realizing the urgency of Shermaine’s situation, Joshua called Bradley. “Book every hotel within walking distance of the hospital. Also, get in touch with the largest security firm in Basterel and deploy all available guards to maintain order on site.”
But even that was nowhere near enough. That night, Shermaine didn’t get a wink of sleep. It wasn’t until morning that she finally returned to the hotel to rest. After barely getting two hours of sleep, she headed to the lab.
By then, Natalie had regained consciousness in the lab’s quarantine cell. The moment she saw Shermaine, she began frantically slamming herself against the door like a madwoman.
Natalie was patient zero. The virus strain in her body was bound to be different. But frankly, Shermaine couldn’t stand the sight of her.
‘She dug her own grave and dragged tens of thousands down with her,‘ Shermaine thought.
Shermaine cracked her neck to loosen up, then stripped off her PPE. With only her mask on, she walked straight into the cell. She wouldn’t feel right until she gave Natalie a good beating.
The moment Natalie saw Shermaine enter the cell, she lashed out with her sharp nails, but before she could even get close to Shermaine, Shermaine kicked her hard, sending her sprawling back.
Shermaine glared at her. “You sure know how to screw things up for me. But if you think this is how you take others down with you, think again. I won
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let it happen. I’ll save every last one of them.”
“You will?” Natalie sneered viciously as she let out a grotesque grin. Then, she burst into maniacal laughter. “Shermaine, do you really think you’re some kind of savior? That you can just snap your fingers and save everyone?”
“I’m not,” Shermaine said tersely. “But if I decide to save them, I will. As for you, you’ll pay for what you’ve done.”
Natalie had meant to mock her, but for some reason, Shermaine’s calm, steady composure unnerved her. There wasn’t even a hint of panic in Shermaine’s expression. And that made Natalie think, just for a moment, maybe Shermaine really could fix this.
But she was sure of one thing–whatever Shermaine was going to do, it wouldn’t include saving her.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be like this!” Natalie shrieked. She’d completely lost it. Wild with rage, she lunged at Shermaine again.
However, Shermaine slammed her back down without hesitation. Outside the cell, Steve watched through the window and cheered with glee every time Shermaine landed a hit. “That’s it. Beat her ass!”
Half an hour later, Shermaine finally felt much better and emerged from the cell. With media exposure of the water contamination in Horington, the crisis could no longer be hidden from the public.
As more locals started showing symptoms, the internet went into meltdown.
[Man, this is getting scary. What the hell contaminated the water supply?]
[The medical staff must be having the toughest time. I heard the hospitals are so full they can’t take any more patients.]
[Actually, I work in a hotel. I can tell y
I you that our entire hotel has been booked to serve as a quarantine center. Many patients are being isolated in cur rooms, and they all look really miserable. There are about five guards stationed on every floor too.]
Soon after, the infamous Immortality Project was exposed by the media, sending the citizens of Horington into a frenzy. The news horrified them, and everyone was worried they’d turn into zombies.
A few malicious trolls deliberately fanned the flames, pushing Horington into a state of full–blown hysteria, and many fled the city for safety reasons.
It wasn’t until the city government stepped up to shut down the rumors that things finally began to settle down a little.
Meanwhile, back in Basterel, Danielle’s request to be dispatched to Horington had just been approved by the director. She was set to board une medical supply flight early the next morning.
The evening breeze was calm and quiet. It was Ross‘ first time visiting Danielle’s apartment, and he found the place to have an elegant, vintage charm.
She wore a fitted dress, her hair loosely pinned up with a clip, framing her soft features.
“Have a seat. I haven’t finished packing yet,” Danielle said, handing Ross a glass of water. “We’ll go out for dinner once I’m done.” With that, she gently tilted his chin up and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.
The situation in Horington had grown increasingly serious. Although containment measures were in place, official reports indicated that nearly 10,000 people had already contracted the infection in a short/period.
“Once you get there, make sure you and Sheary stay safe, okay? If anything happens, promise me you’ll let me know right away,” Ross reminded her with
concern.
“As you wish, Ross.” Danielle’s eyes curved into crescents as her fingertips traced his features. “Who knows how long I’ll be gone this time. While I’m away, don’t you dare let any other girls get close to you.”
Ross smiled and kissed her back. “So you admit you’re my little minx now?”
Danielle blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
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She thought, ‘It’s all Ross‘ fault. That time in his office, he kept whispering in my ear, calling me his little minx and teasing me, saying that I would’ve stolen his soul away completely if I was a demon.‘
Outwardly, Ross was always the refined gentleman. But behind closed doors, he was anything but–smooth–talking and utterly shameless.
“Hey, don’t try to change the subject,” Danielle pouted.
“Anything else?” Ross replied playfully.
Dánielle said playfully, “Miss me.”
“Mm–hmm,” Ross murmured. They hadn’t even said goodbye yet, but Ross was already missing her.
Danielle perched sideways on his lap, crumpling his shirt with her fingers. In a soft murmur, she said, “Stay here tonight.”
Ross‘ gaze turned intense, but he remained silent. That made Danielle pout. “Did you hear me, Ross?”
Ross heard her loud and clear. But if he stayed, he knew full well she wouldn’t be getting on that flight tomorrow morning–not with the way he’d keep her up all night.
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After some thought, Ross answered reluctantly. “Next time.”
Danielle blinked in disbelief, thinking, ‘Did I not make myself obvious enough? He’s actually turning me down? What about my pride?‘
She bit her lip and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that, Ross?”
Ross nodded, dead serious.
Annoyed, Danielle slid off his lap with a shrug. “Fine. I’ll go finish packing.”
Her sweet scent lingered as she walked away, and even as it faded, Ross still felt it tugging at something inside him.
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Half an hour later, they headed out for dinner. The restaurant was a beautifully restored historic fine dining spot, open only to guests with reservations.
Ross had booked a place here that morning. Their private room was softly lit by vintage amber lighting, with a faint hint of rose in the air. It was quiet, romantic, and warm.
“Try the soup here. It’s really good,” Ross said, ladling a bowl and placing it gently in front of Danielle. She picked up the spoon without a word, then sipped the soup slowly with her head hung low.
Ross placed a piece of the ribeye steak he had cut into her plate and asked, “Are you mad?”
Danielle looked up. Her lips, plump and glossy from the hot soup, curved into a smile. “Why would I be mad at you, Ross? You’re so thoughtful, so I should be thanking you.”
Ross blinked. That… sounded like forgiveness, but something still felt off. Just then, the waiter arrived with the next round of dishes.
Under the table, Danielle’s foot brushed up against Ross‘ calf. When he realized what she was doing, he stiffened. In response, she slipped off her heels, her toes painted a seductive red, gliding boldly up his thigh, clearly heading somewhere dangerous.
Ross instinctively reached under the table, catching her ankle with a firm grip. “Don’t mess around here.”
The waiter paused, glancing over. Ross didn’t so much as flinch. After all, with company present, he couldn’t say anything more.
Danielle rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she asked innocently, “What did I do?”
Ross didn’t respond. Sensing the mood, the waiter tactfully turned and left their private room. With that, Danielle followed up with a prim, perfectly timed line. “My shoe fell by your foot, Ross.”
Ross glanced down. Sure enough, her custom–made Chanel heel was beside his foot. So, he picked it up and slid it back onto her foot.
But the moment he did, his gaze fell on her legs, which were exposed beneath the table. Her dress had a high slit that climbed up her thigh, revealing glimpses of her smooth skin.
Danielle continued to tease, “My legs are sore, Ross. Give them a massage, will you?”
“Danielle,” Ross warned, his voice turning hoarse.
“Hurry up,” she said innocently.
Ross gulped. As a pampered heir, he’d never waited on anyone like this before–but for Danielle, he didn’t mind one bit.
Of course, he knew the whole “sore legs” excuse was pure nonsense. And yet, be found himself indulging her anyway. Soon, his large, warm palm kneaded her calf gently.
“Harder.” Danielle pouted.
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Ross obliged, pressing a little firmer, and in response, Danielle let out a soft, drawn–out hum. “A little higher.” Once he moved his hands higher, she purred, “Mmm, right there. Ross, you’re so good with your hands.”
If someone heard her without seeing what was happening, they’d definitely be picturing something else entirely.
After a few minutes, Ross asked, “Is that enough?”
Danielle finally pulled her leg back and gave him a sweet, “Thank you.”
Ross grabbed a warm towel to wipe his hands. The temperature in the private dining room was just right, yet he still found himself undoing the top button of his collar. But even as he did, the soft, warm feel of her legs lingered stubbornly in his palm.
Danielle noticed that, and her smile grew wider.
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Chapter 407
After dinner, Danielle was finally content. After leaving the restaurant, the two headed straight to the cinema. Danielle had bought the movie tickets in
advance.
Ross wasn’t a regular at movie theaters, and the moment he saw the fully reclining seats, he seriously considered turning right back around.
Danielle was already lying on her side in her seat, propping her head up with one hand in the dim theater lighting. “Why are you still standing there? The movie’s about to start.”
Finally, Ross walked over and sat beside her.
Without missing a beat, Danielle took his hand, pulled him close, and their breaths mingled in the dark. She leaned over and kissed him lightly. “If you sit up straight, you block the screen for the people behind us.”
An attendant arrived just in time with a blanket for them. The ads rolled by on the big screen, and the movie soon began.
Ross had no choice but to lie back, and as soon as he did, Danielle clung to him. She snuggled up against him, draping one arm around his waist and tossing a leg over his.
Undoubtedly, this was pure torture for him. His mind was anything but calm at this moment. Soon enough, he felt his composure slipping away, his mind sinking deeper into turmoil.
He had absolutely no idea what the movie was about–his mind was completely elsewhere.
Then, Danielle’s leg shifted again, this time brushing deliberately where it shouldn’t. She quickly pulled away and whispered with a guilty little smile, “Oops, sorry. The movie’s just really funny. I got a little carried away.”
“Mm,” Ross responded tersely, but in his head, he thought, ‘As if I’d believe that.’
Danielle lowered her gaze, a teasing smile forming on her lips as she thought, ‘As expected, Ross can stay calm in
any situation.
‘But hmph. He was the one begging to stay over in my hospital ward. I can’t believe he actually turned me down tonight.‘
Danielle nibbled at her lower lip playfully before pressing herself even closer against him. Throughout the entire movie, Ross maintained a poker face.
When they left, his face still remained an impassive mask. Even the people passing by seemed a little intimidated by his cold de
Danielle, on the other hand, was unfazed. She reached for his hand with a grin. “Come on. Take me home,”
She had deliberately chosen the cinema nearest to her apartment, which was only a 15–minute drive away.
Ross, in his black Maserati, pulled into the parking lot of the luxury apartment complex. Then, he escorted Danielle upstairs. After they stepped out of the elevator, Danielle stood by her door and entered the passcode.
The door clicked open, and Ross said gently, “I won’t come in. Get some rest early, okay?”
“Okay.” She didn’t try to stop him. Instead, she tilted her face up and tapped a finger on her lips. “Goodnight kiss?”
Ross paused briefly, then leaned in for what was meant to be just a fleeting kiss. But just as he was about to pull away, Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck, nipped at his lips playfully, and parted her lips invitingly, drawing him deeper into the kiss.
He kissed her back instinctively. That one teasing spark ignited a wildfire. His arms wrapped around her, his breath quickened, and the kiss grew urgent.
The door slammed shut behind them. In the dark, he held her close, breathing hard as they stumbled toward the bedroom.
Moonlight spilled through the window. Danielle, now on the bed, pushed him back with a wicked glint in her eyes. “Ross, didn’t you say you weren’t staying tonight?”
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Ross slid his hand around her waist and teased, “Why do you think I’m staying, Dr. Shelly? Don’t play dumb. Come on, Put your legs up here
Danielle obeyed with a playful smile. The night stretched on, cloaked in a haze of slow–burning heat and indulgence. Just as she’d intended, Danielle hai. successfully seduced the ever–gentle and poised Ross.
The next morning, as soon as the alarm went off, Danielle struggled to drag herself out of bed.
The dress she wore last night was beyond salvage–her haute couture dress, worth over 30 thousand dollars, was now ruined, all thanks to Ross.
Wincing slightly, Danielle supported her sore waist as she finished washing up, then prepared to head to the airport.
She was sore all over, but Ross looked completely unfazed, fresh as a daisy and full of energy. He looked at her with a knowing smile. “Still feel like playing this kind of game next time?”
Danielle’s cheeks flushed as she gave Ross a playful, teasing look. “Why wouldn’t I? But who knows when the next time will be. Don’t miss me too much,
Ross.”
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Chapter 408
Ross chuckled under his breath. Somehow, no matter how quick he was with comebacks, he always lost to Danielle. And of course, he would miss her.
The morning sky had cleared up after a night of drizzle. Blue stretched endlessly overhead as fiery red maple leaves crunched beneath the car tires. He’d personally driven Danielle to the airport and watched her board the plane.
Once the plane slowly flew into the sky and disappeared from view, Ross finally left the airport. On the way, he decided to ask Joshua out for lunch. “The Blues Jetroinian Restaurant at 12 PM.”
“Got it,” Joshua replied. At the time, he was just outside a hospital room. As the call ended, the psychiatrist, Kairo Fox, emerged from inside.
Kairo said, “Let’s talk in my office.”
Inside the office, Kairo handed Joshua a report. “Mr. York, your father’s mental state is stable, and his psychological evaluation came back healthy. There’s no indication of schizophrenia in these results as well.”
Joshua gave the report a quick glance and nodded.
“If you’re still concerned, we can keep him under observation a few more days,” Kairo offered.
“No need for that,” Joshua replied calmly. “I’ve confirmed it myself that there’s nothing wrong with him.”
Just to be safe, Joshua had already consulted with a few other scientists from the research institute.
According to them, Stephen had never shown any signs of mental illness during his time there. He’d always been sharp, except for that one odd day when he left the institute acting strangely.
“All right then,” Kairo said.
Soon after, Joshua proceeded with the discharge paperwork for Stephen.
Stephen had been eager to leave the hospital for some time. The only reason he’d been kept in was because his blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels were all elevated. But today, everything was finally back to normal.
What puzzled him most was how he even developed those issues in the first place, as he’d always been healthy. Stranger still, he had no memory of heading home that day.
Joshua didn’t tell him the full story, and Stephen didn’t press. Whatever it was, something about it didn’t add up.
As they stepped out of the hospital, a cat suddenly appeared at Stephen’s feet. It rubbed against his pants and meowed softly.
The white cat was a little dirty, but still looked adorably soft. It wasn’t the first time this cat had shown up. Stephen had seen it wandering near his room for days, and he had even fed it a couple of times.
Stephen wasn’t fond of furry pets, but this one seemed special. He said, “Find someone kind to take this cat in.”
‘Huh? But I want to go home with you,‘ the cat thought, and so, it protested by meowing louder, which meant to say, ‘No! Take me with you.”
“You don’t want to leave?” Stephen asked.
The cat meowed in agreement. Joshua looked down at the cat, which tried to rub against his leg but had missed entirely. It flopped to the ground with a dramatic squeak. “Meow!” It even looked slightly upset now.
Stephen glanced at the little thing and then asked after some thought, “Does your wife like animals?”
“She’s okay with them,” Joshua replied.
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“Then take it home,” Stephen suggested. “It’s a cute cat. Have someone from the pet store clean it up. Once your wife gets back, you can give it to her
The cat agreed with Stephen. “Meow, meow.”
Joshua stayed quiet for a moment but eventually agreed. He told the driver to bring the cat along, and they stopped by a pet shop on the way home.
There, the cat got a full grooming session–bath, nail trim, the works. Joshua also picked up cat food, a bed, and other essentials before returning to Riverswood Villa.
Stephen took a separate car back to York residence. When he was reminded that he’d previously stayed at Joshua’s place, his expression subtly changed before he quickly brushed it off and firmly refused to return home with Joshua.
Truth be told, Joshua was starting to think this cat didn’t look like a stray at all. After the bath, the little thing was chubby, clean underneath the dirt, and clearly well cared for. It was probably just lost.
Back at Riverswood Villa, the cat jumped out of the car and trotted confidently into the house like it already owned the place.
Martha asked, “Mr. York, the cat?”
“Picked it up somewhere,” he replied.
“It’s adorable.” Martha tilted her head and frowned slightly. “Strangely, it looks kind of familiar.”
The cat hopped onto the sofa, stretched out with a yawn, then started licking its paws. It was sleepy and wanted to take a nap.
Within just over an hour, Danielle had already arrived at the lab and reunited with Shermaine.
Even though she hadn’t been physically present lately, Shermaine always forwarded her the latest data reports, so Danielle was well up to speed on their
progress..
This afternoon, they would produce a new batch of serum and test it on Natalie.
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Chapter 409
After arriving, Danielle sent Ross a quick message to let him know she’d landed safely.
Ross: [You and Sheary need to take good care of yourselves. Joshua and I are having lunch now.]
Danielle glanced at Shermaine, who was beside her and smiled playfully. “Your brother and your man are out having lunch together.”
Shermaine lazily yawned before chuckling, “That’s good. At least they have each other for company.”
Danielle sat down next to Shermaine. “You’ve got company too.”
Shermaine handed her the room key card and said, “Alright, go get some rest first so you’ll have the energy to help me this evening.”
Her suite had two bedrooms–her own and a guest room–so Danielle didn’t need to book another room. Of course, even without a guest room, Danielle would have just crashed at Shermaine’s place anyway.
After all, nothing was better than winding down after a long day with a hot bath and some gossip with her best friend.
“I’m totally fine,” Danielle insisted.
Shermaine shot her a sideways glance. “You really think that’s convincing? But anyway, I’m glad that you and my brother are doing well.”
Danielle’s cheeks flushed red, and when she realized Shermaine had caught up to her walk of shame, she dropped the act. Rubbing her waist, she
muttered, “Your brother’s completely obsessed with me right now.”
“I can tell,” Shermaine teased. “Looks like you two had quite a workout last night.”
That only made Danielle blush even more.
After teasing her soon–to–be sister–in–law, Shermaine turned her gaze back to the computer. With GPS‘ tracking system in place, Kylie had nowhere left to
run.
However, since checking into a hotel, Kylie rarely ventured out during the day. Most of the time, she only appeared at night to hunt for prey. To avoid tipping Kylie off, Shermaine refrained from hacking into her devices.
She was waiting for those people to contact Kylie again.
At this hour, The Blues Jetroinian Restaurant was quiet. Besides their table, only two or three others were occupied–all by businesspeople conversing in
hushed tones, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
Still, it was hard not to attract attention. Thanks to their looks, Ross and Joshua drew frequent glances from the surrounding tables.
Soon enough, a pretty woman approached their table, clearly aiming for Joshua. She bit her lip, hesitant but hopeful, her eyes locked on him as she edged closer, probably wanting to ask for his number./
Before the woman could even speak, Joshua casually picked up the water on the table, making sure the platinum wedding band on his ring finger was visible. The moment she saw it, she froze and soon awkwardly veered away, pretending she’d only been heading to the restroom.
Ross let out a soft laugh. He was used to this by now. Whenever they went out together, Joshua was always the center of attention–the most sought- after guy in the group.
Perhaps Joshua had the kind of vibe that ignited a woman’s desire to conquer him. Even with his glasses on, it could not dull his allure as a mature man who radiated both elegance and edge.
They seemed destined for solitude, yet here they were, consumed by love, lost in the throes of passion beyond all self–control.
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The waiter brought over the menu.
Joshua said. “Your call.”
Without hesitation, Ross summoned the waiter and began placing their order. Just then, the windchime above the entrance rang out again, indicating that new guests had arrived.
The new guest was a strikingly tall woman, standing nearly 5’7“, with light gray eyes and sharp, sculpted features. Her fiery red hair was impossible to miss. It was vivid, flamboyant, and commanding.
A lean man in a tailored suit followed her side, his features foreign, though it was hard to pin down to any specific country. What caught the other diners off guard wasn’t just their striking looks, but how naturally they spoke the local language.
They picked a table close to Ross and Joshua. After sitting down, the woman ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed her dress, every gesture exuding effortless grace and refined elegance.
“Your Highness–Judy, that’s the royal blood we’ve been searching for,” the man, Harry, whispered, his voice tinged with awe.
“I’m well aware,” Judy said. Her gaze slowly settled on Joshua with quiet intensity as she sized him up.
“His genes are even superior to Xabier’s. He’s got purer royal blood too,” Harry added with implication in his words.
Of course, Judy knew that all too well. But Joshua was no puppet. He wasn’t someone who would just bend to their will. As she studied him, she couldn’t help but think, ‘He really is perfect.
Harry added, “If the royal family hadn’t fallen, their heir would’ve been your betrothed, Your Highness.”
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Chapter 410
Harry thought, ‘If the royal family had never declined, they would still maintain a marriage alliance with Judy.
‘Moreover, Joshua possesses such superior genes. If Her Highness wishes to produce the most perfect heir, he would be the ideal choice.
However, this man already has a wife in this world, so his body and soul are no longer pure. He is utterly unworthy of Her Highness and could never become Her Highness‘ consort.’
Harry suggested, “Your Highness, I suggest we utilize Joshua. Even if we activate the mecha, Apocalypse, we may not be able to control it. But with him, the success rate jumps to 80%.”
The first step for them was to find Apocalypse’s operation manual. After all, there were specific control commands they had to know.
Apocalypse wasn’t just any machine. It was a high–level, Al–driven mecha, a technological marvel far beyond their current capabilities.
Even by today’s most advanced standards, it was cutting–edge technology. Once activated, it could autonomously update its systems and gather global intelligence in real–time.
It was the kind of tech their labs couldn’t replicate even in theory. Legend had it that the royal family’s ancestors brought it with them when they arrived in the Kingdom of Xyperia, and there was only one of them.
Moreover, its destructive power was on par with that of a nuclear weapon. With Apocalypse in her hands, Judy’s dream of unifying the kingdom would no longer be a dream.
Judy kept her gaze fixed unabashedly on Joshua the whole time, yet from start to finish, he never once cast a glance her way.
Judy wasn’t bothered at all. She kept watching him, plotting her schemes. What Joshua thought was irrelevant to her.
After scanning the menu, Ross looked up to find the stunning foreign woman who’d just walked in staring at his brother–in–law. He thought, ‘What a nuisance. Should’ve booked a private room. This guy’s always attracting attention.‘
But there was something different about this woman–her stare carried a predatory sharpness, almost like a hawk zeroing in on prey.
“You know her?” Ross asked under his breath.
Joshua tilted his head slightly, gave her a brief glance, then turned away. “No.”
At this moment, Judy averted her gaze. “No rush. Let’s observe him a bit longer.”
The two men made quick work of their meal and left the restaurant within half an hour.
They were about to head back to their respective companies when Ross received a call from Henry. He turned to Joshua and asked, “Henry invited us to go boxing. Wanna go?”
Joshua had been swamped with work lately and barely had time to relax. Without hesitation, he nodded.
At 2 PM, Danielle returned to the lab after a short nap, only to find Shermaine curled up fast asleep on the break room couch.
Danielle couldn’t help but let out a soft, amused sigh. “She’s always telling me to rest, but never does it herself.” Still, she grabbed a jacket and gently draped it over Shermaine.
When Shermaine woke up, it was already 4 PM. She rubbed her temples, a little dazed. The alarm hadn’t gone off, and oddly enough, Steve hadn’t come
to wake her either.
Without giving it much thought, Shermaine shrugged off the jacket and got up. Stepping outside, she saw Danielle in discussion with the others. Clearly, the upgraded serum was ready, and testing was about to begin.
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Shermaine walked over, her voice sleepy and soft. “Why didn’t anyone
wake me up?”
“Dr. Shelly said she’d handle things here and wanted you to get some more rest, Dr. Jean,” Steve replied.
Danielle arched an eyebrow playfully. “See? I’m good to you, aren’t I?”
Shermaine smiled and was about to say something when a lazy yawn escaped her instead. “Let me take over from here.”
“If you’re still tired, just sleep a bit longer. Don’t worry, I’ll handle the clinical trial data,” Danielle said gently. “You haven’t been sleeping well lately, have you?”
It was true that she hadn’t had a good sleep in a long time, but getting four or five hours a night wasn’t exactly little either. Lately, she’d been feeling unusually drowsy, though she managed to push through most days.
Today, however, she just couldn’t fight it anymore. She laid down on the couch, planning to nap for half an hour–only to fall into such a deep sleep that she didn’t even realize when she’d drifted off.
Shermaine had always been especially fond of sleeping in during autumn. It seemed the only reason she’d held back before was because no one else could handle her workload. Now that Danielle was here and she could finally ease up a little, her body wasted no time giving in.
