Chapter 368 - 260: Insomnia
Paige Summers didn’t say a word, but she lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye, her gaze clearly asking, ’Do you think you’re being normal right now?’
Marcus Monroe met her gaze, and a sudden ache shot through his heart.
’She doesn’t know anything!’
’She has no idea how desperate he was to find out about her the moment he returned, or how worried he became after discovering her enemy’s identity. She doesn’t know that he went against Black S’s objections just to take on this matter himself!’
’She has no idea what kind of hell he went through after she left him in Norgate!’
’At first, he’d thought she was just a woman. If she wanted to leave, fine. If they were breaking up, so be it. There was no point in her staying if her heart wasn’t in it. It felt bad, sure, but wasn’t that how anyone would feel after suddenly losing a pet they’d had for a long time?’
’It was nothing!’
’But while he could force his mind to be rational during the day, he had no control over his dreams at night.’
He hadn’t slept a single peaceful night since the day she left.
Every night, he dreamed of her, of their past together.
It was like a documentary series, playing out in endless episodes.
He even dreamed of trivial, long-forgotten moments he couldn’t consciously recall... It happened every single night, endlessly, without fail.
After going so long without proper rest, how could he *not* have a temper? How could he *not* be volatile? Just seeing that unfamiliar look in her eyes made him want to smash everything in sight!
As these thoughts consumed him, a reddish hue slowly crept into his eyes.
Paige Summers sensed the change immediately. Her heart skipped a beat. After a few seconds of hesitation, she reached out her hand.
Just as her fingers were about to touch his stubbled chin, he violently seized her wrist.
Thinking he had discovered something, she froze, not daring to move.
Marcus Monroe, however, pulled her hand and pressed it against his cheek.
A moment later, he forced his eyes open one last time. His mouth moved, but before he could utter a single word, he collapsed sideways onto the sofa.
Paige Summers breathed a sigh of relief.
A moment later, she couldn’t help but check his pulse.
Even with her amateurish skills, she could tell his body was in a severe deficit. He seemed utterly overworked and exhausted...
’Didn’t he return to the city with the Central Army?’
’Or did something else happen on the way?’
She wanted to ask Levi Young to take a look at him, but after his frantic display just now, she felt too ashamed to ask.
As she hesitated, there was a knock on the front door.
The man Paige Summers let in was one of Marcus Monroe’s subordinates—the same slightly older man from before. Though normally composed, the sight of his boss lying unconscious on the sofa instantly put him on high alert.
Paige Summers held up a hand. "I just put him to sleep for a bit. He’s not in danger. But his physical condition is terrible. What happened to him?"
Seeing Marcus Monroe sleeping somewhat peacefully, the man sighed internally. ’It hasn’t been easy.’ He knew his boss had been suffering from insomnia for the past couple of days. An idea sparked in his mind. He put on a pained but stoic expression and said, mixing truth with fiction, "He’s been suffering from terrible insomnia. He hasn’t slept in days, but he didn’t want to worry anyone, so he kept it to himself. He hasn’t even taken any medicine..."
’So that’s what it was.’
Paige Summers nodded in understanding, completely accepting his explanation.
A pang of sympathy welled up in her chest.
’That was just like Marcus Monroe. No matter how much he changed, his core nature was the same. He’d rather tackle a thorny problem himself than bother anyone else.’
’But insomnia is a serious problem, especially for a Superpower User.’
’The energy within a Superpower User isn’t just a source of strength; it’s a double-edged sword. When your mind and body are strong enough to control it, it serves you. But when either your mental or physical state is severely compromised, that energy can become dangerously unstable...’
And Marcus Monroe was teetering on that very edge.
Paige Summers suddenly turned to the man. "But you knew, didn’t you? Why didn’t you try to talk to him?"
"I wanted to, but he has to be willing to listen! You’ve seen for yourself—his temper is pretty volatile right now."
’Volatile is an understatement... This can’t continue!’
As Paige Summers was lost in thought, the man added, "It looks like he won’t be waking up anytime soon. Since our business here is done, I’ll take him back."
"Back where?"
"It’s not very safe outside right now, so it’s best to return to Jovitas. Don’t worry, he has a private suite there."
Paige Summers nodded, then said, "Alright. Wait a moment, I’ll go with you. But my friends are still here. Could you have your men take charge of security here for now?"
The man suppressed a surge of excitement and joy, replying in a solemn voice, "No problem!"
Paige Summers went back to the room to get Ben settled again, then she forced herself to look up at Levi Young. "I’m so sorry about all this..."
Levi Young wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault, but the words wouldn’t come out. It was a complicated feeling. Logically, he knew she had done nothing wrong; she had no obligation to explain her on-again, off-again relationship with Marcus Monroe to him. Emotionally, however, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been deceived.
So, he could only remain silent.
Paige Summers sighed. "I don’t know what to say. What’s between him and me... it can’t be explained in a sentence or two. I know you must be furious with him, and I’m not trying to make excuses for him, but he really is suffering from insomnia. His physical condition is awful, and it’s severely affecting his mood. I need to take him back now, which will probably take a couple of days. Can you promise me something? That you’ll stay here and be safe until I get back?"
After a long moment, Levi Young nodded.
’This... is for the best.’
’He needed some time to sort out the tangled thoughts in his own head, anyway.’
Paige Summers let out a relieved breath. "I’ll be back as soon as I can."
The party returning to Jovitas consisted only of Paige Summers, the sleeping Marcus Monroe, and two of his subordinates. Everyone else was ordered to stay behind and guard Paige’s residence.
Before long, an inconspicuous SUV carrying the four of them arrived at a private parking garage in Jovitas.
Paige Summers had called Sean Raines on the way. Fortunately, he had just finished up with his work and was free. He arrived shortly after they did.
Sean Raines was the expert when it came to regulating the body’s condition.
Paige Summers and Sean Raines were led to the top floor of Jovitas. They used private passages that only a select few