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Chapter 411
“I’m not sleeping anymore. I’ll have time for that later,” Shermaine said. “I’m starving, and I’ll make some pastas, You gays want tomar
“Yeah,” Danielle and Steve chorused.
She headed back into the break room to cook, leaving everything else to Danielle without a second thought
By the time Shermaine brought out the bowl of pasta, she saw Danielle already holding a syringe and injecting the serum straight into Natalie’s arm.
Natalie was strapped to the examination table, her limbs thrashing violently. Within minutes of the serum injection, she let out an agonized scream, writhing in pain.
Her wide eyes bulged grotesquely as scales sloughed off her body, only to be replaced by new ones. A foul, putrid fishy stench filled the air. After a prolonged bout of agony, she finally fell silent, and the abnormal physiological readings on the monitors remained unchanged.
In short, the upgraded serum was a bust.
After a full–body disinfection, Danielle changed and came out to find the pasta still steaming hot and perfectly cooked. She picked up her fork, took a bite, and thought they tasted great.
Shermaine had cooked a large pot, thinking no one could possibly finish it all. But in the end, she single–handedly emptied the entire pot on her own.
“You’ve got quite the appetite lately,” Danielle commented.
Shermaine nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been eating a lot.” There were plenty of problems to deal with, but she wouldn’t let them ruin her appetite.
Danielle poked her waist teasingly. “Then how come you’re not gaining any weight?”
Shermaine smiled faintly. With Joshua regularly shipping her gourmet meals, not putting on any weight almost felt like letting him down. But the truth
was, she did not.
“Enough about that. Let’s have a meeting and figure out where things went wrong,” Shermaine said.
Danielle replied, “Sure.”
Meanwhile, in Basterel, Joshua and Ross arrived at a private members–only boxing gym.
Judy was right on their heels. Seeing the others go in while she and her group were blocked, Judy snapped, “Harry, get us a me
Ten minutes later, Judy and her group headed inside as well.
ip now.
Ross hadn’t boxed in ages. After changing into his gear, he vaulted straight into the ring, while Joshua sat ringside, watching him. A decent crowd had gathered, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
Henry grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Joshua, wanna bet?”
“Sure.” Joshua nodded, thinking, ‘Gotta show my support for my brother–in–law.’
“How much?” Henry asked.
Joshua took out a card. “Everything that’s in here.”
Henry grinned. “Deal.”
After asking Joshua, Henry turned to Roy, who was sitting beside them, engrossed in his phone. “What about you?”
Roy barely looked up, clearly distracted. He whined, “Hey, Henry. Momo is ignoring me.”
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Henry blinked, thinking to himself, ‘You love struck idiot.‘
Roy whined dramatically, “I really wanna fly to Ustrana to see her. But she says she’s swamped with work and has no time for me
Roy had been itching to hop on a plane for days now. As far as he was concerned, every day without her was torture–it had been more than two weeks, and it felt like ages.
Henry nearly slapped him. “I invited you out to unwind, and all you can think about is your girlfriend? Seriously?”
Roy pouted. “You wouldn’t get it. You’ve never had real love.”
“Scram,” Henry snapped, finally losing his cool. “Just place your damn bet.”
Roy tossed his card over. “One day you’ll fall hard, and then you’ll know how much it sucks.” The guy was basically heartsick at this point.
Back at the lab, the conference room was filled with experts, each engaged in intense discussion as they tried to troubleshoot the serum failure.
Shermaine hadn’t spoken yet, but she was listening closely, carefully absorbing the suggestions being thrown around.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her pocket, and soon, a robotic voice announced, “System notification. Target activity updated. Immediate review required.”
Shermaine took out her phone and glanced at the alert. Kylie had just left her hotel and was en route to Horington by helicopter.
Ever since Kylie had broken into Riverswood Villa, searching for something, and intentionally leaving clues to hint at her return, Shermaine had worked with Joshua to fabricate a trail, making it seem like a few key volumes of the books had been relocated to Horington.
Just as predicted, the mysterious organization backing Kylie had taken the bait and put her in motion again.
So, they really were after the ancient tomb’s priceless texts, just as Shermaine suspected. And those books had to be tied to the crystal sarcophagus.
There were too many books for Shermaine to read them all. She’d asked Joshua to help search, but they still hadn’t found what they needed.
After the meeting concluded, Danielle took charge of summarizing the key points. Shermaine thought, ‘I really have the best senior to help me out whenever I need it.‘
Shermaine said, “I’ve got an unexpected visitor incoming. I need to get ready. Thanks for handling this, my dear senior.”
“Go on. I’ve got this,” Danielle replied.
On the other hand, Kylie arrived at Horington. She was cracking ho
stiff neck as a vicious smirk curled on her lips.
Kylie vowed in her mind, ‘Shermaine, just you wait. I’ll make sure you pay double for everything I’ve suffered before.”
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Joshua received the news that Kylie had gone to Horington. Shermaine, not wanting him to stress, had quietly synced his phone with GPS system so he’d always stay informed.
S
Right now, Kylie was still about 12 to 18 miles from Shermaine and, strangely enough, she hadn’t caused any chaos yet.
At the boxing gym, Joshu
s eyes were mostly on his phone. Anyone with half a brain could tell who he was texting.
Roy nudged Henry with a knowing grin. “See that? That’s the pain of long–distance love. Look at Joshua. He’s clinging to his phone like a lifeline.”
Henry gave him a side–eye. “It’s not the same thing. Shermaine’s his wife. Molly’s just… whatever she is to you. It’s not exactly comparable.”
Roy looked like he might explode. “Henry, you cold–blooded bastard. Do you enjoy stabbing me in the heart?”
Henry retorted, “Is it my first time doing it?”
Roy fumed, “Let’s settle this with a fight!”
Henry cracked his neck with a smirk. “Bring it on. It’s been a while since I knocked some sense into you anyway.”
Roy shot back, ‘We’ll see who gets the last laugh.”
The two kept bickering back and forth, while everyone else was having a blast watching the drama.
As predicted, Ross came out on top. He might look like a refined heir, but in the ring, his punches were brutal and merciless. This sight stunned those who were unfamiliar with Ross.
Just as Roy and Henry were bickering about changing clothes to get in the ring themselves, a flashy trust–fund kid strolled in with Harry in tow.
Someone asked, “Who’s that guy?”
The trust–fund kid shrugged. “No idea. Seems like a new member. He says he wants to challenge Mr. York.”
Well, things just got interesting. In their circle,. Joshua was the one guy nobody dared to mess with, but a newcomer wanted to challenge him.
These guys were tough, but not dumb enough to walk into inevitable defeat, knowing they would get beaten to a pulp. They gotta praise the newbie for having balls of steel to challenge Joshua.
In an instant, the rich boys lit up, the energy in the room shifting as they egged each other on with growing excitement.
Hearing this, Joshua looked up from his phone. He was still on a video call with Shermaine and said curtly, “Turn him down.”
Shermaine perked up when she heard someone
anted to challenge Joshua. Curious, she asked, “Someone wants to challenge you?”
“Mm.” Joshua paused briefly. “He’s not worth my time.” He wasn’t the type to accept just any challenge, especially not from someone random.
Harry, on the other hand, didn’t take rejection well. He frowned and, with his fluent local language, asked arrogantly, “What’s wrong, Joshua? Scared you’ll lose?”
Even with superior genes, one would not be deemed truly powerful in their world if their physical prowess were not up to standard.
Harry prided himself on his exceptional abilities. Back in his kingdom, he commanded an army of over 10 thousand soldiers and had earned Judy’s favor, becoming her trusted right–hand man.
Legend had it that the royal family members were peerless warriors, known not just for their unmatched physical strength but also for their astonishing
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regenerative abilities. These traits had once struck fear into the hearts of other races, securing their place as the kingdom’s most dominant family
But those were just centuries–old legends. Harry was itching to find out if someone with that so called royal blood was all that. However, he couldn’t believe that Joshua rejected his challenge.
Moreover, Joshua didn’t spare him a glance. Harry was just about ready to throw a punch and show everyone what he could do.
Shermaine, hearing the taunt, pressed her lips together. She didn’t like anyone questioning Joshua, especially not like this. She was fiercely protective of him, and honestly, she wouldn’t mind seeing him throw a few punches.
“Go ahead,” Shermaine said.
“I just want to keep talking to you,” Joshua replied without missing a beat.
The crowd was stunned. No one would’ve thought that the famously cold and aloof Joshua would be so clingy with his wife.
“I want to watch,” Shermaine said.
Joshua gulped. “For real?”
Shermaine nodded.
“Alright.” Joshua finally turned to Harry. “I’ll accept your challenge only because my baby wants to see me in the ring.”
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Harry was about to fly into a rage. He thought, ‘I swear, I’m going to wipe that smug, handsome look off his face later. Just looking at him pisses me off
Still, in their kingdom, men who followed their wives‘ words obediently were the most attractive kind.
Harry thought bitterly, ‘I bet Her Highness would probably like Joshua even more. Hmph.
Harry sneered, “You better not let your wife watch. Trust me. You don’t want her to see how pathetic you look later when you lose.”
Unfazed by the provocation, Joshua casually tossed his phone to Roy. “Here, hold this.”
Roy took the phone and beamed at Shermaine. “Hey, Shermaine.”
“Hey,” Shermaine replied.
Roy didn’t bother asking Shermaine about Molly. He knew she was already busy dealing with the virus outbreak in Horington. Instead, he checked in with her to see how she was holding up.
The crowd erupted in excitement as a new round of bets started pouring in.
Joshua headed off to the locker room to change. Right then, Ross, having just finished his match, changed out of his gear a
to Roy and chatted casually with Shermaine.
Ross asked, “Sheary, are you back at the hotel?”
“Yeah,” Shermaine replied.
“What are you working on right now?”
“Energy gloves.”
pped into the seat next
Back in his boxing days, Ross had seen people rig gloves to boost their power. But judging by the way Shermaine was modifying hers, it looked like she was taking things to a whole new level.
He knew Kylie was back for revenge, and word was there was some shady force behind her. All in all, it left him uneasy.
Still, Ross knew what Shermaine was capable of. In the end, he chose to trust that she’d handle it.
Shermaine added casually, “Danielle’s still busy working in the lab.”
Ross nodded. “She didn’t sleep well last night. Tell her to head back to the hotel early tonight and get some rest.” Then, he thought, ‘That little minx knew she was leaving for Horington, yet she kept coming onto me. I’m no saint, so of course, I gave in.’
“Got it.” Shermaine chuckled, thinking, ‘My brother’s really getting the hang of this now.”
Before long, Joshua emerged in his boxing gear. Through the ultra–HD camera feed, they watched as he effortlessly vaulted over the ropes into the ring Harry stormed in after him, radiating aggression.
With the referee’s signal, the match officially began. Shermaine was multitasking–tinkering with her gear while keeping most of her attention on Jochu in the ring.
Harry was aggressive. Shermaine could tell Joshua wasn’t going all out he was just sizing the guy up.
“Not bad,” Shermaine thought. Still, she couldn’t help but note that some of his moves those sweeps and punches cleaner. Instead, he made them a little too showy for her taste
Even I could beat him if I got in the ring. Shermaine thought. Let Alone Joshua–he’s always been on a what the
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When it came to raw combat ability, she had no doubt Joshua outclassed her by miles. Especially when he let his killing intent slip–that kind of presence only came from someone who had truly seen blood.
Harry grew increasingly impatient as Joshua made no move to attack. “What’s the matter? Hit me back already!”
The words had barely left Harry’s mouth when Joshua’s fist connected with his face. It was a solid punch that left him dazed and reeling.
The group of scions watching below erupted into applause. They shouted, “Clean hit!” That was Joshua for them, the undisputed king of Basterel’s elites, the one they all respected and looked up to.
That punch packed such force that even the onlookers could practically feel its impact. Just watching the fight made them wince in pain, as if the blow had landed on themselves.
Harry shook off the dizziness and clutched his face, rage flaring in his eyes.
But he couldn’t ignore the pressure rolling off Joshua. It was suffocating, as if he were standing in the path of a storm. That overwhelming presence made his skin crawl, and there was something primal whispering to him, asking him to get on his knees.
Joshua didn’t hold back when he fought. In the shadows, Judy watched it all unfold with a glint of excitement in her eyes. She couldn’t help but admit that the more she knew Joshua, the more impressed she was.
色
Harry got absolutely wrecked; this was the worst beating he’d ever taken. His face was so swollen that he barely looked human. Right now, he looked more like a punching bag that had lost a fight with a truck.
He thought, ‘As one of the kingdom’s most renowned generals, I would never surrender. Besides, I challenged Joshua first. It’s already embarrassing enough that I lost. How could I let Her Highness look down on me even more?‘
Seeing Harry still refused to concede, Joshua saw no reason to hold back. He’d just beat Harry until he couldn’t get up again.
That was his plan until Judy stepped up to the edge of the ring and said firmly, “Harry, that’s enough. Admit defeat.”
Harry stood there, swaying unsteadily, clearly unwilling to give in.
Judy barked, “Admit defeat. That’s an order!”
Harry finally gave in. “I will.” With that, he finally stepped down from the ring.
Everyone looked around at each other, stunned into silence. They had all noticed this woman the moment she walked in. Sure, a few scions had tried hitting on her, but her cold, regal demeanor sent them all away.
Harry stepped down with his head hung low. “Your Highness, I’ve embarrassed you.”
“Losing to him is no disgrace,” Judy replied.
The crowd heard every word and exchanged meaningful glances. They wondered, ‘Did she just openly praise Joshua? What is she getting at? Is she into Mr. York or something? But even if she is, she can’t have him. He’s married, and Shermaine is his precious baby.‘
Ross recognized the woman. Frowning, he murmured, “It’s her again.”
Shermaine, tinkering with her energy glove, paused and arched a brow. “You know her?”
Ross started snitching. “When I had lunch with Joshua today, this woman couldn’t stop staring at your husband. And now she’s followed him here to the
boxing gym.”
Shermaine’s gaze shifted back to the video feed and she noticed a woman come into view. Seeing the woman’s gaze fixed on her man, Shermaine narrowed her eyes.
Harry, still looking deflated, murmured, “Understood, Your Highness.”
Judy tilted her chin up, meeting Joshua’s gaze. “I heard you’re quite the marksman. Care for a duel sometime?”
Joshua’s expression stayed cold as he hopped down from the boxing ring. “My wife’s shooting skills are just as impressive.”
“That works too,” Judy replied.
Joshua just looked at her without saying more.
Judy pressed on, “If I beat her, does that mean I get to challenge you?”
The boxing gym fell silent for three full seconds.
Roy stepped forward and said, “Let’s have Joshua’s wife answer that herself.”
A second later, Shermaine’s voice rang out through the call. It was casual, cocky, and sharp as a whip. “Sure. Come and try beat me.” She wasn’t even around, yet her presence dominated the room.
Judy smirked and said, “I will.” She was no pushover like Kylie.
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Joshua was about to say something when Shermaine abruptly ended the video call. He blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly, looking amused.
Someone piped up, “Joshua, your wife just hung up on you.”
Joshua shot back, “I’m not blind.”
Another chimed in, “You’re so dead!”
Everyone burst into laughter, clearly enjoying his misfortune.
Joshua was unbothered. After his match, he was drenched in sweat, so he headed to the locker room, took a quick shower, changed into fresh clothes,
and only then called Shermaine back to do some damage control.
Shermaine picked up the call but remained silent.
Joshua teased, “Are you jealous?”
Shermaine glanced up. “Why would I be? Did she touch you or something?” She huffed, a petulant mood coming out of nowhere. “Honestly, just seeing your face is annoying me right now.”
Joshua was bewildered, but he asked in a more serious tone this time, “Sheary, what did I do to upset you?”
“Everything about you. Head to toe.”
It was the first time he’d ever seen Shermaine this irrational–and for once, he had no idea how to fix it.
After the words left her mouth, Shermaine realized she’d let her emotions get the better of her. She paused, then murmured softly, “Sorry about that.”
Joshua’s voice turned gentle. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m not mad, I’m just trying to figure out how to cheer you up so you won’t think I’m
annoying.”
“You’re not annoying,” she admitted. The things she said earlier weren’t from the heart. “It was my bad. I snapped for no reason.”
“It’s fine, Sheary. You can be as moody as you want,” Joshua said tenderly. “I’ll love you no matter what.”
Soothed by Joshua’s coaxing, her bad mood dissipated quickly. In front of him, she could never be the glamorous and formidable Shermaine that others
saw.
Honestly, her earlier irritation was mostly because she knew someone was coveting Joshua while she couldn’t be there. If she had been present, she would have liked to see if the woman had the guts to be so brazen about it.
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After calming her down, Joshua finally slipped his phone back into his pocket. When he turned around, he was surprised to find Judy standing nearby with her arms crossed. “Your wife seems to have quite the temper.”
In the Kingdom of Xyperia, though women hold the highest status in society, they would never lose their temper at their husbands without a good reason. They have always treated their spouses with the utmost respect.
So when Judy witnessed Shermaine snapping at Joshua so casually, she couldn’t hide her disapproval.
To her, someone of Joshua’s standing shouldn’t have to lower himself like that to pacify a tantrum. It was unbecoming of a man so revered in Wallington.
Joshua, however, found her remarks both presumptuous and irrelevant. The warmth in his voice was gone, replaced with a biting chill. “I spoil her
because I want to.”
No matter how bad Shermaine’s mood got, he wouldn’t allow anyone to criticize her–not even a word. In fact, he found something oddly satisfying about calming her down. It made him feel wanted in a way no one else ever could.
“No offense. I was just stating facts,” Judy said with a faint smirk. “If my honesty upset you, I might–just this once–offer you an apology.”
Judy’s holier–than–thou attitude when criticizing others was truly an eye–opener for Joshua.
“Don’t bother.” Joshua didn’t even bother to look at her, his eyes glinting with barely restrained fury. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Judy was about to say something more, but Joshua’s patience had run out. If she weren’t a woman, he would have had stretcher today.
Joshua cut her off and summoned a staff member. “You have five minutes to get them out of here.”
arried out of here on a
The staff was put in a difficult position. After all, everyone here was a member, and there really was no good reason to make an exception for anyone.
He had no choice but to call the manager. The manager snapped, “Are you out of your mind? That’s Joshua! Just do whatever he says.”
“But-” the staff member began.
“This is Basterel. Who cares if that foreigner is a member? So what if they are? Can they possibly compare to Joshua’s power and influence here? Joshua could easily take the top spot in next year’s top businessman list.”
After being reprimanded, the staff had no choice but to swallow their frustration and politely but firmly asked Judy to leave.
The moment Harry heard that, he exploded because Judy had never been treated like this back in their kingdom. He thought that Joshua clearly didn’t
know who he was dealing with.
Harry pointed at Joshua and snarled, “Mark my words. You’ll regret crossing Her Highness.”
Joshua sneered, “Keep pointing and you’ll lose that finger.”
“You!” Harry sputtered, his face flushing with anger.
Joshua’s eyes turned cold, and he snapped, “Get lost.”
The scions watching from the sidelines had never seen Joshua this pissed before. ‘These two really thought they were something else, one of them thought. ‘Well, maybe they are, back in their tuff, but this is Basterel. This is Joshua’s domain, They can’t just run their mouths off here.”
Honestly, Judy didn’t think she’d said anything out of line—she’d only made one tittle remark about Shermaine. However, that made Joshua act like an overprotective guard dog.
As the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Xyperia, Judy had always been admired and revered–never once humiliated like this, Furious, she leveled a
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cold glare at Joshua. “You’re being reckless, Joshua.”
Judy produced her membership card with a sneer. “A boxing club that treats its distinguished guests like this? I won’t be coming back.”
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She snapped it in half and flung it to the ground. Fixing Joshua with a cold stare, she added, “Joshua, we’ll meet again. Let’s see if you’ll still have the guts to stand your ground next time.”
The crowd gasped at her audacity. They all wondered, ‘Who does she think she is?‘
Even after they left, Joshua’s temper hadn’t cooled in the slightest. “Roy.”
Roy stepped forward. “Joshua, I’m already looking into the background of that woman and that simp.”
Around 8 PM, Danielle returned from the lab to find Shermaine in the shower. Her eyes immediately fell on a pair of boxing gloves left on the table.
They felt unusually light in her hands, and she wondered, ‘Huh… I wonder what these are made of.‘
Curious, Danielle slipped one on. There was a small button on the glove–she pressed it, but nothing happened.
She gave the glove a couple of experimental swings, accidentally bumping the corner of the table, and to her shock, the entire table instantly shattered into pieces.
Speechless, Danielle thought, ‘Of course, my junior is into this crazy tech. That table was solid as a rock. One would need something at least 110 pounds
to break it.‘
Hearing the noise, Shermaine stepped out of the bathroom. Fresh from her shower, she was dressed in milky–white pajamas with her hair still damp and cascading down her back. “Turn it off when you’re done playing.”
Afraid she might break something else, Danielle quickly turned it off and took it off. “Can this thing even shatter bulletproof glass?”
“Depends on the thickness of it,” Shermaine replied.
That meant it could shatter normal glass easily. Danielle thought, ‘If Kylie really shows up, she’ll get beaten to a pulp and ends up screaming for help.‘
Danielle remembered something. ‘After Kylie was taken by that mysterious organization, her comminuted fractures healed completely in just days. There’s no way our current medical technology can do that. Either she had a body replacement, or she’s undergone some kind of cybernetic
enhancement.
‘If their enhancement tech is truly this advanced, just who on earth were these people?‘
Danielle gave her a big thumbs–up. “I bet Molly would love to buy you one of these.”
“The material’s special and one of a kind,” Shermaine stretched lazily and said. “Go take your shower. Steve will bring us dinner any minute now.”
Danielle nodded.
Meanwhile, Roy combed through international databases but found no trace of Judy’s and Harry’s identities. Frowning, he reported, “Joshua, it looks like their identity and personal information has been deliberately concealed. Even their immigration records have been completely wiped clean.”
Then, he added, “Those two are definitely suspicious.”
Joshua commanded, “Put someone on their tail.”
Steve brought over dinner, and the two of them ate while watching TV. After eating their fill, Shermaine rubbed her full belly and let out a drowsy yawn
Danielle cleared the table. “If you’re sleepy, go get some rest.”
Shermaine said, “Let me just sit for a few minutes.”
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Danielle quickly cleared the table. “I’m going to video call your brother then.”
Shermaine had said she’d sit for just a few minutes, but the longer she sat on the sofa, the heavier her eyelids became. Eventually, she gave in and headed to her room, turned off the lights, and collapsed into bed.
By the time she woke the next morning, sunlight was pouring through the windows. It was a clear, beautiful day.
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The hotel had a gym, and after a solid workout, the last traces of sleep finally wore off. Shermaine sipped her water as alerts from GPS kept pinging in her ear. “Target is five miles away… Target is three miles away.”
Kylie was getting closer until she finally arrived near the hotel. Acting as if she had no idea Kylie had arrived, Shermaine finished her session and headed
to the lab with Danielle.
After Shermaine left, Kylie slipped into the hotel and headed straight for Shermaine’s room. With practiced ease, she pulled out a card, tapped it twice,
and the door unlocked with a soft click.
She wasn’t really looking for the books, but rather, she just wanted to get back at Shermaine. But with her mysterious rescuers watching, she didn’t dare
act out and had no choice but to restrain herself.
This time, she discovered a suitcase tucked in the corner, packed entirely with books. The moment she found it, she made an immediate call. “The books
are here.”
The person on the other end of the line commanded, “Bring them back.”
“Got it,” Kylie replied.
But Kylie didn’t leave right away. Instead, she tore through the room, tossing things around and making a mess, then quietly opened the door and hid, lying in wait.
Soon after, the housekeeper discovered the mess and immediately reported it to hotel management, who then called Shermaine.
“Got it. I’m heading back now to check if anything’s missing,” Shermaine replied as she made a U–turn for the hotel.
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Kylie hid in the wardrobe, patient as a hunter lying in wait for her prey. What she didn’t realize was that she was the one being hunted.
The hotel manager and staff patiently waited for Shermaine to return, planning to call the police only after she confirmed whether any valuables were missing.
Strangely enough, when they checked the surveillance footage, hoping to spot the thief, there wasn’t a single trace of anyone suspicious. Clearly, this was the work of a seasoned professional–someone who knew exactly how to hide from the cameras.
Shermaine was back within 15 minutes.
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She was dressed in an effortless casual style, wearing an oversized, solid pink sweatshirt paired with black hot pants, black mid–calf combat boots, and a beret perched just right. The whole look was sharp and confident, with a hint of cool allure.
However, what truly turned heads was her radiant complexion and breathtaking beauty, particularly her long, slender legs. She looked like a masterpiece hand–sculpted by the heavens themselves.
Shermaine gave the room a quick, casual once–over, then turned to the hotel manager and staff. “Nothing’s missing,”
The manager thought, ‘Huh? Nothing at all?‘ Then, just to be sure, he asked again, “Are you sure, Ms. Jean?”
Shermaine nodded.
The manager added, “Even though nothing seems to be missing, I still think we should call the police, just to be safe.”
“No need for that,” Shermaine replied coolly. “This doesn’t concern you, and I have it under control. Just have housekeeping come back to clean in an
hour.”
The manager thought, ‘This is definitely not a regular theft. Rich people always have some messy business going on. Best we don’t get too involved.”
Since Shermaine clearly wasn’t budging, the manager could only agree to beef up security on her floor to prevent any further incidents.
After seeing the manager and the others out, Shermaine closed the door behind them and deliberately locked it from the inside.
After that, Shermaine stretched casually, acting as if she had no idea Kylie was hiding in the wardrobe. She walked into the room, picked up the jacket she’d left out that morning, and made a show of hanging it up in the closet.
The wardrobe door swung open, and Kylie immediately made a grab for Shermaine’s throat. But Shermaine simply leaned back, calmly took a step back,
then feigned a look of mild surprise. “Kylie? It’s you.”
For the first time, Shermaine was genuinely impressed with her own acting because Kylie didn’t suspect a thing. In fact, Kylie looked downright smug at Shermaine’s feigned surprise. “Shermaine, you never thought I’d come back for revenge, did you?”
“I totally didn’t expect that.” Shermaine paused before adding sarcastically, “Someone who was supposed to be paralyzed is now alive and kicking right
in front of me.”
Of course, Kylie wasn’t about to spill the truth. She let out a sneer, “You don’t need to know. I’ve suffered because of you, and now, it’s your turn.”
Kylie thought, ‘I won’t kill Shermaine, but I’ll make her feel what it’s like to be crippled too. If Joshua ever finds out, it’ll break his heart. At that thought, fury blazed in her eyes, and her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles cracked.
Shermaine just smiled faintly.
Kylie frowned. Something about Shermaine’s smile felt off, but she brushed it aside. She thought, I’m a cyborg now. One punch from me, and she’s done
for.‘
Shermaine didn’t try to take Kylie head–on; instead, she sidestepped. Kylie’s fist smashed into the wall, punching a crater about an inch deep.
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Shermaine arched a brow. “Someone’s gotten stronger.”
Kylie switched hands and came at her again. Punch after punch, craters bloomed across the wall like a shotgun blast–but not a single hit landed on
Shermaine.
“If you’ve got the guts, stop dodging!” Kylie snapped.
“Should I just stand here and let you hit me?” Shermaine chuckled knowingly. “Do I look like an idiot to you?”
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Kylie couldn’t believe Shermaine still had the nerve to talk to her in such a casual tone. That attitude just rubbed her the wrong way. “I’m up so badly you’ll forget your own name.”
gonna
beat you
‘Dream on.‘ Shermaine kept that thought to herself. She still had to maintain her act, and saying that would blow her cover. But in her heart, that was exactly what she believed.
As they clashed again, Kylie quickly realized Shermaine was beginning to fall behind. That only drove her wilder–she attacked like a woman possessed, riding the momentum with ruthless ferocity.
Shermaine landed a punch, but it felt like slamming into steel, probably due to the titanium alloy bones. She glanced at her reddened knuckles.
“Didn’t expect that, did you?” Kylie sneered with biting sarcasm. “This is all thanks to Joshua’s ‘generosity.”
Her body might look human, but inside, she was pure machine. This was a secret no one else knew about her.
“Aren’t you quite pleased with it?” Shermaine taunted with a smirk.
Kylie froze for half a beat, then snapped in rage because it was true. She was stronger than ever, and deep down, she did take pride in her cybernetic body. But having someone call it out so bluntly felt like she was being stripped bare.
Shermaine smirked. “Perfect timing. I can try out the power of my new boxing gauntlets on you.”
‘Gauntlets?‘ Kylie thought as she frowned. Then, she watched as Shermaine pulled them out and slipped then.
wit
The gauntlets looked just like winter gloves–lightweight and fitting snugly against the skin. Even if she wore them out in public, those gloves wouldn’t draw a second glance–they looked sleek, minimal, and totally unassuming.
Once Shermaine slipped them on, she didn’t appear the least bit threatening.
Kylie scoffed. “Petty tricks.” But in the very next second, she realized just how wrong she was.
Shermaine was already more skilled than Kylie, but with the gauntlets amplifying her strength, every punch carried a terrifying threat. For the first time, Kylie genuinely feared she couldn’t withstand the next blow.
With a thunderous crash, the gauntlet–enhanced punch actually blasted a hole straight through the entire wall.
Kylie’s eyes widened in disbelief, thinking, ‘These hits are stronger than my cybernetic limbs. If that punch had landed on me instead of the wall–would it have shattered my titanium alloy frame?‘ She didn’t even dare to picture it.
Her hatred toward Shermaine surged because the latter came up with such a terrifying item. She wanted to retreat so badly, but pride rooted her in place.
‘Damn it, I can’t even achieve my goal.‘ As she was thinking and hesitating on her next move, she got a brutal beating. One of her arms, after catching a direct hit, had gone completely numb, as if the neural circuits were shorting out.
Meanwhile, Shermaine had started enjoying herself, tossing Kylie around like a basketball with zero mercy. Kylie was so furious that she actually coughed up blood.
“Shermaine!” Kylie ground out between clenched teeth.
Shermaine shrugged, mocking, “Let’s see if your rescue team can patch you up after I cripple you a second time.”
That hit a nerve, and Kylie stiffened. She couldn’t afford to be reckless now. Fortunately, she had come prepared. One tap on her smartwatch, and the hotel’s surveillance system went offline.
What Shermaine didn’t know was that before she even returned to the room earlier, Kylie had already swapped out the suitcase full of books and stashes
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the real one in her car in the underground parking lot.
Now with her cover blown, she made a clean exit. Shermaine gave a symbolic chase, then turned back. She was letting Kylie go, hoping that Kylie could lead her to the mastermind controlling her behind the scenes.
The suite, meanwhile, was in a state of total ruin. When the hotel manager returned and saw the state of the presidential suite, he nearly cried.
Shermaine produced a black credit card. “Please arrange another room for me. Here’s 300,000 dollars to cover the damages.”
Meanwhile, Kylie finally breathed a sigh of relief as she sped away. She steered with one hand—the other hung limp, completely numb from Shermaine’s punch.
Just then, her phone rang again. Her contact was calling, pressing impatiently for an update.
Kylie slammed her fist against the steering wheel, barely containing her fury. Gritting her teeth, she forced out, “I’m on my way back.”
When Kylie finally returned to Basterel and handed over the suitcase, Harry opened it, only to find it fully stuffed with BL comic books.
Harry flipped open one of them, only to be greeted by a full–page spread of two men kissing.
His face contorted with fury as he slammed the suitcase shut and roared, “You wasted all that time over there, and you didn’t even bother to check what the hell was inside?”
After seeing those books, it suddenly dawned on Kylie that Shermaine had played her for a fool.
‘So she knew I was coming to Horington all along. Shermaine was the hunter lying in wait, while I was her prey. Damn it! How dare she play me like a fool?‘ Kylie thought as a wave of fury washed over her.
The next instant, red alarm lights flashed on throughout the entire floor. Shermaine had already hacked into Kylie’s phone. Since it had previously connected to the building’s Wi–Fi, she piggybacked off it and hijacked the entire system.
From her end, Shermaine now controlled the entire surveillance grid. But all she caught on camera was a partial view of a woman’s face. One second later, that section of the building went pitch–black.
With that, the surveillance feed instantly plunged into complete darkness. The woman–whose full face hadn’t been captured–had cut the power. Shermaine had to give it to her that she had fast reflexes.
By now, Joshua was already on his way there.
After cutting the power, Judy commanded, “It’s not safe to stay here. Pack up–we’re leaving now.” As she passed Kylie, she added with a cold sneer, “Can’t you even tell you’re no match for Shermaine? Don’t you have that basic self–awareness?”
“Wasn’t the whole point of saving me to take down Shermaine?” Kylie countered.
Judy sneered mercilessly, “But I never thought you’d be such a conceited fool.”
Kylie paled, not knowing what else to say. Seeing Judy turn to leave, Kylie panicked and blurted out, “Your Highness, please just give me one more
chance!”
Judy paused and said, “No. Next time, I’ll deal with her personally.” Time was running out, and they had to get Apocalypse back to the Kingdom of Xyperia as soon as possible. She warned, “For now, you’d better stay put.“/
Kylie lowered her head submissively and said softly, “As you wish, Your Highness. Actually, my left arm isn’t working properly. Could you ask Mr. Harry to
take a look at it for me?”
“Harry, examine her arm,” Judy ordered.
Harry nodded, but still voiced his concern, “Your Highness, are you certain about choosing that location as our evacuation point?”
“Yes,” Judy said.
“But it’s really close to Joshua’s place,” Harry added.
Judy said decisively, “The safest place is right under the enemy’s nose.”
“That makes sense,” Harry conceded immediately. Harry, the bootlicker, was instantly convinced, eager to please Judy as always.
By the time Joshua arrived, the place was already empty. The entire building stood eerily quiet, as if no one had ever been here.
Standing by the floor–to–ceiling window, Joshua said into his phone, “Sheary, I’m here. Missed them by minutes. They’ve already evacuated.”
Shermaine wasn’t surprised, “Fine then. Since they want to play this game of cat and mouse, we’ll indulge them a little longer.
“Alright,” Joshua replied thoughtfully.
Shermaine pressed her lips together and added, “I’ll be heading back to Basterel tomorrow.” She needed to return and figure out for herself what exactly they were after.
“How long will you be home for?” Joshua asked.
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“Two, maybe three days. With Danielle holding down the fort here, I can go without worrying much,” Shermaine said.
Just then, the sound of a cat meowing reached Shermaine’s ears. Puzzled, she asked, “Is that a cat?”
Joshua turned his head and spotted the driver approaching, holding a fat, white cat in his arms. It was the one his father had asked him to bring back to
Riverswood Villa. It snuck into the car after he got in.
They didn’t even realize it until the car had already been on the road for a while.
He replied gently, “Yeah. I found it at the hospital when my father was hospitalized.” Then, with a soft smile, he asked, “Sheary, do you like cats?”
“They’re alright,” Shermaine said casually.
He thought, ‘If she’s okay with it, then we’re keeping it.’
The driver said, “Mr. York, this little thing just wouldn’t take no for an answer. It had to come see you.”
Apparently, the driver had been sitting in the car enjoying a smoke when the cat wouldn’t stop bothering him. Stubborn and temperamental, it had
clawed and scratched him every time he tried to make it stay put.
So now, the poor driver’s arms were covered in scratches.
“Put it down,” Joshua said.
The driver set the white cat down on the floor. It sauntered over slowly, almost shyly, rubbing up against Joshua’s leg with a meekness it certainly hadn’t
shown earlier.
The driver couldn’t help but marvel, ‘This cat is something else. It only bullies the weak like me. But when it sees someone like Mr. York, suddenly it’s all
sweet and obedient. The double standard is unreal.‘
Meanwhile, Martha suddenly realized why the cat looked so familiar. That was because it was their next–door neighbor’s cat. Apparently, the neighbor had passed out from grief after losing their beloved pet.
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Martha wasn’t sure if this was really the neighbor’s cat. After all, cats pretty much look alike, and it could be hard to tell them apart unless they had some distinctive markings.
She thought, ‘Besides, if it really is the neighbor’s cat, should I tell Mr. York about it? But judging from his attitude, it seems like he wanted Mrs. York to
keep the cat. What a dilemma.‘
The night passed without any mishap. At sunrise, a helicopter landed on the hotel rooftop. It was sent to escort Shermaine back to Basterel.
Shermaine didn’t bother packing anything. She just grabbed a small bag and set off for home. Once aboard the helicopter, she closed her eyes, made herself comfortable, and drifted off to sleep.
An hour later, the helicopter landed on the rooftop of York Group. Seeing Shermaine was sound asleep, the pilot couldn’t bring himself to wake her up.
Instead, he called Joshua and asked him to get her.
Joshua was in a meeting when he received the call. “Meeting paused for twenty minutes,” he announced, then immediately headed up to fetch her.
Shermaine was covered with a blanket, her head slightly tilted as she breathed softly. When Joshua boarded the helicopter and saw her, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead. Then, after carefully unbuckling her seatbelt, he carried her out of the helicopter.
Shermaine didn’t stir. Maybe she subconsciously sensed it was him, so instead of waking up, she leaned into his chest, inhaled his familiar scent, and rubbed her cheek softly against him.
Joshua carried her into the lounge of his office. As Shermaine sank into the soft bed, her drowsy eyes fluttered open.
“You’re awake?” he asked.
Shermaine murmured drowsily, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I just wanted you to get a little more sleep,” Joshua couldn’t resist kissing her again. “You’ve worked hard, Sheary.”
Shermaine’s lips curved into a smile as she tilted her head up to return his kiss.
Joshua braced a hand on the edge of the bed, leaning in. Soon, their breaths tangled and melted together, the quiet space filled with only the warmth
between them.
Back in the meeting room, the executives waited an extra ten minutes before Joshua returned. There was a subtle flush on his lips, and his expression- for once–was warm and relaxed.
The meeting stretched on for over an hour before it finally concluded. Afterward, Joshua took Shermaine out for lunch, then they headed back to Riverswood Villa. There, Shermaine finally met the cat.
The white cat sat in front of its food bowl, staring at the kibble with visible sorrow, as if too heartbroken to eat.
The cat thought to itself. ‘Ugh, I really can’t stand this stuff. I want fried chicken, fries, burgers, and beef stew. Seriously, humans and cats live such different lives and get different treatments.‘
Seeing Shermaine return, Martha beamed with delight. “Mrs. York, welcome back.”
Shermaine nodded and asked, “Is the cat refusing to eat?”
“Yeah,” Martha said, looking troubled. “The cat only had a little milk this morning, and it never eats cat food or anything like that.”
“Why don’t we cook the cat some fish?” Shermaine suggested.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Martha replied.
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The white cat saw Shermaine and meowed, as if to say hello.
Shermaine raised an eyebrow, thinking, ‘This cat sure makes itself at home, doesn’t it?‘
Joshua took Shermaine’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go to the study.”
The white cat eagerly trotted after them. Before long, Shermaine and the white cat were having a great time in the study.
The white cat licked its paw, thinking, ‘Back when I was Stephen, I could eat all kinds of delicacies, but that identity always made me feel uneasy.
‘Being a cat is a whole new world. I can finally let my guard down, act cute, and get spoiled. Even Shermaine is especially patient with me these days.
The white cat meowed eagerly, rubbing against Shermaine’s legs with bright, expectant eyes.
Shermaine gave the cat’s head a gentle rub, picked up a small cookie from the table, broke it in half, and shared it with the cat.
Joshua’s eyes dimmed at the sight. As Shermaine picked up another cookie to feed the cat, he leaned in and, without hesitation, ate it right from her
hand.
The cat thought, ‘What the heck? That’s my cookie! Can’t you get your own? Stop stealing from me!‘
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The white cat would’ve loved nothing more than to tear into Joshua with a long string of very human insults. And truth be told, it could speak, just not in this part of the world. Here, cats didn’t use human language.
So instead, it launched into a flurry of meows, yowls, and grumbles.
Of course, none of it made sense to the humans.
The study quickly filled with the cat’s indignant meowing.
Shermaine raised an amused brow. “Pretty sure it’s cursing you out, Joshua.”
“Meow.” The kitten let out a sharp reply and continued its rant.
Joshua, expressionless, popped a biscuit into his mouth and tossed a few pieces on the floor. “Let it eat on its own. Spoiled enough already.”
Shermaine shot him a look. “Weren’t you the one who said I should be the one taking care of it?”
“I’ve thought about it,” Joshua replied nonchalantly. “You don’t really have the time to look after a cat. Just let it stay here and fend for itself. It’s smart. It won’t starve.”
Sure enough, the white cat dove at the crumbs, holding them delicately between its paws, munching away
clear satisfaction.
It was, admittedly, a clever little thing.
Shermaine was beginning to grow quite fond of it.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, pooling on the floor scattered with books, books Kylie hadn’t noticed when she barged in. No one knew what they were made of, but despite the passing of a millennium, the pages showed no signs of aging.
Joshua slipped his arms around Shermaine from behind, his hands resting low on her waist, pulling her back into his chest with quiet possessiveness. “Sheary,” he murmured, “feed me.”
“I thought you hated snacks,” she said, not looking up.
“I do,” he said, voice dipping lower, “unless you’re the one feeding me.”
Shermaine half–smiled, lips quirking. “I’m trying to read.”
Joshua’s lashes lowered, his voice almost a whisper. “Just one more.”
Her resolve crumbled. She picked up a small biscuit and brought it to his lips.
He didn’t devour it like before. This time, he nibbled a corner first, slow and deliberate, before finishing the rest.
Crumbs clung to her fingertips. Joshua took her slender wrist, brought her hand to his mouth, and gently licked the tip of her finger, teasing, unhurried, and unmistakably intimate.
Shermaine shot him a stern look. “Behave.“/
He grinned. “Tastes good.” Then he sucked lightly on her fingertip again. Under the blanket, his warm palm slipped beneath her loose sweater, finding the soft curve of her waist.
Moments later, Shermaine found herself pressed gently against the floor, his kisses slow, languid, and relentless.
Breathless, lips flushed a vivid red, she murmured, “That’s enough.”
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But Joshua didn’t push it. He hadn’t come with an agenda. He just wanted to hold her for a while, to soothe the ache of too many lonely nights.
“If no more kisses,” he whispered, “then feed me another cookie.”
“Alright, alright. Get off,” she said, gently pushing at him.
He leaned in for one last kiss. “Not unless you give me a kiss first.”
Shermaine laughed, exasperated. “You know, if your employees saw you like this, I think their entire worldview would collapse.”
Joshua arched a brow. “Let them. I’ve been waiting for an excuse to show off.”
“You get one. Cookies or kisses. Pick.”
Naturally, Joshua wanted both. He pretended to consider. “Well, if you’re not offering, guess I’ll help myself.”
The white cat had just finished its biscuit. It let out a contented burp, its blue eyes gleaming. It had clearly noticed the couple was ignoring it, and Shermaine was pregnant, no less.
With a flash of motion, the cat lunged at Joshua, sank its teeth into his shirt, and began tugging furiously. Its yowls rang out again, indignant and
unrelenting.
The moment shattered in an instant.
A few minutes later, Joshua looked down at his shirt, now thoroughly destroyed. Just as he moved to scold the cat, it darted behind Shermaine like a child hiding behind its mother.
Joshua chuckled. “You’re lucky Sheary’s here. I’ll let it slide, for now.” He stood, brushing himself off. “I’m going to change.”
Shermaine couldn’t help but laugh. She reached down and scooped up the cat, holding it up to eye level. “You know that shirt costs thousands, right? Selling you wouldn’t even cover the buttons.”
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Chapter 421
“Meow.” The white cat let out a pitiful little cry, looking thoroughly wronged.
Shermaine patted its head. “Behave, and I won’t have to sell you.”
tronically, even as a doctor, she hadn’t yet realized she was pregnant.
Wanting to redeem itself and maybe help her out a bit, the cat seemed to know exactly what she was searching for. It dove into a pile of books, sniffing around like a truffle pig, pausing here and there to investigate one, then another.
Eventually, it latched onto a book and started batting at it like a toy.
Shermaine didn’t stop it.
Whatever those books were made of, they weren’t going to be damaged by a set of kitten teeth.
She continued flipping through pages while the cat proudly dragged the book over and dropped it in front of her.
Shermaine glanced down but didn’t react.
“Meow.” The cat meowed again, this time a little more insistent.
Curious now, Shermaine picked it up.
It looked like an ordinary book. The first page was blank.
Then the cat smacked its paw down hard. Something clicked beneath the paper. A mechanism triggered, and a hidden compartment popped open.
So the book was just a shell. What mattered had been concealed inside all along.
Shermaine retrieved a much smaller booklet from within. In the center of the cover was a symbol, an ornate, familiar pattern, identical to the one she had seen carved into the crystal sarcophagus.
She opened it. The pages inside were filled with script she’d never seen before, written in characters completely foreign to her.
“Meow.” came another sound.
It was because Joshua had reentered the room, now dressed in a shirt that perfectly matched hers. It looked suspiciously like a couple’s outfit.
Joshua glanced down at the booklet as he crouched beside her. “What’d you find?”
“A journal or something.”
He leaned closer, brows slightly furrowed as he scanned the page. The writing looked like ancient code, utterly indecipherable.
The cat could’ve uploaded the language of Xyperia straight into their brains. It would’ve taken seconds. But it didn’t.
The existence of a parallel world wasn’t something this world was allowed to know. That was the first and most sacred rule of the royal blood. Their
origins were never to be revealed.
For a thousand years, the white cat had kept that secret safe. But Judy’s arrival had begun to tip the scales. She wasn’t just here for the booklet. She was here for Apocalypse and Joshua.
The royal blood had fled to Earth to escape the endless wars of Xyperia. They had no intention of going back. And Joshua, the last living heir, had to survive and carry the line forward.
So, above all else, they needed to stop Judy before she got her hands on the manual, destroy the plan, and send them back.
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Jesus don’t deafen als went clien
the tomed the bones in has hans “If we have what they need, it won’t be hard to draw them out.
“wow” the cat practically yelped as this was not a good letos
Shermsins looked at it, misreading the alarm in its tone. “You agree, don’t you?”
The cat internally screamed, Absolutely not!‘
“Smart little thing,” she said with a smile.
The cat froze in defeat.
She had to be doing it on purpose, twisting his meaning just to mess with him. It was enough to make him want to break the sacred rule and speak human just to set the record straight.
Shermaine leaned in and whispered her plan into Joshua’s ear.
The cat perked up, eavesdropping with everything it had. Not a word came through.
Joshua listened, then nodded. “I’ll call Bradley. Let’s set up an auction the day after tomorrow. If word gets out, they’ll come.”
“Good.” She nodded.
They needed to move fast.
Now that they had the object, they were saving valuable time.
Shermaine continued working while placing a video call to Danielle.
Onscreen, Danielle was still tinkering with the latest serum upgrade.
Shermaine stayed on the line to offer guidance.
Meanwhile, the white cat slipped quietly out the door.
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Chapter 422
Chapter 422
The cat had been gone for over an hour when Martha started to wonder if it had wandered back to the neighbor’s place.
But just as the thought crossed her mind, the white Persian limped back into the villa, one paw dragging slightly.
Seeing it in that state, Martha couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
She’d never been one for furry animals, but this clever little thing had a way of charming people, herself included.
Injured or not, the moment it caught the scent of fish, it forgot, its limp entirely and made a beeline for the platter of meat on the table.
Shaking her head, Martha changed her shoes and headed out to buy some ointment from the nearest pet store.
But the moment she stepped outside, she ran into the neighbor, again out searching for a missing cat.
This time, they were offering a reward, thirty thousand dollars to anyone who found it.
Martha stiffened, guilt creeping up her spine. She didn’t say a word and hurried away.
By the time she returned, Joshua was in the kitchen, slicing fruit with practiced ease.
The white cat, now full and content, was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.
She hesitated for a moment, then approached him. “Mr. York,” she began, “did you hear that the neighbors lost a Persian cat?”
“No,” Joshua replied without looking up.
“Well… the one you brought home looks a lot like theirs.”
Joshua paused, then gave a small nod. “I see.”
Just then, Bradley arrived at Riverswood Villa.
After going over the auction arrangements, Joshua casually asked him to look into the neighbor’s missing cat.
It didn’t take long for Bradley to return with an update. “Mr. York, it might actually be their cat. The birthmark matches perfectly.”
What was odd, though, was what the neighbor had said. Their cat was usually clingy, rarely ever wandered far. If this really was the same cat, why hadn’t it gone home on its own?
The sun dipped lower, shadows stretching long across the lawn. Evening fell.
Shermaine had just returned to Basterel. The moment word got out, both families wanted to see her, Roy’s side included. As the last light disappeared behind the hills, visitors began arriving in twos and threes. Before long, the villa was full of conversation, laughter, and warmth.
Jameson, meanwhile, had flown back on a private jet after his surgery.
There was no way he was staying in Horington, not after what he’d seen. He’d been attacked by real monsters. That city no longer felt safe.
He knew about tonight’s dinner. His mother had mentioned it. But he was also painfully aware that he had no right to be there.
Lately, regret had become a constant companion. The more he saw Shermaine’s brilliance, her calm authority, her effortless grace, and the way others admired her, the heavier it weighed on him.
He regretted everything, the divorce with Ruth, and being too blind to see what a rare soul Shermaine was.
At dinner, Owen turned to Shermaine with a grin. “Sheary, try the lamb steak. I made it myself, just for you.”
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Shermaine blinked, surprised. For someone his age to still step into the kitchen, it was oddly touching. “Thank you, Owen.”
Joshua leaned in and munnured, “Grandpa’s got a thing for lamb lately.” He rarely ate it himself but loved cooking it for others.
Stephen, poor soul, had been forced to eat it nearly every day. He was nearly sick of the stuff.
Shermaine smiled politely and took a bite. It was a little gamey. She wasn’t a fan, but she chewed dutifully, not wanting to offend. But after a few bites,
her stomach turned.
And then it hit her. She might be pregnant.
As a doctor, she rarely gave her own body the same attention she gave her patients, but now that she thought about it, the fatigue, hypersensitivity to smell, and nausea after heavy food, it all pointed in one direction.
She’d been too busy lately to connect the dots.
Still, it wasn’t certain. She’d need to run tests.
Thankfully, she could probably handle that herself.
Joshua noticed the slight furrow in her brow. “Grandpa, maybe don’t pile her plate with so much meat. It’s heavy for dinner.”
“Then you eat it,” Owen said, undeterred.
Joshua gave a small smile. “Alright.”
Owen looked at him in surprise. Joshua wasn’t known for having much of an appetite when it came to red meat, but tonight, he made an exception.
Typical York men, devoted to a fault, fiercely protective once they fell in love.
With Janice chiming in to urge him to eat more, Joshua’s plate was soon stacked high.
“Ruthie, if Jamie starts bothering you again, just don’t give him the time of day,” Janice said casually.
“I know,” Ruth replied with a nod.
Shermaine looked up from her plate. “Wait, what does he want now?”
Janice said, “Apparently he realized just how badly he screwed up. Now he’s thinking about getting back with your mom.”
Shermaine raised a brow, inwardly scoffing, ‘As if that’s ever going to happen!‘
Before she could say anything, Ruth cut in calmly, “That’s not happening. I’m not taking him back.”
Shermaine gave her a small nod of approval. “So, Mom… how are things going with Richard?”
Ruth hesitated. A slight flush crept into her cheeks. “It’s… fine, I guess.”
“He’s a good man. Maybe you should give him a real chance,” Shermaine said gently.
Ruth had made mistakes, sure. But they’d come from a place of love, not malice. That mattered.
Her eyes drifted over to Ross. In truth, the one most hurt by her absence had been him. And Richard had always known that. He’d carried the guilt for years, and Ross knew it.
Ross finally spoke. “I think Richard’s pretty decent too, Mom. You should consider it.”
Richard had let him down once, but if he was willing to spend the rest of his life making up for it, maybe that was enough. Besides, having another dad didn’t sound like such a bad deal.
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Ruth’s lashes fluttered ever so slightly. Her voice barely audible, she murmured, “Okay.”
Her feelings for Richard had never really disappeared. The quiet years in Jetroina, every mundane moment and fleeting warmth, still lived somewhere in
her heart.
Seeing the moment soften, Roy decided to lighten the mood. “Hey Shermaine, want to come with us to the mountain lodge tomorrow?”
“What’s there to do?”
“Plenty. Hot springs, scenery, archery, horseback riding…” Roy gave her a cheeky grin. “Don’t worry, we won’t third wheel. You and Joshua can have yourselves a proper date.”
Shermaine glanced over at Joshua,
He met her gaze. “If you’re up for it, let’s go.”
“You said last time you’d plan the next date.”
“And this is it, funny enough.”
“Well then… I’m in.”
After dinner, Shermaine joined the Jean family for a walk. The air was crisp, the laughter easy. For a brief moment, everything felt peacefully normal.
But not for Stephen. Amid the light conversation, his mind drifted back to the woman he loved, now sitting alone in a quiet courtyard, lost in thought.
“Go check on your dad,” Owen said softly. “He doesn’t seem quite himself.”
“Alright,” Joshua nodded,
In the garden, the koi swam lazily through still water.
Joshua approached. “It’s chilly out here. You should come back inside.”
Stephen didn’t turn. “Joshua… take care of Shermaine, will you? Don’t be like me. I lost your mother far too young.”
The grief never left him, not really.
Stephen, now past fifty, still hadn’t healed.
That kind of loss lingers so deeply that even time forgets how to dull it.
“I will,” Joshua said quietly.
On the walk back, Shermaine did a quick mental check of her own condition. It was too early to tell. No matter how skilled she was as a doctor, she couldn’t confirm anything. So, just to be safe, she picked up a pregnancy test on the way home.
She didn’t tell Janice or anyone else. If it turned out to be nothing, she didn’t want to raise hopes just to crush them.
At the pharmacy, she paid, slipped the box into her bag, and left without a word.
Behind the counter, the old pharmacist smacked his forehead just moments later. “Ah damn! It was the expired batch. The new stock’s not in yet!”
He rushed outside but the street was already empty.
Back at home, in the privacy of the bathroom, Shermaine took the test. Three times, and all negative.
She stared at the results, wondering, ‘Maybe it’s just stress. Lack of sleep and everything’s been out of balance lately.‘
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Shermaine was almost never wrong when it came to diagnoses. If anything, she trusted her instincts far more than a plastic stick. The test could easily be faulty. After all, it was too early. Pregnancies under six weeks often slipped past homie kits.
A proper medical check–up with specialized equipment would be the only reliable way to confirm.
Still, she felt a flicker of disappointment. She had imagined surprising Joshua tonight if the test had come back positive.
At thirty–two, he was more than ready for fatherhood.
In fact, he’d be turning thirty–three soon.
In the bathroom, she tossed the test sticks into the trash, bag and all. Just as the lid clicked shut, the door opened behind her, and Joshua walked in.
Shermaine glanced over, lips curving faintly. “Let me guess. You want to save,water and shower together again?”
He grinned. “You know me too well.”
“I’m fine with sharing the shower,” she said, straight–faced. “But nothing more than that.”
His throat bobbed at her words, but he didn’t argue. That hadn’t been his intention anyway. “I’ll get the bath started.”
The tub was large, big enough for two, and soon the water was steaming, fragrant with a hint of essential oils.
When she stepped in, he reached for her clothes, intending to help her undress.
She caught his hand. “I’ll do it myself.”
The water enveloped her like a warm cocoon. Shermaine leaned back and closed her eyes slightly, soaking in the heat.
“Aren’t you getting in?” she murmured.
Joshua crouched beside the tub, his expression calm but amused. “If I get in now, do you really think we’ll keep our hands to ourselves?” He reached up to gently pinch her cheek. “Sit still. I’ll wash your hair.”
He had never done this for anyone before. Shermaine was the first.
Surprisingly, he was good at it. His hands worked through her scalp with just the right amount of pressure, easing tension she didn’t even know she
carried.
She found herself drifting, eyes heavy with sleep.
Once her hair was done, he moved on to her shoulders and legs, fingers expertly kneading. “Period running late?” he asked.
She gave a faint hum in response, too relaxed to reply.
He didn’t think much of it. Probably stress, he figured, or too many late nights. “Want me to make you some ginger tea later?”
Shermaine opened one eye. “I don’t drink that stuff.” She didn’t add that ginger tea wasn’t ideal for someone who might be pregnant.
“Milk, then?”
She nodded slowly. “And press a little harder on my shoulders.” Her voice was soft, languid, like velvet brushing against skin. It could melt a man’s
resolve.
“The water’s cooling,” he said gently. “Let me finish once we’re out.”
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He wrapped her in a bath towel and carried her out effortlessly.
Living with Joshua made it far too easy to let her guard down.
He dried her hair for her, taking his time. When he leaned in to kiss her, his hands slid across the smooth skin of her back. He lingered, savoring the closeness, but didn’t go any further.
After a moment, he pulled away and headed downstairs to pour her a glass of warm milk.
Shermaine curled into the bed, robe slipping off her shoulder. Faint marks from his touch lingered on her skin, and she gave a lazy yawn, looking every bit like a siren basking in her own quiet spell.
That Joshua could hold himself back, even when she looked like this, only proved how much she meant to him. If she wasn’t ready, he would never push.
About fifteen minutes later, he returned with the milk.
She drank most of it, then nudged him toward the bathroom. “Go shower.”
He nodded and headed inside, only to find Shermaine trailing behind him.
“Sheary,” he turned back, frowning slightly, “you need rest.”
Her fingers reached for the door. She closed it behind them with a soft click. Her gaze was warm, deep, shimmering like moonlight on rippling water. “I do,” she said quietly. “But first… I’d like to take care of something for my husband.”
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Shermaine hadn’t planned on going to the hospital for an ultrasound that morning. There was no rush. She could easily wait until they were back in Horington. So she let herself sleep in.
When she finally stirred awake, the first thing she saw was Joshua lying beside her, gently playing with her hand.
Her arm was sore, badly so. She moved slightly but quickly gave up.
Last night had taken a toll. Pleasing Joshua had cost her no small effort.
Not long after, Bradley showed up.
He brought news about the auction. It was supposed to take place in two days, but there’d been a setback. The president of the auction house had been in a minor car accident the day before. It would have to be pushed to next Friday.
Shermaine didn’t mind. “That works. I’ll just come back for it.”
“Really appreciate it.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Well, I’ll get going then. Hope you two enjoy the day.” He gave a tired smile, the kind that belonged to a man with no weekends, only work and a decent paycheck, if that was any consolation.
After breakfast, Shermaine and Joshua headed to Peach Mountain Villa, a place frequented only by the rich and well–connected.
It was Shermaine’s first time.
Winter in the mountains brought with it a biting crispness. The air was clean, sharp with the scent of pine and frost.
She wore a fisherman hat pulled low over her eyes, shielding her face from the wind.
Her outfit was simple and casual as she was planning to go horseback riding. The sleek white cat followed close behind as she stepped out of the car.
Roy spotted them and raised an eyebrow. “You brought the cat?”
“It insisted on tagging along,” Shermaine said.
“Clingy, huh?”
“Very.”
Roy blinked. “Does Momo’s husky act like that too?”
“Not even a little.”
“Good,” he said with a little exhale.
Shermaine gave a short laugh.
“I mean, the last thing I need is to compete with a dog for attention.”
“Well, I wasn’t finished,” Shermaine added.
“Actually, speaking of dogs, Molly’s husky isn’t clingy, but it is overprotective. Every guy who tries to get close to her gets chased down. Her ex–fiancé?
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Chapter 424
Heard the dog went after him for like three blocks.”
Mally didn’t like men getting too close. She’d trained the dog to bite anyone who did. After enough repetition, it took the command to heart.
Roy scoffed. “And for the recort!, that idiot wasn’t Momo’s boyfriend. She never even acknowledged him.” Then with a slightly smug edge, he added, “Shermaine, I’m serious about Momo, I’m not giving up. You and Joshua go on ahead. Henry and the others aren’t here yet.”
“Alright.”
The villa grounds were stunning. An artificial lake had been built right in the middle. Word was, it had cost millions to construct. The main guest villa
alone was worth over a hundred million.
It was the weekend, and the place was buzzing with young elites, heirs, heiresses, influencers, and old money dressed like new.
The white cat looked around with keen interest, clearly itching to explore..
But beneath the surface, it was conflicted. It wasn’t here to play. It had come to protect Joshua and his family.
Yesterday, it had slipped out alone. With its unique sensitivity, it could sense the presence of those from the Kingdom of Xyperia. It had discovered that Judy and her people were holed up in a villa not far from Riverswood.
It had gone there, hoping to reason with them. But Judy called her people in and told them to catch the cat like some stray.
If the cat had been at full strength, it would’ve flattened them with ease. But with energy reserves running low, it had barely escaped, wounded and limping.
Shermaine, watching the cat now, seemed to read its mood. “If you want to wander, go ahead. Just don’t stray too far.”
With a soft meow, the cat took off down the path.
2 1:|:|:|:ཀ ན ན ན པ 1:1:|::|:
བ བ བ བ 1:1:|:|:|:ཀ ཁོ གྱུར བར 1:|:ཀྱང སློང དགས 1:|:ཁོང ད。
Shermaine and Joshua strolled by the lake, where the water shimmered in pale blue under the morning sun.
The white cat was having a blast, darting around with uncontained joy. But as a creature unusually attuned to people from the Kingdom of Xyperia, it instantly picked up on Judy’s presence nearby.
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Shermaine and Joshua hadn’t done anything particularly exciting. They spent a quiet afternoon fishing by the lake and then wandered into an orange grove, picking quite a few baskets along the way.
While they were still among the trees, Henry showed up with his younger sister. She had brought along a few of her college friends for a winter outing.
The moment those girls spotted Shermaine, their eyes lit up like Christmas lights.
“Holy crap, that’s Shermaine!“.
“She’s gorgeous!”
They were clearly fangirling, hard.
Shermaine was practically a campus legend. Her reputation in the universities around Basterel was untouchable. To many students, she wasn’t just an idol. She was almost mythical.
By the time they were done, they had filled two entire baskets of oranges. Joshua glanced over and saw Shermaine surrounded by those enthusiastic girls. His gaze casually slid toward Henry, a faint edge to it.
Henry raised his eyebrows. “Joshua, why don’t you come race with us?”
Joshua offered a quiet smile but didn’t answer.
Henry kept going, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I’ve heard that when guys cling too tightly to their wives, the wives start losing interest.”
Joshua didn’t even blink. He was more than confident Shermaine wasn’t the type to get bored of him. Still, Henry’s comment was just cheeky enough to warrant a response. Joshua said coolly, “Well, since you’re asking for it, I’d hate to disappoint.”
As they walked out of the grove, Henry’s sister, Tiffany, turned to Shermaine. “Hey Shermaine, I brought my friends because we wanted to try horseback riding. Want to come with us?”
There was hardly anything Shermaine hadn’t tried at least once. She didn’t ride often, but she was definitely capable.
“You go ahead. I’ll catch up after I hit the restroom.”
“Okay! We’ll wait for you.”
The ranch was massive. When Shermaine finally arrived, she found Tiffany caught in what looked like an argument with a woman wearing overly heavy
makeup.
From the bits of conversation she caught, it sounded like both of them had their eye on the same horse, and neither was willing to give in.
Tiffany, who had always been well–protected by her family, clearly wasn’t used to confrontations. Her eyes were rimmed with red. “Sophia, I saw that horse first. Why should I give it up to you?”
“Because I’m your senior,” Sophia said with a smug smile. “And I’m older.”
Clearly, they’d known each other from before.
“If you’ve got a problem with that, let’s settle it with a match,” Sophia added, nodding toward the nearby archery range. “If you win, I’ll back off. If I win,
the horse is mine.”
Tiffany was a total indoor girl. She was great at games, but sports were not so much. “I… I don’t know how to shoot.”
Sophia scoffed. “Is there anything you do know?”
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Tiffany flushed, clearly overwhelmed and out of her depth. She wasn’t the type to argue back, especially against someone like Sophia,
But to Shermaine, the whole scene felt like a joke.
“Oh really? And what, you’re supposed to be some kind of expert?” Shermaine stepped forward, her tone dry.
Sophia froze. Her bravado evaporated the second she saw Shermaine.
“She’s bluffing, Tiffany,” Shermaine said, exposing the obvious. “Even if you go against her, it doesn’t mean you’ll lose.”
Tiffany’s expression changed instantly. “Oh, so that’s what she’s doing.” With Shermaine backing her, she suddenly found her footing. “Wow, Sophia. I thought you were the real deal. Turns out you’re just another moob.”
Sophia’s face turned bright red. She didn’t even try to argue because the truth was, she really didn’t know how to shoot. “I don’t,” she snapped. “But my friend does. Dare to go up against her?”
Shermaine arched a brow, then gave a slow, amused smile. “Are you talking to me?”
“That’s right.”
“If it’s me, sure. But let’s make it interesting.” Her smile deepened as she slipped into an old, familiar rhythm, the same one she used back when she used to make quick money. “One match. Three million dollars per arrow if t win. Let’s do three rounds.”
Each round had six arrows, eighteen in total. At three million a shot, the stakes were astronomical.
Sophia gawked. “Three million per arrow? Are you out of your mind?”
“Oh?” Shermaine said lightly. “Can’t afford it?”
Sophia went stiff. Her family was comfortable, sure, but nowhere near that kind of rich, not even close to a million.
Just then, someone stepped up behind Sophia and said calmly, “I’ll take her on.”
It was Judy.
Sophia turned, eyes lighting up. “Judy, you’re finally here! They’ve been absolutely ridiculous.”
Judy gave a faint smile, neither agreeing nor denying.
Shermaine’s eyes narrowed slightly when she saw her. She recognized the woman instantly, the one she had seen in a boxing gym video with Joshua. She still remembered the line Judy had thrown out back then. “If I beat her, does that mean I get to spar with you?”
Her showing up here today wasn’t some random coincidence. This had been orchestrated.
So all that scheming… just to challenge me? ‘Shermaine mused. ‘How amusing.’
“But plain archery is a little dull,” Judy said, her voice light but pointed. “How about we raise the stakes? Mounted archery.”
That wasn’t a casual suggestion. Shooting while riding was one of the most difficult sports there was. Hitting a target from a moving horse required precision honed over years.
The other girls looked at Shermaine nervously, unsure if she could handle it.
Shermaine, unfazed, smiled. “Sure. Sounds a lot more interesting than shooting at still targets.”
Without missing a beat, Judy called over staff from the stables and instructed them to set up targets throughout the course. The field was enormous, with targets placed nearly six hundred feet apart.
It had been a while since Shermaine had done anything this physically demanding.
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Skiing had been her last adrenaline rush, and while mounted archery wasn’t quite as extreme, it was close enough to get her blood pumping.
She changed into riding gear, selected her horse, and strapped on the archery kit. Drawing her bow, she tested its tension.
With a crisp snap, the arrow sliced through the air and landed dead center on a bullseye 240 feet away.
Tiffany and the other girls were awestruck. “Shermaine, that was incredible!”
Shermaine raised an eyebrow and gave a casual shrug. “Nothing special.”
Judy chuckled softly, the kind of laugh that could be read either as condescending or amused.
She’d been trained in fencing and archery since childhood. In the Kingdom of Xyperia, there were few women who could even approach her level. As for Shermaine, she didn’t even register.
Judy had never planned to care, but Joshua had used Shermaine to avoid her. That, she wouldn’t let go. He needed to learn that using another woman as a shield had only one outcome, defeat.
Shermaine had chosen a white mare with a calm temperament. She mounted with practiced ease, removed her helmet, and tied up her hair in one swift motion. As the wind caught the strands, she looked every bit the warrior, fierce, poised, and ready to charge.
Judy smirked and mounted her own horse, riding up to the starting line beside her.
Elsewhere on the field, Henry had just heard from Tiffany what was going on. Shermaine had stepped in for his sister and was now locked in a challenge. And once he heard who the opponent was, he knew it wasn’t some petty drama.
“That woman from the boxing gym? Judy,” Henry said gravely. “She’s challenging Shermaine now. And get this. Three million per arrow.”
The moment Joshua heard the wager, he knew exactly whose idea that was. His wife always had a talent for wringing money out of people.
Then he stood up, his tone light. “Let’s go. This should be fun to watch.”
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She made it clear test they hadn’t pins trusting buble #wet bells who’d chrrad the pu
Hey just grave her a small emite and ruled by his “t it. Good thing you’ve got Sharmain in your torner.
They all knew, of course, that things weren’t nearly as simple as Tiffany made them out to be. In their eyes, this wasn’t Sophia’s doing at all it was judy. using Sophia as a convenient excuse to provoke Shermsins.
To Henry, it was just pathetic. Judy clearly had no grasp of love. Even if Shermaine lost to her, did she really think that would change how Joshua fatt? As #a victory on horseback could rewrite desire. And besides, Shermaine didn’t lose.
Every time she stepped into the spotlight, she left them awed. Today would be no different.
* had been too long since they’d had a good show. And now, with Shermaine about to strike back, the thrill of it was intoxicating.
Roy in particular was visibly eager. He’d missed the last spectacle at the ski resort and had been regretting it ever since. Finally, today, he had a front–row seat to her revenge.
“She’s amazing.” Tiffany said with a spark in her eye.
Joshua’s gaze had already wandered toward the arena. His eyes were steady, clear, and quietly tender, as if in that moment, the world held nothing but
Shermaine.
From the side, the cat padded in silently, just in time to see Shermaine and Judy, both astride their horses, raise their bows in unison. Reaching behind them, they each retrieved an arrow and drew the string back.
The crowd fell silent. This was the first shot, and no one could afford to look away.
The target was marked in rings of ascending value. The outermost white earned a single point. Black was worth four. Then came blue, five and six. Red marked seven and eight. The yellow center was nine and ten.
A clean ten meant hitting the very heart of the yellow ring. But with both riders in motion, and the wind sharp and unruly, even seasoned archers would struggle. It was a test of skill, focus, and poise.
The two archers released their arrows almost simultaneously.
A sharp twang, and both shafts cut through the wind, Judy’s just a fraction ahead.
All eyes followed the first arrow. It struck with a soft thud, embedding itself within the yellow.
Judy glanced at the target and allowed herself a faint, knowing smirk. It was just a sliver off the bullseye, almost perfect.
But almost wasn’t good enough.
it was 9.8 points, impressive by any standard, but Judy wasn’t pleased. She’d been aiming for ten.
# Shermaine wanted to beat her, she would have to be flawless.
And Shermaine was.
Her arrow came a heartbeat later, slicing the air and landing dead center, clean, sharp, and uncompromising.
It was a perfect ten.
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Judy’s expression froze. For a moment, she couldn’t believe it.
She had miscalculated. Shermaine had really done it.
The two arrows sat side by side, but it was Shermaine’s, marked with crimson dye at the tip, that commanded all attention. It gleamed beneath the sun, bold and unapologetic..
Shermaine’s lips curled, not in arrogance, but in satisfaction.
The cat let out a delighted meow, its tail flicking as if in celebration.
In the Kingdom of Xyperia, archery had long been revered, not merely a sport, but a symbol of discipline, strength, and sovereignty. Even in a world overtaken by modern science and technology, the art of the bow remained sacred.
And as the kingdom’s reigning ruler, Judy had trained in it from childhood, Excellence wasn’t expected of her. It was required. But she had been crushed effortlessly from the very first arrow.
In the viewing gallery, Roy let out a breath of sheer awe. “God, that was beautiful!” he murmured. “Watching her compete in person is something else entirely.”
“Justice, swift and clean!”
“That’s how you win three million.“.
“As if anyone but Shermaine could pull that off.”
Had it been any of them up there, they’d already be bleeding chips at the table.
Sophia stood silently to the side, looking lost and out of place. She bit her lip and sai
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But Tiffany and the others immediately fired back in unison, “Shermaine’s not going to lose!”
After the first arrow, something fierce had been awakened in Judy.
Or rather, it was the sense of danger beneath Shermaine’s calm, unruffled exterior that set her off.
Athill crept into Judy’s gaze. She refused to let someone like Shermaine exist in her world, someone who threatened her without even trying.
She needed to crush her, completely, without mercy.
They stood only a few steps apart. Shermaine could feel the heat rolling off Judy like a storm front. She gave a soft laugh, unbothered.
If you want to become truly powerful, you first have to acknowledge that there are people out there stronger than you. That’s the only way you’ll keep growing. If you can’t, you’ll stay stuck where you are, and the gap will only grow wider.
Of course, Shermaine had never once believed herself to be ordinary. From the day she was born, she saw herself as one of the elite. Others might be
strong, but she was stronger. Put her in a match, and she’d rise above the best.
If human potential could be ranked by genetic code, she’d sit at the pinnacle.
This match didn’t pressure her. In fact, she was enjoying herself. She let her body guide the shots, every arrow landing dead center with effortless
precision.
Judy, sensing the momentum, pressed on. The next four arrows were all perfect scores.
But there were eighteen in total. Human focus wanes. No one can maintain peak form forever. Even royalty, once bathed in glory and might, eventually
fades into ruin.
By the tenth shot, Judy’s form began to dip. Her arrow wobbled slightly in the air, not enough to miss, but not enough to impress. It landed in the yellow ring, 9.5.
She frowned. One imperfect shot, and the margin for catching up shrank drastically.
Annoyance flickered across her face. But then, Shermaine shot.
Her arrow scored a 9.0, just inside the yellow ring, lower than Judy’s.
Judy’s lips curved faintly. So Shermaine was slipping even faster than she was. That changed the odds.
It was a promising turn.
Archery wasn’t just about precision. It was about physical condition, stamina, timing. Everything mattered.
Shermaine glanced at her score without much reaction. It hadn’t been a lack of focus. Her stomach had cramped slightly just before the shot, and her hand had trembled.
The pace of the horse, the jarring rhythm of the saddle… none of it was gentle. And for someone pregnant, no matter how strong her mind, the body had its limits. Shermaine was no exception.
But the discomfort passed quickly.
Eight arrows remained, and that was more than enough.
The first one had slipped through her fingers, but the next eight could still turn a profit.”
The sun was rising higher now, scorching in its intensity. And the wind was growing fiercer by the minute.
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The light was almost blinding. Judy narrowed her eyes, misjudged the release, and loosed the arrow too soon.
It sliced through the air and landed, clean, but underwhelming, in the 8–point ring.
‘Damn this sun,‘ Shermaine cursed inwardly.
Back in the Kingdom of Xyperia, they had no real sun, only artificial light. She wasn’t made for this kind of blinding brilliance.
Judy’s skin was already flushed deep red under the harsh light. In winter, no less.
Her cheeks stung like they were being peeled raw in the dry air.
Between Basterel and Ustrana, she much preferred the latter.
Still, Shermaine had faltered earlier. Surely this time, she’d do even worse.
Just as that thought settled, Shermaine, quiet and composed, drew her bow and released.
The red–feathered arrow soared, cutting the air with startling grace, and struck the yellow ring.
Another perfect score.
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Did Shermaine miss that last shot on purpose? The thought coiled in Judy’s mind like smoke, dark and suffocating.
Her grip on the bow tightened, and the air around her grew heavy with suppressed fury.
In the spectator stands. Tiffany and the others, who had been holding their breath, finally allowed themselves a sigh of relief.
Only Joshua had remained entirely composed from beginning to end.
He had never once entertained the possibility of Shermaine lasing.
He beckoned a staff member over. “Get some water ready. And have strawberries and dessert brought over.”
“Yes, Mr. York. Right away.”
At the sound of food, the white cat leapt to his feet and darted to Joshua’s side, wide eyes gleaming as he meowed softly, clearly asking for his share.
Joshua glanced down at him. “Give him some cat food.”
“Meow! Meow! Meow!” the cat cried indignantly. He did not eat cat food.
Joshua smiled faintly. “A cat who turns his nose up at cat food? You’re quite the character.”
The cat lowered his head in quiet protest. Truth be told, the stuff didn’t smell all that bad. It was even kind of appetizing. But the truth was, he wasn’t really a cat. Just someone temporarily inhabiting this feline body.
‘Could Joshua have figured it out?‘ he wondered, alarm creeping into his thoughts. ‘No… impossible. I haven’t slipped. I’ve been careful. Haven’t I?‘
Stan
Beyond one edge of the riding field stretched a manicured garden, lush and vibrant in the distance.
On the opposite side, open grassland marked the start of the riding trails, designed for students to enjoy long rides through the countryside.
The moment was tense.
They had arrived at the final three arrows.
Judy had already lost six million dollars.
At this point, the only path to victory was precision and uncompromising accuracy. She needed bullseyes, all three. But if Shermaine matched her shot for shot, it would be meaningless. Victory would still slip through her fingers.
There would be no tiebreaker. That had been agreed from the outset. The rules were fixed and non–negotiable.
But rules had never meant much to Judy.
She’d clawed her way through power struggles and palace intrigue with lies, manipulation, and ruthless cunning. Mercy was for fools.
She raised her bow and released the arrow. In the next breath, it went straight at Shermaine.
Had it landed, Shermaine might easily have been knocked off her horse.
The attack came out of nowhere.
“What the hell? She’s cheating!
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“Unbelievable. That’s low.”
Shermaine caught the movement in her peripheral vision. She leaned back, her spine arching with fluid grace until her back nearly brushed the horse’s back,
In the same motion, she loosed her arrow, then straightened, reining in slightly to slow the horse’s pace, “What exactly are you trying to pull?”
Judy lifted her chin, utterly unapologetic. “There’s nothing in the rules that says I can’t.”
Shermaine let out a quiet, almost amused breath. “I gave you too much credit.”
Judy’s lips pulled into a smile, but there was no warmth in it. I owe my opponents nothing, not fairness, not restraint. If it helps me win, I’ll do it.”
“Is that so?” Shermaine’s voice turned quiet. “Then tell me, did it help you win?”
Judy faltered. She hadn’t seen where Shermaine’s arrow had landed.
Now, her gaze shifted to the target. The red–feathered arrow was lodged firmly in the yellow ring.
It was another perfect ten.
Her ploy had not only failed. It had backfired. To the spectators, she was now the villain, the cheat, the one who couldn’t win clean.
Shermaine’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Nine million.”
Judy’s expression twisted. It was as if the match had already been decided.
Only two arrows remained. Even if she hit both perfectly, she’d still fall short.
Just then, a peculiar gust swept across the field.
With a sharp metallic clink, the red–feathered arrow that had been buried squarely in the bullseye slipped free and dropped to the ground.
In most matches, a dislodged arrow, especially one caused by environmental factors, was ruled invalid.
Judy smirked, a touch of triumph flickering at the corner. “Your arrow fell.”
Shermaine frowned.
An arrow that strikes the center with proper force does not simply fall. It embeds with precision, held firm. Something was wrong.
From the audience, the white cat let out a string of agitated meows, as though hurling curses in a forgotten tongue.
‘Pathetic! If Xyperia ever falls into the hands of someone like Judy, he thought bitterly, ‘there will be nothing left of its future.‘
Judy tilted her head, eyes glittering. “So much for your reputation. Bit of bad luck, isn’t it?”
Shermaine’s gaze sharpened, her voice laced with calm contempt. “Is that what you’re counting on? Luck? Do you really think two arrows will be enough to close the gap?
“You and I both know the truth. If I called it out in front of everyone, it’d just be embarrassing for you.”
Judy remained unbothered. “Victory’s all that matters.”
Shermaine didn’t reply. Her silence was colder than disdain.
From the stands, the white cat vanished like smoke, slipping away.
Joshua watched the empty space where the cat had stood. There was something in his expression, something knowing.
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“Shall we continue, Ms. Shue? There’s no point debating,” said Judy.
Shermaine said nothing.
There was no need to argue with someone who had abandoned dignity long ago. Words were wasted on the shameless.
As she raised her bow for the second to last shot, the air around the target grew unsettled once again.
The wind shifted, subtle in appearance, yet unnaturally calculated.
Her arrow caught the wind and began to veer off course.
But then, as though tugged back by an invisible force, it corrected its path.
The deviation was minute, the movement swift and imperceptible to most.
But Joshua saw it.
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He also knew not all parties involved were equally equipped.
Hidden in the tall grass just beyond the arena’s edge, the white cat lay motionless, panting heavily.
Without access to Energon to sustain its strength, it had become utterly vulnerable in the face of superior technology.
Born of nature and spirit, the creature was now running on fumes.
The effect was immediate. Shermaine’s arrow drifted wide so far, in fact, that it missed the scoring rings entirely.
Judy’s arrow, on the other hand, struck within the white zone, earning her a single point, just enough to win the round.
Shermaine said nothing, but a glint of thought lingered in her eyes.
The audience, however, could only stare in confusion.
A miss, even from a seasoned archer, could be forgiven, but this miss was not just unexpected. It was unthinkable.
Shermaine was no stranger to pressure. For her to lose composure so completely meant only one thing–interference.
She knew someone had manipulated the conditions in Judy’s favor. The method was too subtle to call out without sounding paranoid. The shifting wind had altered her arrow’s trajectory. But even if she pointed a finger, who would believe her?
‘So that’s what she’s hiding,‘ Shermaine thought, her gaze darkening.
Elsewhere, the white cat lay limp, its head drooping low as the last reserves of strength drained from its small body. A second later, it closed its eyes.
When it opened them again, it felt disoriented and let out a desperate series of meows, each one more helpless than the last.
And then came the final arrow, and Shermaine missed again.
In the end, there was no victor.
Shermaine, who had never once been outmatched in open competition, had now been forced into a tie by someone who had won not through strength or skill but by cheating in plain sight. And the worst part was, she could do nothing about it.
“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Judy said, her smile serene. “Not a single coin to show for it.”
Shermaine met her gaze with icy calm. “I didn’t win. But you didn’t gain anything either. That’s its own kind of loss, isn’t it?”
To her, the match had been nothing but an orchestrated waste of time.
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She dismounted, her movements measured, her face unreadable.
Tiffany joined her quickly. She, too, had noticed something odd in those final three arrows, but it was too nebulous to speak aloud.
Judy walked off without a word, her steps brisk, her mood far from triumphant.
Though she hadn’t lost, the match had left a sour taste.
For someone of royal blood, it was disgraceful to resort to deception just to avoid defeat. If word ever got out, it would be a stain no reputation could
survive.
“Shermaine,” Tiffany whispered, glancing over. “What happened? You were on point the whole match. How did that last one miss so badly?”
Shermaine accepted the cup of water Joshua handed her. The wind had dried her throat. She drank slowly, saying nothing.
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There was no denying the last three anows had gone completely off track.
The cheating was subtle, clever, even. No one had noticed anything unusual. If Joshua hadn’t spoken up, they’d have chalked Shermaine’s repeated misses up to a lapse in concentration or poor form.
Tiffany and the others were outraged when they heard it. “She seriously cheated? That’s so low. If you can’t handle losing, don’t play in the first place.”
“Right? She was the one who insisted on a challenge!”
Shermaine finished her water and looked up. “You actually saw it happen?”
“I did.” Joshua’s condition made him unusually perceptive. Judy’s little tricks hadn’t slipped past him.
Shermaine gave him a calm, almost amused nod. “You’ve got a good eye.”
“Do your hands hurt?” He took her hand, turning it gently in his.
She’d pushed herself hard last night, and again today with archery on horseback.
He examined her palm carefully, warm to the touch and faintly red.
Shermaine shook her head. It wasn’t her hands that bothered–her, but the lingering soreness along her inner thighs from the relentless jolt of the saddle.
Earlier, a faint cramp stirred in her lower abdomen, brief and passing, yet enough to leave her uneasy.
“Have some strawberries and cake.”
She didn’t protest as she was a little hungry. She sat down and started eating.
Just then, a staff member returned, carrying the white cat.
But something was clearly wrong. The cat squirmed in his arms, visibly distressed by the unfamiliar surroundings, its eyes wide with fear.
It was the same cat Joshua had brought home, but its temperament had completely changed.
The girls‘ hearts melted at the sight. They all loved cats, and this one looked so scared it was impossible not to feel sorry for it.
“That’s weird. It was so calm before. What happened?”
“Yeah, when I held it, it was rubbing its head on my hand. So sweet!”
The staff member explained, “Mr. York, your cat.”
Joshua reached for it, but the cat flinched and swiped at his face with its claws.
He dodged just in time.
The others were stunned. Just a little while ago, the cat had seemed perfectly content around him. Now it acted like he was a threat.
They couldn’t make sense of it, but Joshua already had a pretty good idea.
So did Shermaine. The situation was all too familiar..
It was just like what had happened with Stephen.
Joshua glanced down at the cat, then gave a quiet order. “Find a driver. Send it back to Riverswood Villa.”
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“Yes, Mr. York.”
The cat was promptly taken away.
Roy looked over. “What’s with that cat, Joshua? Is it sick or something?”
Joshua didn’t answer directly. “Go ahead and take everyone horseback riding.”
That was, after all, the whole point of the outing. Tiffany and the others had come for the experience.
“Sure.” Roy hadn’t been riding in a while, and after seeing Shermaine pull off that stunning backward shot on horseback, the whole group was itching to give it a try.
Once they left, Joshua stayed behind with Shermaine, continuing to feed her bites of strawberry and cake.
Shermaine spoke up. “That cat is in the same state your father was in.”
Joshua gave a quiet nod.
They were both convinced now. The cat that had been living with them wasn’t just a cat. Someone or something had been inside it all along. They still had no idea what exactly it was, only that it could possess both people and animals.
The question was, after being exposed like this, would it dare show itself again?
When she’d eaten her fill, Shermaine pushed the plate away. “That’s enough. I want to save room for lunch.”
Joshua leaned in slightly. “Any plans for this afternoon?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Nope. I’m going to the hospital.”
His gaze sharpened. “Are you feeling alright?”
“My stomach felt a bit off while I was riding,” she said slowly. “I thought I’d go to the hospital. See if there might be a baby.”
The words landed like a thunderclap on a clear day.
Joshua had never cared much about the idea of having a child, but hearing her say it struck a chord he hadn’t expected. A strange stillness came over him, a weightless, solemn pull that felt almost sacred. It was new. And it scared him.
His mother had never recovered after giving birth to him. The complications lingered, and soon after, she was gone.
Joshua’s whole body tensed. His eyes darkened. “Sheary… you thought you might be pregnant, and you still went horseback riding and shooting
arrows?”
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Shermaine smiled. She tipped her head back and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Relax. I know what I’m doing. I would never let anything happen to our baby
If she had sensed anything truly wrong, no victory would have mattered. Winning or losing meant nothing in the face of life itself, especially when that. life was something she and Joshua had created together.
“You’re not supposed to eat undercooked steak while you’re pregnant,” Joshua said, suddenly remembering last time he made it medium rare for the
flavor.
“It’s fine. I only had a bite. It won’t do any harm.”
That eased him a little. “I’ll call the hospital, and get an appointment set up for this afternoon.”
“Alright.”
Meanwhile, Sophia had followed Judy off the riding field, intending to say something. But Judy’s face was tight with fury. She didn’t even acknowledge her, let alone stop to talk. Within seconds, she had walked away without a word.
Sophia stood there seething. ‘Seriously? What the hell is her problem? She was the one who asked me to come. Used me like a pawn and now just walks off? Unbelievable!‘
In the car, Judy’s expression finally cracked. All the frustration she’d kept in check now showed plainly on her face.
Harry, sitting in the front seat, had been confident she’d win. That was why he hadn’t stayed for the whole match. He’d returned in the second half only to discover Judy was on the verge of losing.
Panicked, he scrambled to deploy their signal interference gear, disrupting the match just enough to level the playing field.
He hadn’t expected Shermaine to be that good with a bow.
And knowing Judy’s temperament, if she had lost outright, she wouldn’t have taken it lightly.
Cautiously, Harry spoke up. “Your Highness… there’s something I want to show you.”
The car was dim. He tapped a screen, and a soft blue light glowed.
On it appeared an image of a small booklet, its cover stamped with the script of the Kingdom of Xyperia.
This was the artifact they had been searching for.
Harry explained, “Your Highness, whatever it is we’re after, it’s not with Joshua or his people. There’s no point wasting more time on them.
“What we need now is funding. Once we secure the booklet, we can figure out a way to obtain Joshua’s blood sample. Then we’re done here.”
If they couldn’t win it at auction, they’d take it by force.
Judy’s voice was cool. “Did you find out how this booklet surfaced? And who’s behind the auction?”
“I did some digging. Apparently, a team of grave robbers discovered it decades ago. They cleared out everything in the tomb. The seller is strapped for cash. That’s why it’s finally up for sale.”
“When is the auction?”
“Next Friday.”
“Has the guest list been released?”
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Harry hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer. “Your Highness…
“Show me.”
He had no choice and pulled it up.
Judy scanned the list and paused when she saw two familiar names, Joshua and Shermaine.
She raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise passing through her.
It wasn’t unusual for the wealthy to attend private auctions, especially those involving rare artifacts. The York family was the most prominent household in all of Basterel, with wealth and legacy to match. And the Jeans weren’t far behind.
Still, knowing she had nearly lost to Shermaine this morning, and that it was only thanks to cheating that she’d managed to save face, made her stomach churn with suppressed rage.
Then her lips pulled into a cold, calculated smile. She had just come up with a new plan.
U
Later that afternoon, while Henry and the others were still busy enjoying themselves at Peach Mountain Villa, Joshua and Shermaine quietly slipped away and headed to the hospital.
They had already made an appointment with a private obstetrician. Upon arrival, Shermaine was taken in for a full round of tests. It didn’t take long for
the results to come in.
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Inside the consultation room, the doctor smiled warmly. “Mr. York, congratulations. You’re going to be a father.”
Shermaine glanced down at the report. She was just under four weeks along. All the numbers looked good, no abnormalities or red flags.
“Thank you, doctor,” she said with a smile.
“My pleasure.”
They had deliberately avoided Yaleview Hospital. Setting foot in that building’s maternity wing would’ve guaranteed gossip.
Instead, they’d chosen a discreet, high–end private clinic.
The doctor turned to Joshua. “Alright, Dad–to–be. Let me walk you through what to expect. There are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. You’ll need to know how to take care of your wife and baby once you’re home.”
Shermaine stood up, amused. “You take notes. I’m going to the restroom.”
“Careful. It might be slippery.”
“Got it.”
Joshua remained frozen, still processing the news that Shermaine might be pregnant.
He sat down, letting the doctor’s words about diet, lifestyle, and daily care wash over him, though becoming a father.
mind was far away, caught in the quiet shock of
The more he heard, the more the reality set in. Pregnancy was no easy journey. And with every new detail, his brows furrowed a little deeper.
Chapter 131
Chapter 431
Chapter 431
When Shermaine came back from the restroom, she found Joshua on the stairwell just below the rooftop, a cigarette between his fingers.
It was the top floor of the hospital, with nothing above but the rooftop terrace. No one usually wandered up there, but smoking was still strictly prohibited.
He’d lit a cigarette anyway, though he hadn’t taken more than a couple of drags. The moment he heard her call his name, he put it out without hesitation.
She walked up the steps and slipped her arms around his waist from behind. “I’m pregnant. Aren’t you even a little happy?”
“Lam”
He was thirty–three. Most of his friends and former classmates already had kids in grade school.
His, by contrast, was still only a faint presence growing inside her.
“Then show me. Smile.”
7
But he couldn’t. Every time he imagined her in labor, her body racked with pain just to bring his child into the world, his heart clenched. “Sheary, I want to smile, but I can’t.”
“What are you so afraid of?”
“I’m afraid it’ll hurt,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “The thought of you suffering… I don’t know how to be happy with that hanging over me.”
There was a time when Shermaine would’ve laughed at the idea of having a child for any man, let alone doing it willingly. But now, with him… “If it’s for you,” she said quietly, “then a little pain is nothing.”
After leaving the hospital, they returned to Riverswood Villa.
The white cat had been left at the house, and it hadn’t stopped meowing since they got back. It clearly wasn’t comfortable in its new environment.
Shermaine couldn’t be around cats while pregnant, not that it mattered anymore.
This wasn’t the same gentle cat it used to be.
Joshua turned to Martha. “Send it back to the next door.”
Martha nodded and took the cat outside.
Joshua and Shermaine went upstairs.
She was feeling sleepy. After taking off her coat, she headed into the bathroom to wash her face and feet before lying down for a nap.
Joshua followed her in. He took the towel from her hands and carefully dried her face, then knelt to rinse and dry her feet himself.
Her feet were small and delicate, just the right size to rest in his palm. As he cradled them, he asked, “Do you want to tell Grandpa and Grandma?”
“Not yet,” she replied. “There’s no need to worry them.”
“Sheary, if it’s too much, we can move the experiment here to Basterel.”
“There’s really no need,” she said lightly, feeling no need to make a fuss over her pregnancy, especially since the baby was still small. “It’ll be settled soon, and I’ll come right back. You don’t have to worry so much.”
Chapter 431
Okay
She was flying back to Horington the next day to continue her research. The auction was Friday, so she’d be back soon.
There would be time to tell the family once things were in order.
If they told them now, while she was out of town, it would only make them anxious.
That night, when she slipped into bed, Joshua lay beside her, his hand resting gently on her stomach.
Their child was growing inside her now.
In ten months, that tiny life would enter the world.
Shermaine gave him a sleepy smile and reached up to pinch his cheek. “Does it hurt?”
“It does.”
“You’re not dreaming.”
He let out a quiet laugh, leaned down, and kissed her. When he pulled back, his voice was soft and sincere. “Thank you, Sheary.”
Martha had just dropped off the white cat at the neighbor’s place.
The moment they saw it, they reacted like long–lost family had finally been reunited, emotional, overjoyed, and borderline tearful. They even tried to hand her money as thanks.
Martha politely declined and made her way home without delay.
The cat, meanwhile, hadn’t even had a chance to curl up in its old spot or beg for a head scratch before it felt it, control slipping, awareness fading. Once again, its body stopped responding.
‘Well, that’s it,‘ it thought bitterly, ‘I’m definitely busted this time.‘
Joshua and Shermaine were too smart not to notice.
If they hadn’t already figured things out, it wouldn’t have ended up back in this house.
Frustrated, the creature decided it was pointless to stay in the cat’s body any longer.
With a shimmer of pale blue light, it slipped out and drifted up into the night sky, soft and glowing like a firefly.
It floated across the rooftops and gently descended back into Riverswood Villa’s backyard.
Inside, Joshua and Shermaine were both working in the study.
She was on a video call with Danielle, while he was going over reports.
The whole scene was warm and ordinary, touched by quiet domesticity.
From its perch in a nearby tree, the creature watched for a while. But after a few minutes, hunger got the better of it. It hesitated, then slipped quietly into the house in search of food.
The kitchen was dark. A faint blue glow hovered near the refrigerator, rummaging inside like a particularly curious ghost.
Martha, having just finished tidying up the living room, heard the noise and went to check it out.
Chapter 431
Assuming it was a rat, she pushed open the kitchen door, only to freeze at the sight. Her scream barely had time to escape before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the Noor.
Upstairs, Joshua and Shermaine heard the crash and immediately hurried down.
By the time they reached the kitchen, a flash of blue darted across the room and dove straight into Martha’s unconscious body.
Moments later, her eyes snapped open. She blinked, dazed, just as Joshua and Shermaine appeared in the doorway.
What happened?” Joshua asked calmly.
“N–nothing,” she stammered. “Just a big black rat ran through–here. Gave me a scare. That’s all.”
She stood quickly, brushing herself off, but the way she avoided their eyes said it all.
Shermaine narrowed her gaze. “So the rat also decided to rummage through the fridge?”
“Y–yes. Exactly.”
Shermaine let out a soft laugh. “You’re really bad at lying.” Then, without preamble, she said, “Come out. I know you’re not Martha.”
The thing inside Martha hesitated. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Joshua joined in, his voice cool but direct. “You can come out on your own, or we’ll drag you out. Your choice.”
Still, it played dumb.
Shermaine tilted her head, casually dropping the bait. “Weren’t you looking for food? Come out and I’ll treat you to fried chicken.”
That short–circuited any remaining resistance.
Driven purely by hunger, the glowing blue blob slipped out of Martha’s body without thinking.
The moment it realized what it had done, it froze in midair, visibly panicked.
From Joshua and Shermaine’s perspective, it looked almost cute, like a floating ball of cotton candy, faintly glowing under the kitchen light.
Then, realizing it had no way to hide now, it tried anyway, frantically bobbing in circles, looking for an exit.
‘Stupid fried chicken!‘ it muttered internally. ‘Lured in with food. How low can they go?‘
But since it had already exposed itself, there was no point pretending anymore.
“Fried chicken!” it chirped, voice light and sugar–sweet.
Shermaine blinked, amused. “I’ll order some.”
Right in front of it, she pulled out her phone and placed an order for fried chicken and a Coke.
Ten minutes later, the delivery arrived.
The moment the aroma hit the air, the blue puff darted forward, diving headfirst into the food like it hadn’t eaten in days.
Shermaine watched, intrigued. “So… what are you exactly? Do you have a name?”
The creature paused, licking its nonexistent lips.
Its real name had been long forgotten, far too complicated to remember after years of drifting between hosts.
Chapter 431
But recently, while messing around in Stephen’s body and playing video games, it had given itself a new one.
You can call me Dave.”
Nice to meet you, Dave,” Shermaine said smoothly. “Where are you from?”
“I come from…” Dave puffed up indignantly. “Nice try, Shermaine. I’m not telling you anything. Give it up.”
Shermaine didn’t flinch. She smiled instead. “What if I offered you ten more rounds of fried chicken?”
Dave froze mid–bite, visibly conflicted.
The temptation of ten rounds of fried chicken was real. Dave swallowed hard, clearly torn, but mustered the last of his resolve. “Nice try,” he said, chin Whing stubbornly. “You’re not buying me off with chicken again.”
Shermaine raised a brow. “Alright then. What if I throw in steak? Ice cream? A whole dessert cart?”
Dave’s eyes widened. A thin string of drool slipped down the corner of his mouth.
Shermaine chuckled under her. breath.
Dave clenched what little pride he had left. “No way! I’m not telling you anything. You can forget it.”
Shermaine didn’t push.
Honestly, she hadn’t expected the floating puffball to have such a backbone..
“Well then,” she said mildly, “new question.”
Dave gave a wary little grunt, but didn’t protest.
“Why have you been following us?“.
Though the little creature had no hands to speak of, it somehow managed to produce one. Mouth full of chicken, Dave muttered, “I haven’t been. Total
coincidence.”
He spoke with such wide–eyed sincerity, eyes shimmering like polished glass, it was almost believable.
Shermaine smiled.
She and Joshua could’ve used force if they wanted to. This creature was hardly a match for them.
But it was so ridiculous, so strangely endearing, that she just couldn’t bring herself to be harsh with it.
Besides, it hadn’t actually done anything to hurt them.
She had a feeling the answers they needed would come soon anyway from elsewhere.
Dave, perhaps sensing the shift in mood, suddenly lost his appetite. The fried chicken didn’t taste nearly as good anymore.
Five minutes later, the box was empty; the Coke gone, and he gave a sheepish burp. “Thanks for the food.”
Joshua didn’t even look up. “Then you can leave.”
Dave’s lips drooped into a pout. He looked hurt, even a little anxious, but he still puffed up his chest and said, “I could be useful, you know. I can protect you.”
Joshua actually smiled at that.
“I mean it!” Dave said quickly. “I can keep Shermaine safe. And the baby too. I’m stronger than you. We could spar if you don’t believe me.”
To prove his point, he was even willing to burn a sliver of his precious Energon.
Before he could do anything, Joshua flicked a finger.
Dave went flying, bounced off the wall like a rubber toy, and slid down with a soft thud.
Right then, Martha stirred. She looked dazed and pale, blinking fast as her gaze swept around the room. “Sir? Ma’am? I… I think I just saw a ghost…”
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Chapter 432
Shermaine sighed, walked over, and gently tapped her forehead.
Martha’s expression went slack, and she obediently returned to her room to lie down.
Joshua took Shermaine’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get some rest.”
“Alright.”
From where he’d fallen, Dave watched them walk away, wounded both in body and pride. ‘Monster, he thought miserably. ‘He’s so mean!
Joshua might’ve told him to leave, but honestly, Dave had never intended to.
He was too exhausted anyway. After the energy he’d burned earlier, he’d been running on fumes. He dragged himself onto the sofa, curled up, and was snoring within minutes.
The next morning, Shermaine boarded a flight back to Horington.
With her gone, Dave grew even more nervous around Joshua, though the man barely acknowledged him.
Most of the time, Dave stayed hidden, napping through the day.
Back in Horington, Shermaine returned straight to the lab. She dove back into her serum research as if nothing had happened, not even mentioning the pregnancy to Danielle.
Time passed quickly. By midday, morning had slipped away without notice.
“Are you still flying back Friday?” Danielle asked.
Shermaine nodded. “It’s better to deal with problems head–on. Clean slate, clean progress.”
They stepped out of work mode for a moment as Shermaine handed Danielle a small wrapped box.
Christmas was fast approaching.
Ross would be heading overseas in a couple of days, and since Danielle wouldn’t be in Basterel either, he’d arranged for his gift to be delivered early.
“Ross asked me to bring this to you.”
Danielle smiled, delighted. “Your brother’s getting pretty romantic these days.”
Just as they reached the lab doors, a familiar voice rang out. Wearing a sleek wool coat and knee–high boots, Molly strode up to them like she owned the street, bold, beautiful, and full of fire. “Well, well. Look who finally took a break from saving the world.”
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Molly’s arrival had caught them off guard.
But the moment the surprise wore off, joy took over. It had been far too long since they’d seen her.
“Molly?” Danielle gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“Just… personal business,” Molly replied, keeping it vague.
Shermaine had her suspicions. If she had to guess, this visit had something to do with Bruce.
Danielle pulled her into a hug, but not without mischief. Her hand slipped around Molly’s waist and gave it a playful squeeze. “Still as ticklish as ever, huh?”
For once, Molly’s ears turned pink. She glared at her through gritted teeth. “Danielle!”
But Danielle wasn’t done. She gave her another sly pinch and added with a grin, “Relax. I didn’t tell Roy. No one else knows you’re ticklish. Your secret’s safe with us.”
Molly rolled her eyes. She and Roy hadn’t been talking much lately.
“So what if he finds out?” she said coolly.
Danielle smirked. “Try keeping that energy in bed.”
Molly was instantly speechless.
“I’m just saying,” Danielle went on, amused. “All he has to do is touch your waist, and you’d turn to mush.” Just picturing it made her laugh.
Molly, meanwhile, looked visibly uncomfortable. “Would you shut up?”
“Not a chance,” Danielle said sweetly. “Not ever.”
Molly pressed a hand to her forehead, already regretting showing up.
She was used to being the dominant one, especially in bed. The thought of being the one who gave in was not her style.
“Sheary, am I right?” said Danielle.
“You are.”
Horington had been without water for weeks now. Clean supplies were running low, and with Molly joining them, they had to be even more careful with
meals.
Back at the hotel, lunch had already been arranged, every ingredient flown in from Basterel by Joshua’s team.
Molly hadn’t been lying about her reason for coming. She was here for Bruce. He’d stayed in Wallington too long, and her father was getting impatient. But Bruce was one of the few people in Ustrana who didn’t care what her father thought.
Molly, on the other hand, was more than happy for an excuse to come back. When her father suggested she personally bring Bruce home, she volunteered before he even finished the sentence.
The deadline was generous. She was in no rush.
After lunch, they all headed upstairs and spent the next hour catching up.
1/3
sunil tore o’click thist Shamsine and bandelte returned to the lab.
At three, the tenth round of kern injection was cluded.
Molly went to find Brux
inside the tab, Natalie locked gaunt, nothing like her former sell
Part of it was the virus. The mutations were ravaging her from the inside. The rest was the experiments. Being used again and again as a test subject had left her body wrecked, her nerves that
By now, the pain had carved itself into her brain. Just the sight of a needle sent her spiraling.
As soon as Shermaine and the others walked in, Natalie reacted, panic rising before anyone even touched her.
But she had no one to blame but herself. If she hadn’t made herself a threat, she wouldn’t be strapped to a freezing metal table right now.
The injection went in, and then came the pain.
Her entire body convulsed. Screams tore from her throat, raw, broken, and endless. It sounded like her very bones were being pulled apart.
Then, after a long while, the screaming stopped.
Everyone glanced at one another, thinking it another failure.
But Shermaine didn’t think so.
Natalie’s symptoms were changing.
The black scales were falling away and not growing back. Her once–elongated nails and fangs had started to dull. Slowly, her body was rebalancing, becoming human again.
Danielle arched a brow. “That’s progress.”
Shermaine gave a quiet nod. “Yeah.”
The others in the lab exhaled, cautiously optimistic. “Finally!”
That night, Molly returned to the hotel just as the sun dipped below the skyline. She swiped her keycard, let herself into Shermaine and Danielle’s suite, and found the place empty. Without hesitation, she headed straight for the shower.
By the time she finished, she was drying off when she heard the door open.
Shermaine and Danielle had just come back.
Shermaine had her phone in hand, mid–video call. Onscreen, Roy was clearly drunk. His cheeks were red, his speech slurred, and he clutched a bottle of wine like it was his last friend on earth. “Shermaine,” he whined, “Momo’s ignoring me.”
His eyes welled up. “She doesn’t like me. Does she?
“I can’t take this. I’m booking a flight to Ustrana. Right now. I’m going to find her.”
Shermaine stared at him, unimpressed. He was clearly three drinks in, and every other word out of his mouth was Molly.
When she saw Molly emerge from the bathroom in a robe, she tossed her phone at Molly. “Your problem. Go deal with it.”
2/3
Molly had, in fact, ignored Roy for nearly two full days. Work had consumed her attention, and she’d been unintentionally distant.
When she finally took his call, the first thing she saw was Roy’s handsome face, darkened by drunken melancholy and unspoken grievances.
But the moment he realized the video had switched to her, his entire expression lit up.
For a moment, he looked almost dazed, rubbing his eyes like a man waking from a dream, struggling to believe she was really there.
He leaned in so close it seemed he might try to crawl through the screen just to be sure. “Momo?”
Molly gave a languid nod.
Roy pinched his cheek. The sharp sting grounded him in reality.
“You’re in Wallington? At Shermaine’s?”
“Yeah.”
She set her wine on the table and moved to the sofa. When Roy latched onto a video call, it was never a short one.
The thought that she was now in the neighboring city stirred something restless in Roy. But the excitement was quickly drowned out by a
a wave of frustration and doubt he hadn’t yet learned to hide.
“Momo… are you getting tired of me?” he asked, his head hung low, his voice hollow with discouragement.
The sight tugged at Molly’s conscience. After a pause, she softened and said, “No.”
“But you’ve been ignoring me.”
“I was on a flight.”
“And after you landed?”
“I was busy.”
Roy flinched. Her words fell like a slow, cold rain, quiet, indifferent, and unrelenting. All he heard was that she hadn’t cared enough to reply.
“If I hadn’t called Shermaine, would you even have texted me back tonight?”
Molly frowned. The truth was, she hadn’t checked her phone at all that day. She’d been caught up in long–overdue conversations, sipping wine, easing into the comfort of familiar company. But she didn’t explain that.
Her silence hit Roy like a blow to the chest. He finally understood why long–distance relationships so often withered. It wasn’t the miles, but the silence in
between.
And the crueler truth was, he and Molly weren’t even in a relationship. Whatever flame had sparked between them was flickering out before it had ever found shape.
His eyes reddened. He missed her terribly. She was in his thoughts every night, threaded through his dreams like a ghost he couldn’t shake.
But she didn’t seem to feel the same. And with him no longer in Ustrana, he had no way of holding on to her heart.
His face had gone pale, his chest tightening with the weight of unspoken doubt.
Maybe she’d never liked him at all.
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Chapter 434
“Sony,” Molly said at last, voice low.
It was tire, she had neglected him, that much she couldn’t deny.
And perhaps, in trying not to think about Roy, she had also been trying not to confront the growing uncertainty in her heart.
“Momo, you don’t need to apologize,” Roy said softly after a beat. “It’s always been me chasing after you. If anyone should apologize, it’s me. My head’s spinning… I should go. Goodnight, Momo,”
It was the first time he’d ever ended a call with her so abruptly. But he couldn’t take it, not the silence, not the apology, not the way it felt like goodbye.
To him, it was heartbreak, quiet and premature.
Molly didn’t love him. And if he confessed, he was certain she’d turn him down.
His head throbbed, and he felt the sting in his eyes.
Even if she didn’t love him, he couldn’t help how deeply he loved her.
Molly stared at the blank screen, brow furrowed. All she’d said was “sorry,” and yet Roy’s reaction had been so intense, so final.
As the call ended, Danielle leaned over with a smirk. “You really do play the cold–hearted beauty a little too well.”
“I’m cold–hearted now?”
Danielle recited her words mockingly, “I was on a flight. I was busy. Sorry.‘ Classic. Another poor guy crushed under your heel. Doesn’t look like he’ll be winning the girl after all.”
“I was just being honest.”
“Sure. And not replying? Also honest.”
Molly had no answer to that.
Molly paused, then admitted, “Alright, fine. I was going to make it up to him. He just… missed his window.”
Danielle gave a wicked little grin. “Well, that’s on him then. Roy didn’t have the fortune to get fussed over by you tonight.”
Honestly, Molly thought, Roy was getting bolder. He actually hung up on her.
But truth be told, he probably regretted it the moment he did. He’d clearly had too much to drink, and when he was drunk, his thoughts always ran in
circles.
It wasn’t as if she’d ever rejected him outright. She just didn’t treat him like a priority. And that, in itself, was probably enough to break his heart.
“Why don’t you call him back?” Danielle asked.
Molly had been thinking the same. The idea of Roy lying there feeling hurt made her feel slightly guilty. “No,” she said after a beat. “I’ll see if I can fly to
Basterel tomorrow.”
Danielle arched an eyebrow. “Wow. He must be something if he’s getting you to fly over just to smooth things out.”
Molly had long grown used to Danielle’s teasing. “I’m still human,” she replied dryly. Then she nudged her. “Now go shower. We’ve got wine to finish.”
“Alright, alright.”
Shermaine had gone to shower early. Molly stayed in the living room with her glass of wine and put on a film.
A little while later, Shermaine came sat beside her. Molly reached for the bottle to pour her a drink, but Shermaine stopped her with a shake of the head.
“I can’t drink right now.”
“On your period?”
“No.”
Molly’s eyes narrowed as her brain caught up. “You’re not… pregnant, are you?”
“Yeah.”
Molly froze for a second, her hand still holding the wine bottle. “Shermaine, you don’t mess around, do you?”
Shermaine gave a small smile. “Let’s just call it good news.”
“I’ll get you some juice.”
“Thanks.”
Molly brought the juice back and said with a smirk, “With your genes and Joshua’s, that baby’s practically going to be a superhero.”
Shermaine’s eyes narrowed faintly. “Maybe.” She hadn’t thought about it in that way. All she wanted was for the child to be healthy, to grow up safe and well. She didn’t plan to impose expectations too early.
When Danielle found out Shermaine was pregnant, her attitude changed in an instant. Teasing was gone, replaced by firm concern. “You went into the quarantine zone today. Got that close to Natalie I don’t care how confident you are, Shermaine, you’ve got to be careful.”
Caution was never wasted, especially now.
Shermaine, unsurprised by her reaction, simply nodded. “I know. Now hush and drink.”
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15.12. Thu 3JENUK
Chapter 435
The next morning, Molly boarded a flight to Basterel.
Roy was still dead asleep at Riverswood Villa, lying in one of the guest rooms with a hangover that had knocked him flat.
Joshua had already left for the office, and Dave was somewhere in the house, passed out cold..
When Molly arrived, Martha greeted her at the door.
“Ms. Hill, Mr. Shay is still upstairs, asleep. Would you like me to wake him?”
“No need. Which room is he in?”
“The second guest room from the end on the left.”
“Thanks.” Molly made her way upstairs.
As Martha had said, the second–to–last room on the left was unlocked. She pushed the door open.
The bed was a mess, with a lump under the covers and a mop of brown hair sticking out from one end.
Molly stepped in and sat at the edge of the bed. It had been a while since she’d seen Roy in person. His hair, once dyed that playful shade of pink, was now back to brown. It made him look much more well–behaved.
But the reek of alcohol on him was strong. He’d clearly overdone it.
He was curled around a pillow in his sleep, which explained why, back in Ustrana, he’d always wanted to cuddle her at night.
She leaned over and pinched his nose.
Roy wrinkled his brow and gave a soft groan but didn’t open his eyes.
Molly’s hand slipped to the back of his neck. Sensing some kind of threat even in his sleep; Roy reacted instinctively. His arm shot out and wrapped around her in one quick motion.
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Chapter 436
Molly found herself pinned beneath Roy, his arm draped carelessly across her neck.
As his vision cleared and he recognized her face, his breath caught. “Momo?!”
I have to be dreaming,‘ he thought. ‘There’s no way she came to see me. This has to be a dream. Please, don’t let it end!‘
Molly, less than thrilled to be trapped under him, said flatly, “Now that you know it’s me, how about getting off?”
But instead of moving, Roy slid his arm from her neck to her waist and pulled her closer, tightening his grip. In a soft, slurred voice, he mumbled, “I missed you so much.”
“I heard you. Now get off.”
Instead, he nuzzled into her neck like a sulky child. “You ignored me. It really hurt, you know.” Then, without warning, he bit her gently. “You’re so mean.”
Molly only stared at him in disbelief.
Still under the impression he was asleep, Roy continued to act on impulse.
He kissed her neck, once, then again, slow, lingering, and in between, whispered, “But I like you so much.”
With her body pressed flush against his, the effect was instant、
Roy’s breath hitched, and his hands tensed at her waist.
The contact sent a shiver through Molly’s spine as her waist had always been her most sensitive spot.
And with Roy touching her like this, that weakness only deepened.
To him, this dream version of Molly seemed impossibly obedient, lying still beneath him, letting him kiss her without protest.
He leaned in, finally aiming for her lips, something he’d wanted to do for a long time..
Normally restrained, Roy had completely surrendered to desire.
“You taste so sweet,” he whispered, eyes burning.
His hand slid up her side, trailing over warm skin that felt alarmingly real.
And then, with a thud, he hit the floor hard.
Stunned, he blinked up at her.
Molly was sitting upright, calmly straightening her clothes. Her lips were flushed, her blouse rumpled.
The lipstick smeared across Roy’s mouth made the whole scene look even more absurd.
“Momo?” he croaked.
She reached down and pinched his chin between her fingers, lifting his face toward hers. “You’ve got some nerve, you little brat.”
And that was when it clicked. This wasn’t a dream.
A slow, ecstatic grin spread across Roy’s face. “This is real, right? I’m not dreaming!”
The gloom from the night before evaporated like it had never existed.
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Chapter 436.
Molly gave his cheek a sharp squeeze, but instead of wincing, Roy looked even more delighted.
Still think it’s a dream?”
“Nope,” he beamed.
He gazed at her, and his eyes darkened with something deeper than just longing. There was hunger, but also devotion.
“You came to see me. That has to mean you don’t hate me. It means I still have a chance… doesn’t it?”
“What do you think?”
“I think yes.”
Molly gave him a small, amused smile. “Whatever you say.”
Roy pulled her into a hug again, his voice muffled against her shoulder. “God, Momo… I’m so happy right now.”
Molly felt like being held by a sun–warmed blanket, and the sensation he’d left on her skin still hadn’t faded. She pushed him away with a wrinkle of her
nose. “Go take a shower. You stink.”
Roy froze, gave himself a quick sniff, and immediately recoiled. “Okay, yeah. That’s bad.” He backed off quickly. “Wait for me. I’ll be quick.”
The guest room had everything he needed, his toiletries and a clean change of clothes. Last night, he’d felt like he was drowning in despair. This morning, he’d woken up in paradise.
As the water ran down his back, he tried to focus, but it was hopeless.
The memory of Molly in his arms, the feel of her lips, her skin, the scent of her perfume… it all clung to him, refusing to let go.
The longer he stood there, the hotter his face burned.
It was a long while before Roy finally emerged from the bathroom, only to discover that Molly was no longer in the guest room. His expression collapsed in an instant.
Without a moment’s pause, he swept through the entire second floor, then rushed downstairs. It wasn’t until he saw Molly sitting calmly in the living room with a cup of coffee in hand that he finally breathed again.
He strode over and wrapped his arms around her. “Momo, I thought you were leaving me again.”
“You were taking forever.”
Roy froze for a beat, then turned his face aside, his voice subdued. “Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Molly caught the blush creeping up his neck and gave a small smile.
Just then, Martha came in carrying a plate of freshly sliced fruit. “Mr. Shay, Ms. Hill, would you like to stay for lunch?”
Roy shook his head. “Thanks, Martha. I’m taking Momo out.”
“Well then, I’ll leave you two to it,” she laughed.
Molly had grown up in Ustrana, though she had spent a few childhood years in Wallington. The country had always held a certain charm for her. She knew its history, its stories, and its quiet corners better than most who called it home.
Today, Roy was riding high. With an air of pride, he brought Molly straight to the newest restaurant opened by Henry.
“Once we’re done eating, I want to take you somewhere fun,” he said, almost bouncing on his heels at the thought of their date.
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“Don’t you have work?”
I’ve always got time when it comes to you.”
She narrowed her eyes with satisfaction, a quiet approval flickering behind her gaze.
Meanwhile, Roy was busy showing off in the group chat. [My girl came all the way to Basterel to see me!]
Henry: Yeah, and you brought her straight to my place.]
Roy: [Right? I’m killing it.]
Big Bird: [Damn, Roy. You really got that tough girl wrapped around your finger?]
Roy: [She doesn’t need to be wrapped. I’m the one wrapped around her little finger]
The group chat went dead silent.
Still basking in his own triumph, Roy was caught off guard when Joshua dropped a video into the thread, a clip from the night before, showing Roy, completely plastered, drunkenly hugging the leg of a table and muttering nonsense.
The group erupted with laughter.
If anyone knew how to kill a man’s moment, it was Joshua.
Roy rubbed the back of his neck and shoved his phone into his pocket. “So… how long are you staying in Wallington?”
“Four, maybe five days.”
That was already generous, coming from someone whose calendar was usually booked down to the hour.
Bruce didn’t make things difficult for her. Once the situation in Horington was under control, he’d return.
Progress on the serum had also been promising. Breakthroughs were happening fast, and they were close to having a working formula ready for
production.
“Sheary’s flying back Friday for the auction,” Molly added. “I’ll head back to Ustrana after that.”
It meant, for now, she was staying in Basterel.
Thursday arrived, and the lab erupted in cheers.
The serum was finally complete.
After months of research and trial runs, they had succeeded. The regression symptoms in Natalie had fully reversed. Her vitals had stabilized, and after a few more days of observation, the serum would be ready for mass production.
Soon, it could be administered to anyone who had been exposed to the infected water supply.
The government and hospitals of Horington were deeply grateful to Shermaine and Danielle.
Danielle, however, didn’t take much credit. She hadn’t been a key contributor in the final phase.
That night was Christmas Eve. One by one, the specialists packed up and went home.
The auction was set for the next morning.
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Shermaine would be flying back to Basterel at dawn.
Danielle, however, would remain behind. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the others. It was just that she and Shermaine had overseen the project from the beginning. Bringing in someone new at such a critical stage, even for a short time, could invite unnecessary risk.
On Friday, Joshua sent a helicopter to pick Shermaine up. After breakfast, she boarded the aircraft.
The flight was smooth until they crossed a mountain range. Suddenly, the sky darkened. A swirling vortex appeared out of nowhere, tearing open midair like a hole in the sky.
Neither Shermaine nor the pilot had time to register what was happening before the aircraft was swallowed whole.
Back at Riverswood Villa, Dave was fast asleep when something stirred him awake. He shot upright, a jolt of unease crawling up his spine.
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The auction was about to begin, and guests were arriving in elegant waves.
Joshua checked the time. Shermaine should be landing in about ten minutes.
He hadn’t seen her in days, and the distance was starting to wear on him.
Knowing she was pregnant and traveling alone only made it worse. He’d barely slept these past few nights, plagued by worry.
Since they got married, he’d grown used to shielding her from everything. He’d pampered her and wrapped her in comfort, so much so that she had become more delicate than before.
Pregnancy often came with fatigue, nausea, and occasional vomiting.
But aside from needing more sleep, Shermaine seemed perfectly fine. If anything, h
Just then, Bradley came hurrying over, his expression tight and voice low. “Mr. York.”
Joshua looked up. “What is it?”
appetite had improved.
Bradley hesitated, as though still struggling to believe what he was about to say. “The helicopter lost contact while flying over Mount Hordeum. We haven’t been able to reach them. Nothing on satellite either. It’s like they just… vanished.”
There had been no warning. It was the kind of disappearance that hit like a punch to the chest.
Bradley had been by Joshua’s side for years. He had seen him face crisis after crisis without blinking, had watched him stare down boardrooms, scandals, and even death with that same unshakable calm. But this was different.
This time, it was Shermaine. And she was carrying their child.
If something had happened to her, it would be a double tragedy.
Even if she hadn’t been pregnant, Shermaine was the one person Joshua would never risk losing. She was his compass, his still point in a spinning world. If anything happened to her, it would be like someone had torn his heart out and left nothing behind.
Statistically, survivors in helicopter crashes were rare.
Joshua’s face darkened. His jaw was tight, his eyes bloodshot. “Send a search team. Now!”
He refused to believe she was gone.
Shermaine jolted awake as the cabin shook violently. They were already inside the black vortex.
Neil Frederick, the pilot, was pale with shock. In all his years of flying, he had never experienced anything remotely like this.
Everything outside the window was pitch–black. Ten, maybe fifteen seconds passed before a blinding white light exploded in front of them.
Then the aircraft broke through, into somewhere completely unknown.
They hovered over a barren, alien terrain. One side stretched out in volcanic peaks glowing faintly red, the other was a frozen wasteland cloaked in ice and snow. Not a single sign of life anywhere.
Shermaine unbuckled her seatbelt and slid into the co–pilot’s seat. Her voice was calm and steady. “Stay with me. Don’t panic.
“Mrs. York…” Neil’s voice cracked. “Where the hell are we?”
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She looked out the windshield, gaze sharp. “I don’t know.”
Without warning, the scorching sun above them vanished. The sky twisted, and a tornado began forming in the clouds, bearing down fast.
Shermaine saw it first and issued her command without hesitation. “Hard turn. Get us out of its path.”
Neil’s hands were slick with sweat as he gripped the controls. He banked the aircraft sharply, narrowly veering away from the funnel cloud.
Back at the auction, the bidding had already begun. Molly, still scanning the crowd, noticed Shermaine’s absence and felt a prickling unease at the back
of her neck.
“Where’s Joshua?” she asked quietly.
“Let me give him a call,” Roy replied.
Only moments later did they learn Shermaine’s helicopter had vanished over Mount Hordeum.
And Joshua had already left for the mountain to lead the search himself.
Mount Hordeum was vast, its terrain treacherous. Without a precise signal or location, finding a single person out there would–be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Still, there was no other option. A search team had to be deployed.
Molly watched Roy as he ended a call, his expression grim. “Sheary’s in trouble, isn’t she?”
Roy nodded. “Her helicopter disappeared somewhere over Mount Hordeum. Joshua’s gone to look for her.”
Molly’s face hardened. “That’s impossible. How does a helicopter just vanish?”
Complete radio silence required a catastrophic event, like a crash into the ocean. But Mount Hordeum sat on land, right between Horington and Basterel. There was no sea, no storm, no plausible reason.
And in an era of satellite coverage, nobody just disappears.
It didn’t add up. Something was very wrong.
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The auction would go on.
There was no way Shermaine’s carefully laid trap could be unraveled just like that.
In fact, her sudden disappearance might be exactly what those people were behind.
“We’re going too,” Molly said firmly.
Roy shook his head. “Joshua gave me strict orders. I need to keep eyes on them. Can’t afford to let them slip away.”
Molly nodded, her voice cool and steady. “Then I’ll stay with you.”
Shermaine had invested too much in this operation. Her absence could not be allowed to derail it.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, Harry couldn’t help but feel that Judy had gone too far.
That weapon she’d used on Shermaine wasn’t just some trinket. It was a prison built in four–dimensional space. Judy had been saving it for a moment when her own life was on the line.
Once someone entered that dimension, escape was almost impossible. Worse yet, it only worked three times.
This was the final use. After this, there would be no second chance.
If Shermaine couldn’t make it out, she’d be trapped inside, left to rot.
And yet, even knowing that, Harry still thought it was a waste to use something so rare on someone like Shermaine.
But later, he changed his mind. Looking back, Judy had made the right call.
And still, that so–called prison hadn’t been enough to kill her. Shermaine wasn’t someone who could be taken out so easily. Some people were simply born to survive.
“Where’s Joshua now?” Judy asked.
“He’s already gone to Mount Hordeum.”
Judy had it all calculated. Once she got her hands on the book, she’d head to Mount Hordeum to find him.
He had royal blood, and if she could convince him to wield Apocalypse for her, he’d be the perfect weapon.
Shermaine was the key to controlling him. That much was clear.
Inside that mysterious four–dimensional space, Shermaine and Neil had barely dodged a tornado. Somehow, they were still alive.
The helicopter circled, scanning for signs of life.
After one slow pass, Neil turned to her. “Mrs. York, I think I see a wreckage in the forest. Looks like a crashed plane.”
Shermaine narrowed her eyes. “Take us down.”
The helicopter touched down in a clearing, and Shermaine stepped out, walking straight toward the wreck.
It was a fighter jet.
But the design didn’t match anything from their time.
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Inside the cockpit sat a skeleton, still dressed in a flight suit.
Whoever it was had been dead for years, nothing left but bones.
Neil stared, frozen. A cold chill crept up his spine.
Are we going to die here too?‘ he thought. ‘Did we just… travel through time?‘
Other people who got thrown through time ended up ruling kingdoms. But here they were, dumped in the middle of a wasteland.
The weather shifted abruptly. The sky darkened like spilled ink, thunder rumbling low and deep.
And then came the rain, fast, hard, and merciless. It pounded the earth like war drums.
Shermaine didn’t flinch. Calm as ever, she kept studying the fighter jet.
Her fingers brushed something, and suddenly a blue holographic screen sprang to life in midair.
“Hello, fellow exile,” said a man’s voice. “My name is Maverick Kirk. If you’re seeing this, I’m probably already gone…”
But the language was foreign, completely incomprehensible.
Shermaine and the pilot stared at the screen, unable to make sense of a single word.
Still, that message confirmed her suspicions. Whoever was looking for the booklet, they weren’t from this world.
They were from a parallel universe, or maybe another planet altogether. And their technology was far more advanced than anything on Earth.
In fact, Dave’s appearance had already hinted at it.
The secret of the crystal sarcophagus wasn’t just big. It was cosmic.
It turned out that visitors from another world had been living among them for a thousand years, maybe more.
Suddenly, something moved outside.
Neil blinked, thinking he imagined it. But there it was, a pair of glowing red eyes. A towering silver humanoid robot, nearly six feet tall, stood at the entrance of the helicopter.
Its hands began to twist and shift with a mechanical snap. In seconds, they transformed into curved, gleaming blades. “Life form detected,” it said in a flat, robotic voice. “Engaging termination protocol.”
AD
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The moment Neil saw the robot, he instinctively wiped the sweat off his brow.
Not only had they landed in the middle of nowhere, but now it seemed they’d landed on another planet altogether.
The thing looked like it had stepped right out of a sci–fi nightmare, cold, silent, and built to kill.
Neil had served in the air force, seen his share of action, but even he had no idea how to handle this. His instincts screamed danger.
Still, he had one job, to protect Shermaine. “Mrs. York,” he called out, voice tight, “stay behind me.”
But Shermaine didn’t even blink. Her gaze stayed fixed on the machine. “Worry about yourself. I can handle this,” she said calmly.
And the truth was, she could.
Neil, for all his training, wouldn’t be much help here. At best, he could try not to get himself killed.
The robot lunged, one of its bladed arms slicing through the air with a hiss. Neil barely dodged in time, stumbling backward with a choked yell.
Even when they threw heavy equipment at it, the thing didn’t react. Its metal body absorbed the hits like it was nothing.
But Shermaine wasn’t rattled. If it was man–made, then it had limits. And limits could be exploited.
Dodging the robot’s attacks with sharp, calculated movements, she called to Neil over her shoulder. “Look around the cabin. See if you can find a rope or anything useful.”
“Got it. Just… be careful.”
“I will.”
Over Mount Hordeum, several helicopters were circling, searching for any trace of the aircraft that had vanished.
But there was nothing, not even a scrap of metal.
A helicopter that size, disappearing without a single piece of wreckage was unsettling, to say the least.
For Joshua, every passing second was unbearable.
In the co–pilot’s seat, Bradley was reviewing the details. The whole thing reeked of foul play. Everything about it had happened far too neatly.
“We’ve recovered the flight footage,” he said, handing Joshua a tablet.
“Play it.”
Bradley tapped the screen. The footage, captured from a satellite feed, showed the helicopter flying normally along its planned route.
Then, as it neared Mount Hordeum, the signal cut out completely. By the time it resumed, the aircraft was gone, simply vanished.
“I’ve already contacted the Bureau of Aerospace Surveillance. They’re taking over the investigation.”
Back at the auction, the booklet had finally reached the bidding platform.
Inside their private box, Judy watched the rising numbers on the screen. “Keep pushing the price,” she said coolly.
Harry understood her reasoning. They hadn’t come by this money honestly, and if throwing enough cash around could get them the booklet without a
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scene, all the better. No point risking exposure if it could be avoided.
But just when it looked like the plan might actually work, Molly stormed in, gun already drawn, eyes blazing.
Roy was right behind her, expression deadly serious. He recognized them both Judy and Harry.
Harry’s jaw tightened as he realized this was a setup.
Judy didn’t flinch. Arms crossed, voice steady, she met Roy’s glare. “And if it is?”
She barely finished the sentence before Molly stepped forward, weapon raised. “Try me,” Molly said flatly, her voice sharp with fury. “Where’s Shermaine? Is she missing because of you?”
“If you want answers, maybe don’t start by pointing a gun at me.”
Molly snorted, “Oh, cut the act. Everyone knows you’ve been circling Joshua like a vulture, playing innocent. Challenging Shermaine to a match, and cheating when you couldn’t win. Shameless doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
She cocked the gun with a sharp click. “You don’t want to talk? Fine. I’ll put a bullet in you and see if that helps you remember anything.”
When it came to threats, Judy could be ruthless. But compared to Molly, she was out of her league.
AD
Harry narrowed his eyes, thinking, “Why didn’t she just stay in Ustrana? What the hell is she doing here?!
He’d always known Molly
The from a family that practically ran Ustrana like their private empire. And she wasn’t one to be content playing second fiddle. She had her eyes on the top seat.
A woman like that in the Kingdom of Xyperia was best to steer clear.
Judy, undeterred and full of bravado, sneered, “Touch me, and Shermaine won’t live to see tomorrow.”
Molly raised an eyebrow. “You? Seriously?”
She had had enough of Judy’s arrogance. In fact, she was just about ready to shoot her on the spot.
And she did.
She didn’t flinch and just pulled the trigger.
Harry moved in a flash, throwing himself between them.
The bullet tore into his foot, and the pain hit him so hard his face went pale in an instant.
Judy shot to her feet. “You dare hurt my people?!”
“Say another word and I’ll put a bullet through your head,” Molly said flatly, her gun now aimed at Judy’s temple. “I’ll ask one last time. Was Shermaine’s disappearance your doing?”
Judy stared her down. “And if it was? “I’m not here to trade words with you. You’re not even in the same league. I want Joshua.”
Knowing she couldn’t walk away easily, Judy said, “You threaten me again, and I won’t even need to lift a finger. Shermaine’s life is hanging by a thread. I can cut it anytime I please.”
The certainty in her voice only made Molly scoff. “A woman who needed to cheat just to barely hold her own against Shermaine? And you expect us to take your word for anything?”
Harry wasn’t about to let Judy’s credibility crumble in front of everyone. He stepped forward. “Don’t believe her? Fine. Watch this.”
The room had a large screen on one wall. Harry brought up a live feed, footage of Shermaine trapped inside a four–dimensional space.
They could monitor the scene because the robot inside had been sent by them.
Everything they were seeing came from the machine’s point of view.
The robot was in relentless pursuit. Twin blades slashed through the air, deadly and mechanical.
If Shermaine hadn’t been in the frame, they might’ve thought it was a scene from some sci–fi thriller.
The landscape itself was strange, clearly not anywhere on Mount Hordeum.
Or maybe… that place didn’t even exist on Mount Hordeum.
People in the room began to realize Judy and Harry might not be what they seemed. Not entirely human, perhaps.
One of the blades nearly struck Shermaine, but she flipped backward, landing a few steps away.
Still, the hem of her coat was sliced clean
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She glanced down at the ruined edge and her expression darkened.
The coat had been expensive, and Joshua bought it for her.
Just like that, her patience ran out.
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Harry cut the feed, the screen going black. “Our robot hasn’t even started using its real arsenal. You’d be smart to show Her Highness a little respect.”
Now that they had proof Shermaine was still alive, Harry figured that would keep them in check.
Molly, however, didn’t look the least bit convinced. “Sheary’s gonna rip that hunk of metal apart in five minutes. Watch.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Judy said coolly. “You think she can dismantle it just like that? Shermaine might be gifted. I won’t deny that, but your little genius is nowhere near advanced enough to override our technology.”
Molly was already raising her gun again when Roy stepped in, pulling her into his arms before she could lose control. “Momo, let’s wait for Joshua. He’ll decide how to handle this.”
After all, Joshua was Shermaine’s husband, and no one else had the right to make that call.
Molly frowned, but didn’t resist.
“Hey, don’t be mad,” Roy whispered.
Elsewhere, Joshua ended the call with Roy, eyes deep as storm clouds. “I’m on my way back.”
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In the warped stillness of four–dimensional space, Neil finally returned with a rope in hand, just in time to see Shermaine locked in fierce combat with the robot.
If they’d had anything with real firepower, the robot would’ve been scrap metal by now.
But Shermaine’s reflexes more than made up for their lack of weaponry.
Neil could only hope the rope he’d found, after what felt like an eternity of searching, was strong enough to be of use.
“Mrs. York! Got the rope!” he called out.
“Throw it!”
He waited for an opening, then hurled it across the space.
The robot wasn’t exactly brilliant. Its programming only allowed it to assess how dangerous something was. A quick scan of the rope showed a negligible threat level, so it just stood there, inert.
Then its arm morphed into a machine gun. “Target locked. Commencing fire.”
A hail of bullets tore through the air, but none found their mark.
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Shermaine had already slipped into its blind spot. The robot kept firing into empty space, wasting ammunition.
She landed behind it, spun once, and threw the rope with practiced ease. It looped cleanly over the machine’s head.
The instant the tension hit, the robot reacted, attempting to slice the rope off. But Shermaine yanked hard, and the lumbering body lost balance and crashed to the floor.
In a few swift moves, she had it bound hand and foot.
The machine strained, but couldn’t break free.
Just as it tried to lift its arm to cut itself loose, Shermaine slammed her boot down on the back of its head. Neil rushed in and grabbed its mechanical arm, pinning it.
Shermaine didn’t stop at one stomp. She crushed it underfoot several times before pausing.
The robot’s red eyes blinked erratically, pulsing like a dying signal.
Only then did.she crouch down and search along its back. Her fingers found a hidden switch. One press, and a compartment slid open.
Inside was a block of glowing blue Energon Core, its purpose unclear, but clearly vital. She pulled it free, and immediately, the robot went dark with no
power.
Crisis averted, Neil finally exhaled. “Mrs. York, I found some food in the ship’s cold storage.”
The fighter jet wasn’t completely wrecked. Its emergency systems were still active. The supplies were surprisingly fresh.
Shermaine nodded. “Neil, check if there’s a toolbox onboard.”
He left at once.
Shermaine returned to the cockpit and pressed a red button. The jet’s main systems flickered back to life.
She began scanning the controls, taking her time.
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Soon, Neil returned with a heavy case of tools, wrenches, pliers, spare parts.
“You’re planning to take it apart?”
“We, I want the chip in its head.”
Neil’s eyes lit up. “Let me. I love this kind of work” He glanced at the lifeless machine and grinned to himself, thinking, ‘Let’s see what you’re made of, big
guy.‘
Meanwhile, back at the auction hall, Joshua had returned.
The room had grown tense and hushed.
His presence carried weight, imposing and commanding.
A faint smile played on Judy’s lips. Shermaine was turning out to be a flawless tool, just dangerous enough to keep Joshua dancing in her shadow.
And yet, the thought unsettled her. Shermaine meant far too much to him. A man like Joshua, genetically superior, almost flawless, shouldn’t be allowed to have weaknesses.
He absently ran a thumb over the wedding band on his finger. “What do you want?”
“First,” Judy said, “give me the booklet.”
Joshua said nothing, waiting.
“And second…” She looked him dead in the eye. “You’re going to divorce Shermaine, and leave with me.”
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Molly could hardly believe what she was witnessing. Judy was brazenly using Shermaine as leverage to manipulate Joshua.
‘What the hell is this woman even saying?‘ she thought, seething. ‘Unbelievable! Has she no shame at all?‘
Her hand tightened instinctively around her gun. She was already imagining the bullet tearing through Judy’s skull.
“You were never meant to be part of this world,” Judy said coolly.
Roy and the others exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions shifting from confusion to alarm.
Now they were forced to consider a wild possibility that Judy might actually be an alien.
How else could she make an entire plane vanish without a trace over Mount Hordeum?
Joshua’s voice broke the silence. “I want to see Sheary first.” His gaze was unreadable, dark as a storm. “No deal until then.”
The dimensional rift that housed Shermaine could only be opened three times. After that, it would seal itself shut forever. No one would be able to access it from the outside.
In time, that space would begin to collapse quietly and irreversibly, until nothing remained.
Worse, Judy wasn’t even sure whether the robot had finished the job.
Those machines had never failed before. Everyone sent into that space had died, Not one had returned.
Judy’s tone hardened. “And why should I trust you? You think if I bring Shermaine back here, I’ll be allowed to walk away? I wasn’t born yesterday. I’m not giving her up, but I might let you speak to her.”
For now, negotiation was her only move. Judy shot a glance at Harry.
He nodded and got to work. The device in his hands, about the size of a tablet, was already running, his fingers tapping across its surface. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t connect to the robot’s signal.
Fortunately, there was more than one unit in that dimension. He rerputed control to two other machines and dispatched them to scout Shermaine’s
location.
Still, the silence from the first robot gnawed at him. He wondered, ‘No connection? Don’t tell me… it failed? Could Shermaine have actually taken it
down?‘
In the four–dimensional space, one of the standby units was activated at last.
Neil had already dismantled the first robot’s limbs and armor, but the internal structure was far too complex for him to handle.
That was when Shermaine stepped in.
She removed the chip embedded deep within its processor core.
Her computer, brought along from their helicopter, was compatible with the alien tech.
She slotted the chip into a port, and to her relief, the system recognized it, without rejection. It responded immediately.
That confirmed the technology was essentially the same, just running on a more advanced system and a different language.
Shermaine began decoding the chip’s contents. Within moments, she found the identity of the robot’s creator. It was Harry Kramer. Major in the Knights
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of Xyperia. Age 29. His photo was attached to the file.
One glance, and she knew.
So he was the one they’d been chasing all this time, the invisible force that kept circling their lives like a shadow.
And Judy wasn’t just after Shermaine. She had her sights set on Joshua as well.
Shermaine let out a quiet snort and began rewriting the robot’s system.
It didn’t go smoothly at first. The core required a password for administrative access. But for her, that was child’s play.
Her fingers danced across the keyboard. In less than a minute, she bypassed the lock, erased all of Harry’s security data from the chip, and replaced it with her own credentials. Now, when the robot rebooted, it would recognize her as its one and only master.
Not far away, Neil was rummaging through his pack, stomach growling, just about to eat something when a metallic groan cut through the silence. Two more robots appeared in the ruined doorway.
High above the dimensional space, the sky began to crack. A sliver of space split open, barely wide enough for something round and glowing blue to squeeze through.
“Ow, seriously? This is way too tight!” Dave grumbled, wedged halfway in.
With his Energon reserves running low, he had barely managed to tear open a narrow passage.
To make things worse, he’d put on weight recently, plumper and rounder than ever.
Panting and straining, Dave forced his body through inch by inch. The moment he caught Shermaine’s signal, he summoned every ounce of strength and shoved himself free, then plummeted from the sky like a giant, glowing gumball.
He didn’t even bother to slow his descent. He couldn’t die from a fall anyway.
But he was starving.
All he could think about was finding Shermaine, and hopefully, something delicious to eat when he did.
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Neil didn’t even blink when the two new robots showed up. At this point, nothing could rattle him.
Shermaine was almost done reprogramming them. All that was left was to reinstall the chip and bring the units online.
But then, the robots‘ eyes lit up. Both turned toward her in perfect sync.
“Target acquired. Target acquired.”
The message pinged on Harry’s screen. He immediately issued a new command–open communication,
Within seconds, the connection was established. The robots were now linked to his console,
“Mrs. York,” Neil called, eyeing the two machines warily. “These two are acting weird. Just standing there, like statues.”
His voice came through loud and clear that Joshua and the others heard every word.
Shermaine looked up, calm as ever. She unplugged the chip, shut her laptop, and said simply, “Let’s go check it out.”
Her voice cut through the static, reaching Joshua on the other end. His breath caught. “Sheary…”
She paused, then answered, steady and clear, “I’m here.”
She hadn’t expected the robot’s comms to be open to the outside. But somehow, it was.
“Sheary!”
“Shermaine!”
That was Molly and Roy. Their voices followed, full of relief.
Shermaine responded to each of them without hesitation.
Judy watched, expression unreadable, clearly baffled by the depth of their concern.
Joshua’s voice came through again. “Are you hurt? Are you alright?”
Shermaine was just about to respond, but Judy gave Harry a look, and he cut the connection without a word.
It was cruel, calculated, and deliberate.
She didn’t want Joshua to know anything more than necessary.
And while no one could say for sure what condition Shermaine was in, the sound of her voice had been enough to reassure them she was still holding on.
But Judy wasn’t worried.
As long as she got the booklet, and Joshua put on the wristband she’d prepared, it wouldn’t matter what Shermaine did. Once those two conditions were met, she’d give Harry the order to unleash the robots. They’d sweep the fourth–dimensional zone and hunt Shermaine down like prey.
“I’ll release her,” Judy said smoothly, “once you agree to my terms.”
She knew perfectly well that Shermaine was Joshua’s only vulnerability. He wasn’t the kind of man who played games with the lives of the people he loved.
That gave her all the leverage she needed.
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They might all believe in Shermaine’s strength, but when someone used her as a bargaining chip, none of them, especially Joshua, dared to take risks..
Even Molly didn’t dare speak.
Without a second’s pause, Joshua said, “Fine. I’ll agree to your terms. But I want to speak to my wife. Every single day. And if you break your word…”
His voice dropped, lethal and cold. “I swear, you’ll regret ever setting foot in this world.”
There was no mistaking the threat. The raw force of it hit like a shockwave, fury, grief, and power tightly coiled in his words.
Harry felt the blood drain from his face.
He’d known this was a bad idea. He never thought bringing Joshua to the Kingdom of Xyperia was safe. And now, that fear was turning into certainty.
If Judy couldn’t keep control, this one mistake might drag the whole kingdom into crisis.
A man with nothing left to lose might just burn the world down.
Even if they didn’t need Joshua himself, Apocalypse only required his DNA. Once they had that, they could fabricate something close enough to replace
him.
“Your Highness,” Harry said quietly, leaning in, “I really think we should reconsider…”
But Judy wasn’t the type to be persuaded. Arrogant and iron–willed, she refused to believe there was anyone she couldn’t control, least of all Joshua. “I don’t go back on my word,” she said flatly.
Yet even as she spoke the words, she was already fantasizing about crushing Shermaine the moment this deal was done.
The sudden cut off from the outside made Shermaine’s expression harden.
A frown pulled at her brow, and for a moment, she sat very still, processing the silence.
She’d hoped to find a way out hidden in the robot’s chip, any clue thread she could pull. But there was nothing.
She didn’t want to stay here a second longer..
And more than that, she didn’t want to become the reason Joshua was being manipulated and pushed into choices he never should have to make.
She knew him. If Judy demanded his life in exchange for hers, he would offer it without hesitation.
And that was exactly what terrified her.
They were both strong, willful people. Neither of them was built to bend or bow.
But this place was starting to feel like a trap with no doors.
Her thoughts were cut short when the robot twitched. Its arm shifted with a mechanical hiss, transforming into a mounted gun and locking its sights on
her.
“Mrs. York, heads up!” Neil shouted.
But Shermaine didn’t flinch. Instead, a cold, sharp smile played at her lips.
So that was Judy’s game, using her to get what she wanted from Joshua, and then eliminate the evidence.
She didn’t even have the patience to wait a full five minutes.
Gunfire burst through the cabin again.
Dave, meanwhile, was still in free fall his rotund little body dropping faster than expected thanks to his generous mass.
Shermaine had already disabled one robot, and two more didn’t worry her.
But if they kept coming, things could spiral fast.
Her thoughts flicked briefly to Joshua, and something in her sharpened. She launched herself onto the shoulder of the nearest machine, bracing herself. Her hands locked around its neck.
While dismantling the earlier unit, she’d noted the design flaw. The neck was poorly reinforced, easy to exploit.
With a hard, practiced twist, the robot’s head snapped clean off.
Neil watched from the side, stunned.
She hadn’t even been trying before, he realized. What he’d seen earlier was just the surface. She hadn’t even broken a sweat.
The second robot came charging forward.
Then with a thud, something crashed from above. A blue, spherical blur slammed into the machine’s head like a meteor.
It bounced once, then hit the ground with a muffled plop.
The moment his round body touched the floor, Dave seemed to catch a scent of Energon. His eyes lit up like twin scanners. He spun around, alert and laser–focused, scanning the cabin like a predator.
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Net stared at the strange, jiggling ort. Before he could register, Dave leapt onto the robot’s leg and scrambled up its frame. He dug into its chest plate and yanked out the glowing blue Energon Core, then shoved it into his mouth without ceremony.
A surge of light flickered across his body, growing brighter by the second.
He immediately gagged Apparently, Energon didn’t taste as good as he remembered,
Once, it had been delicious. Now, it was barely tolerable.
But he swallowed it anyway. Wasting it wasn’t an option.
Munching noisily, he bounced over to the headless robot Shermaine had just taken down, ripped out that core too, and devoured it.
Then, with all the elegance of a tiny king, he perched himself proudly on Shermaine’s shoulder. “Sheary, I made it!” he beamed.
Shermaine let out a small laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing for the first time in hours. “So when you said you could protect me and the baby… you weren’t exaggerating after all.”
“Told you! I’m awesome,” Dave declared, licking blue residue from his lips. “Feed me enough and I’ll get you outta here.”
Shermaine reached into her bag and pulled out a spare Energon Core. “Is this what you need?”
Dave nodded eagerly. “Yup yup yup! One bite of this, and I’ll transform into Ultraman and punch monsters in the facel”
Shermaine blinked. ‘Great,‘ she thought. ‘All that time at Riverswood, and he clearly spent it glued to the kid’s channel.‘
**
Dave threw himself onto the core and started chewing noisily. “Hey Sheary, when we get out of here, you owe me fried chicken. Ten meals!”
“You think this core’s enough to get us out?”
He shook his head. “Nah. With two passengers, I’ll need more juice. We’ll have to find extra.”
Just as he was about to bounce off and search, he froze. He could feel them, multiple Energon signals, rapidly approaching.
It was a whole army.
Dave’s eyes lit up like headlights. Those robots were practically walking batteries, more than enough to fuel an escape and keep him powered for days.
He floated up into the air, eyes gleaming,
“Sheary, get somewhere safe. I’m gonna go eat them all!”
Neil was too stunned to speak. He watched as the pudgy orb Shermaine had been talking to suddenly ballooned in midair. Cloaked in a haze of blue mist, its form became unrecognizable, only far more menacing than before.
Then, with the force of a miniature cyclone, the blue mist swept toward the robots.
Within minutes, one after another collapsed to the ground, their Energon Cores ripped out.
When it was over, Dave floated down and flopped onto the floor like a deflated beach ball, belly bulging, letting out a loud burp.
Shermaine walked over and hoisted him up. “Done eating?”
Another hiccup of flame. “So spicy! Sheary, wasn’t I fast?”
“You were.” On a normal day, Shermaine might’ve chuckled and played along. But not now. Her mind was elsewhere, on Joshua. She had to get back to him..
“If you’re full, then get to work.”
Dave could sense the tension in her voice. Realizing something serious was going on, he nodded solemnly. “Okay. Sheary, hold on tight, don’t let go.”
She motioned for Neil, who stepped forward and grabbed Dave’s other hand.
A sudden surge of energy pulsed through them, vibrating in the air like static before a storm.
Dave exhaled a shimmering bubble that enveloped them completely.
A heartbeat later, they vanished.
Neil had flown countless planes and never once gotten airsick, but he hated roller coasters. Now, he felt like he was stuck on one, plunging through pitch blackness, head spinning, stomach churning. He shut his eyes, trying not to throw up.
After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a minute, light began to break through the darkness ahead. They were almost there.
He prayed it would end soon. He was on the verge of losing his breakfast.
Meanwhile, Judy had already taken the booklet. She flipped through it, double–checked the contents, then handed it off to Harry.
Next, she gestured for another document, this one a divorce agreement, not of this world, but it looked official enough.
In her eyes, once Joshua signed the contract from the Kingdom of Xyperia, whatever bond he had with Shermaine would be null and void.
And once she seized the throne, Judy had every intention of returning to Earth with wealth and power behind her. She’d buy her way back into everything.
“Go on. Sign it,” she said, handing Joshua a pen.
A shadow fell across his face. He took the pen, slowly.
It was the first time he realized there was something in this world he couldn’t bear to lose.
Even if Judy’s threats were empty, he couldn’t risk it.
He pressed the pen to the page, but just as the ink began to flow, a voice echoed beside his ear. “Don’t sign it!”
He froze. He looked up, scanning the room, but no one showed up.
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The others heard it too. Confused, they turned just as a blinding white light burst through the ceiling. And then, Shermaine fell from above.
The moment Joshua saw her, the pen hit the ground. In a flash, he rushed forward and caught her in his arms.
Dave and Neil landed with far less grace. Dave hit with a dull thud. Neil, groaning, barely managed to sit up before vomiting on the floor.
Dimensional rift travel had already burned through half of Dave’s freshly absorbed Energon, but it didn’t matter.
He was charged enough for now and ready for another fight, if need be.
Shermaine collapsed into Joshua’s arms. He held her close, tighter than he ever had. “Sheary…”
She lifted a hand to his cheek, brushing it softly. “I’m fine.” Then, her gaze sharpened as it shifted toward Judy. “First you came for the booklet… and now you’re trying to steal my man?”
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The moment Judy laid eyes on Shermaine, her face went cold.
She hadn’t seen it coming. Shermaine had made it out of the four–dimensional space.
And with that, her leverage evaporated. The power dynamic in the room shifted instantly. Gun barrels, sleek and black, turned toward her.
Then her gaze landed on the glowing blue creature perched on Joshua’s shoulder. She could sense the pulse of an Energon Core radiating from it. She had never imagined Earth still harbored beings capable of interdimensional travel,
The others stared, visibly intrigued.
Dave stood tall, hands on hips, practically puffing with pride. He’d brought Shermaine back, safe and sound, and more importantly, he’d protected her and the baby.
But Judy wasn’t ready to back down. “So what if I tried to take him? I go after what I want. Always have.”
Shermaine’s expression didn’t budge. “Then go ahead. Try again.”
Judy clenched her fists. “This is your turf. You’ve got backup. If it weren’t for that thing dragging you back, you’d all be scattered by now.”
“No one’s scattering,” Joshua said, voice calm but firm. “Not now. Not ever.” Even if he’d been forced to sign whatever nonsense she called a divorce agreement, it meant nothing.
In his eyes, Shermaine was, and always would be, his wife. Even if she took him away, he would cross any world, walk through fire, fight through galaxies, to get back to her.
Molly stepped forward, eyes sharp. “Sheary, just say the word. We’ll turn them into Swiss cheese.”
But Shermaine held up a hand. “Molly, give me the gun.”
Molly arched a brow, then tossed it over without hesitation.
Joshua said, “I’ll take one too.”
Roy handed his over. “Here.”
Judy stared at them, bewildered, thinking, ‘Are they really going to kill me?‘
Shermaine leveled the gun. “I’m a much better shot with a firearm than I ever was with a bow. Didn’t you say you wanted to play? If you can dodge bullet, I’ll play with you all night.”
Joshua cocked his own gun. “And if you can’t, I’ll finish what my wife started.”
There was no mistaking it. The way they held their weapons, this wasn’t posturing. They knew exactly what they were doing.
Harry stood frozen, visibly shaking. Judy looked like she’d finally run out of options.
Then came the soft hiss of a suppressed gunshot.
Shermaine had fired, with no hesitation.
Judy flinched, but she wasn’t quick enough. The bullet tore through her arm, and the pain drained all the color from her face.
She stumbled back, clutching the wound, eyes blazing with fury. She’d never been so humiliated in her life.
And Joshua wasn’t done. His gun was up, aimed squarely between her eyes.
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Harry panicked. One more second and Joshua would pull the trigger. He couldn’t let that happen.
in a btor of movement, he grabbed something from his bag. With a sharp bang, smoke burst out.
When the fog cleared, they were gone, Judy and Harry had vanished.
They were already on the move, heading for the rooftop.
Harry spoke quickly into his communicator, “Everyone to the roof, now! We’re heading back to the Kingdom of Xyperia.”
Dave closed his eyes, searching the energy trail. “Sheary, they’re heading up.”
“They’ve still got Apocalypse and the booklet,” he growled, already sprinting for the stairs. “I’m going after them.”
Shermaine didn’t like the idea of Dave going alone. “Joshua, we’re going with him.”
Joshua kissed her forehead, calm and steady. “We’ll take the elevator.”
Outside, the sky had dimmed to a deep slate gray.
The first snowfall of the year drifted down, slow and silent.
By the time Dave reached the rooftop, Judy and Harry were already in position. Above them, a beam of violet light descended from the sky, enveloping them like a spotlight from another world.
“Hand it over!” Dave shouted, charging straight at them.
Shermaine and Joshua arrived just in time to see him tangled up in a scuffle.
Harry pulled out Apocalypse. He had already read enough of the booklet to know how to activate it. He keyed in the code, and the metal cube, no larger than a lunchbox, suddenly unfolded and expanded into a towering six–foot mech.
The hatch hissed open, pulling at the air with a force strong enough to drag them in.
Dave tried to resist, but the pull was too much. Without enough Energon, he couldn’t hold out. “Noooo!” he howled. “I don’t wanna go back to the Kingdom of Xyperia! They don’t even have fried chicken!”
Shermaine couldn’t make out what he was saying, just that Dave was being pulled away. She lunged forward instinctively and grabbed hold of his leg.
The next thing she knew, the pull seized her too. It was like being swallowed by gravity. She tried to wrench herself free, but it was useless.
Joshua never let go of her hand.
Molly and Roy stepped forward to help, but Shermaine’s voice rang out. “Stay back!”
And in the blink of an eye, the three of them, Shermaine, Joshua, and Dave, were gone, swallowed by the violet light.
AD
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Chapter 447
Kingdom of Xyperia, Year 2100.
It had been three months since Shermaine arrived.
When she was pulled into that beam of violet light, she never imagined she’d wake up in Yorksland, the most rundown, isolated corner of the Kingdom of
Xyperia.
She was over four months pregnant now, though barely showing. As long as she wore something loose–fitting, no one could tell. Within days of arriving, she’d learned how to use the local operating systems, called Qrthish, and picked up enough of the language to get by.
She and Joshua had entered the wormhole together, but somewhere along the way, a violent spatial storm had split them apart.
Where he’d landed within the Kingdom, she didn’t know.
But at least he hadn’t fallen into Judy’s hands, and that, in itself, was a relief.
Judy ruled this world. If Shermaine and Joshua had shown up together and walked straight into a fight, there would have been no question who had the upper hand.
Dave’s name hadn’t appeared on any of the bounty lists, which most likely meant he had been captured.
Shermaine didn’t doubt for a second that Joshua was already.looking for her. It was only a matter of time.
But Judy hadn’t wasted a second. She’d issued a nationwide bounty on both their heads, high enough to catch the attention of mercenaries and professional killers from across the realm.
Shermaine, however, was well–prepared. She had changed her appearance, stayed under the radar, and kept her movements tight. Even if someone did recognize her, she wasn’t worried. They wouldn’t live long enough to do anything about it.
Right now, she had no intention of running. Her priority was the child. She wanted to stay put and carry the baby to term.
And before that happened, she needed to make enough money to support them both.
In Basterel, it had been the same. No matter where she went, her fate always came back to one thing, making money.
The Kingdom of Xyperia consisted of thirty main cities, each governed by a City Lord. Beneath them were hundreds of secondary cities, classified as B or
C tier.
The level of technology here was unlike anything Earth had ever seen. It was decades, maybe centuries, ahead. Cars didn’t run on gasoline. They ran on Energon Cores, the same fuel Dave had consumed.
Even in Yorksland, considered backward by local standards, there was an extensive light rail system. And if you needed to reach the far corners of the kingdom, you could hop on a temporal train or a phasecraft. Either way, you’d arrive within two hours.
That was, if you had enough Xyperia Tokens, the universal currency used for everything from transportation to food to entertainment.
The only real threat, beyond poverty, was the war. When Xyperia went to battle, its weapons were devastating. Entire cities could be erased in seconds.
Of the thirty main cities, ten were ruled by Judy. Another eleven belonged to her older sister, Shirley.
The two women were locked in a bitter power struggle, constantly clashing over territory, each fight more violent than the last.
As if that weren’t enough, alien lifeforms routinely invaded the borders of the kingdom. They were relentless, cunning, and terrifying.
People here lived with the fear that any night could be their last that they might be eaten alive in their sleep, or torn apart by an unexpected missile
strike.
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Yorksland was one of the cities most often under siege. It sat dangerously close to an allen stronghold, separated by nothing more than a failing protective barrier.
It was, in every sense, a place that was both impoverished and constantly at risk.
Shermaine woke from a nap in her hotel room. It was already dark outside.
She stretched, yawned, and wandered into the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.
It was time to eat, then time to get to work.
Her reflection in the mirror looked different now. Her long hair had been chopped to a neat shoulder–length bob. After washing up, she applied a little makeup, popped in colored lenses, wrapped up her hair, and put on a sleek golden wig.
She barely recognized herself. The woman in the mirror looked exotic, foreign, and still, unmistakably beautiful.
She slipped into a pair of flats, headed downstairs, and had a quick nutrient meal at the hotel’s restaurant. Then she got into the hotel’s designated ride and set off for the place that paid her bills.
The car stopped outside the largest casino in Yorksland. It was the weekend, and the place was packed. Patrons came and went in a constant stream of noise and lights.
This was how Shermaine earned her living now.
In a world where she knew no one, the casino was the fastest, surest way to make money.
All she needed was one good night at the tables, and she’d have enough to breathe a little easier.
She sipped her milk and walked in, unhurried. Tomorrow was her prenatal checkup, but she still didn’t have enough money in her account to pay for it.
Healthcare in Xyperia was no joke. Most people couldn’t afford to get sick. She’d even thought about opening a small clinic of her own, but without capital, it was nothing more than a pipe dream.
And honestly, for someone like her, someone who used to call the shots and command empires, it was almost embarrassing to be this broke.
Elsewhere in the building, a casino employee caught sight of her on the surveillance feed. He cursed under his breath and picked up the phone. “Sir, she’s back again.”
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“What? Again? She’s a damn nightmare.”
To casinos, few things were worse than a gambler who actually knew what they were doing. And Boa, the alias Shermaine was using in the Kingdom of Xyperia, was one of the best they’d ever seen.
The first night she showed up, she’d walked off with a hundred thousand Xyperia Tokens. In a place like Yorksland, where people were used to scraping by, that kind of money was unheard of, equal to half a year’s salary for the average resident.
That very night, she checked herself into the most luxurious hotel in the city. Since then, every time her funds ran low, she’d return to the casino and leave with another tidy haul, always around a hundred grand, almost as if she’d calculated the maximum she could take.
If she ever got greedy, the owner was sure she could wipe them out completely.
Yorksland wasn’t exactly flooded with rich gamblers to begin with. The house barely stayed afloat.
And then there was the matter of her looks. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman anyone in Yorksland had ever seen. It drove the regulars crazy and drove the staff even crazier.
“She’s not walking out with another hundred thousand tonight,” the boss growled. “If she tries, I swear she’s not walking out at all.”
“Sir,” the staffer replied dryly, “you say that every time.”
The owner grunted, but didn’t argue. Truth was, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything. She was too damn stunning. He didn’t have the nerve to lay a finger on her.
Worse still, she didn’t even see him. She took his money without ever acknowledging his existence.
“Fine. Just… if you see her, give her a little warning. Tell her to go easy tonight.”
“Right.” The staffer rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. He liked watching her work the tables anyway. The way she sat there, eyes sharp and calm, brushing her chips forward like she owned the place, was magnetic.
He was just about to hang up when the door swung open, and trouble walked in.
Yorksland’s crown prince of sleaze had arrived. It was the city lord’s son.
Leto Sanchez had a reputation that preceded him, and not in a good way. He was notorious for his arrogance, his appetites, and his utter lack of respect for women. Forced encounters, public harassment… everyone knew his name for all the wrong reasons.
In the Kingdom of Xyperia, men were generally raised to respect women. But there were always exceptions. Leto was the worst kind.
Still, plenty of women threw themselves at him, hoping his wealth might be worth the cost.
“Sir,” the staffer said quickly, “Mr. Sanchez just walked in.”
The owner only groaned.
Meanwhile, the usual crowd had noticed Shermaine’s arrival. The room buzzed with quiet excitement. If she bet big, they followed. Because more often than not, she won. And when she won, they did too.
At that moment, she was sitting at one of the dice tables, casually stacking chips.
She bet on high. The regulars followed her lead without hesitation.
As the roll landed high, the table erupted in cheers.
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As expected, Shermaine played two more rounds, then stood, collected her winnings, and drifted off toward another game.
Her stack of chips was growing, and she stifled a yawn.
Just then, the crowd around her parted. Someone was approaching.
He was tall, thin, and walked like he owned the room. His eyes locked on Shermaine, hungry and vulgar.
Every woman he’d ever chased before faded into nothing compared to her.
He’d heard about her too, about the way she won, like magic. If he could get his hands on her, she’d be an asset, a living vault.
Shermaine didn’t even glance at him. She scooped up her winnings and turned toward the cashier. Time to wrap up the night.
But just as she stood, the man stepped closer, arm reaching out as if to stop her. “Hey, gorgeous. Where you off to in such a hurry?”
Shermaine’s body stiffened. She didn’t tolerate any men getting close, not unless they were Joshua.
The moment he leaned in, a clean slap cracked across his wrist. She stepped back, her gaze icy and direct. “Do I know you?”
Chapter 449
Shermaine had run into a few thugs since arriving, but they’d all learned the hard way not to mess with her. “You need something?”
“Damn right I do,” Leto snapped. “You think you can hit me and walk away like nothing happened?”
The Kingdom of Xyperia was nothing like Earth. Law didn’t exist to uphold justice here. Power was the only order that mattered. There were no real rules, and things like murder, theft, or arson were just part of daily life.
This was the Kingdom of Xyperia. Unlike Earth, where laws at least pretended to stand for justice, here the only rule that mattered was power. Order was maintained through force, not fairness.
In wealthier districts, there were patrols, trained forces, and robotic enforcement units.
There were no police forces, only military units, many of which deployed robots first to suppress trouble. If the robots failed, then humans stepped in.
Shermaine lifted an eyebrow, completely unfazed.
“Unless you come with me,” said Leto, eyes gleaming with confidence, “you’re not walking out of here.”
“And if I don’t?” she asked, tone flat.
“Then I’ll stop playing nice.”
Truth be told, ever since she arrived, Shermaine had been laying low for her baby’s sake. But she hadn’t forgotten how to break bones. And this guy was the exact kind of cockroach she’d been itching to step on.
Across the room, the casino employee looked on with mounting dread. He knew only the boss might be able to rein this in, but even then, it would cost
him.
Shermaine casually slid her chips into her bag. “Alright,” she said, tilting her head slightly..“Come here, then.”
Leto, thinking she’d finally caved, swaggered over. In his mind, she was just another woman to be claimed, and his father ran Yorksland. If he wanted her,
he’d have her.
But the moment he got close, Shermaine smiled faintly, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him face–first onto the gambling table. “Funny,” she said softly, “I like using force too.”
A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Attacking the city lord’s son was a one–way ticket to a prison cell if they were lucky.
Leto roared, dazed but still standing. “What are you all waiting for? Get her!”
But before his men could move, a blade was at his throat. “You want to test whether your goons are faster than my knife? Be my guest.”
Leto’s bravado collapsed. “You… you can’t do this. I’m the city lord’s son. You kill me, and they’ll hunt you down to the ends of the kingdom.”
“Then I guess I’d better make it worth the bounty.” Her patience lately had been paper–thin, and in this city, taking a life meant little. She felt no guilt.
A man like Leto, worthless and dangerous, was better off dead than allowed to prey on more women.
He could feel the killing intent coming off her in waves. His face turned ghost–white.
By the time the casino owner arrived, Leto and his bodyguards were sprawled on the floor, barely conscious. Leto, in particular, had been castrated.
Beautiful as she was, this woman was terrifying.
The owner broke out in a cold sweat. Thank God he’d always kept a clean reputation, otherwise, this could’ve been his fate.
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where’s Boar” he asked.
she she went to the restroom.”
He was stunned. She didn’t try to hide and just went to freshen up.
If the city guard showed up now, she wouldn’t even have time to escape.
In the restroom, Shermaine removed her golden wig, letting her natural red hair fall loose.
She washed her hands thoroughly, rinsing away every trace of blood. Only once she was clean did she leave, unhurried, calm, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, in Loca City, the central capital under Judy’s command, at the top floor of Eagle Assassins HQ.
Joshua stood alone, mask on, a silver pistol in his hand. The man in the executive chair was already dead.
By the time the other assassins rushed in, the scene before them left them stunned. Every one of their leader’s elite fighters lay dead at his feet. The heavy stench of blood filled the entire floor, thick as smoke.
They never imagined this monster would wipe out the entire core of their organization, and do it so effortlessly.
Joshua, unfazed, casually reloaded his gun. “Submit,” he said coolly, “or die. Your choice.”
AD
Chapter 450
Their leader and top men were gone. To draw weapons now would be pure suicide. None of them were that foolish.
A silent glance passed between them, and in the next second, they dropped their weapons and knelt without protest.
Joshua lifted his eyes with lazy indifference, tossed his gun aside, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
A blue flame flickered to life, and then the tip glowed red, pulsing faintly in the dimness.
He exuded a cold, unrelenting menace. But there was something else beneath it, an aura that didn’t quite fit the profile of a killer.
The silver–haired assassin, Zane Shaw, swallowed hard and ventured to speak. “Sir… may I ask your name?”
Joshua exhaled a thin stream of smoke. His lips were pale, his gaze distant, the very image of restrained power, sharp–edged, dangerous, and yet impossibly composed.
“Cain Reaper.”
“Mr. Reaper.” Zane inclined his head respectfully. “What would you have us do?”
“Take stock of everything, assets, operations, intel. I want it all handed over to me.” He wasn’t here to play foot soldier. He was taking the place over.
This wasn’t Earth. There were no laws, no limits. Power was its own law here, and Joshua had never been one to play by someone else’s rules. Carving out his own empire was not only possible, it was inevitable.
But none of it mattered, not really, until he found Shermaine.
He had no idea where she was or what kind of situation she was in. And with their child growing inside her, his worry gnawed at him constantly.
The thought that she might be alone, afraid, possibly in danger, left a storm brewing behind his calm facade.
“And one more thing,” he said. “Find someone for me.”
Zane looked up. “Who?”
Joshua pulled out a small, folded sketch and handed it to him.
Zane studied it for a moment, then frowned. “Isn’t this the woman on the military’s most–wanted list?”
The bounty had come directly from Judy’s command center, high–priority and high–reward.
The assassin world had been buzzing about it for weeks.
Zane glanced up again at the man before him. Even through the mask, there was something eerily familiar, features that bore an uncanny resemblance to another name on the list.
His stare must’ve lingered too long. Joshua’s gaze met his, and in that instant, Zane froze.
Those eyes, deep and glacial, were the kind that looked straight through you.
“What woman on a wanted list?” Joshua’s voice was calm but razor–sharp. “That’s my wife. I lost her. And I intend to find her.”
Zane didn’t dare press further. Whatever suspicions he had, none of it was worth dying over.
He quickly lowered his head. “Apologies. I must’ve been mistaken.”
But inwardly, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of couple would make Judy go to such extremes to capture them.
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He glanced again at the sketch. It was far more vivid than the official one circulating in the mercenary world. This version was softer, more alive, and frankly, more beautiful than any celebrity he’d ever seen.
No doubt many would be chasing that face. But he didn’t need to catch her. He only needed to follow the scent.
In truth, Shermaine had never left Yorksland that night. Instead, she’d quietly checked into a different inn, far from prying eyes. Early the next morning. she’d gone for a medical exam and only after that did she buy a ticket to another city.
The results were reassuring. The little girl in her womb was strong.
Despite being thrust into an alien world, the child was thriving inside her.
The city she chose next was one she’d always liked, mild climate, endless flowers, a softer rhythm to life. It was a Tier–B city, far more developed than Yorksland, but not too overwhelming.
One thing was immediately noticeable, though. The number of patrol bots was significantly higher.
After disembarking, Shermaine made her way calmly through the terminal. A wide–brimmed hat shielded her face. She slipped into the restroom, careful not to draw attention.
Seconds later, someone else entered behind her.
Shermaine kicked the stall door shut with one sharp motion. “You’ve been tailing me since this morning. Want to explain why?”
The woman, hair tied into two playful buns, gave a mischievous grin. “Relax, Ms. Hanks. I just came to ask if you’d be interested in joining me for the International Gambling Tournament.”
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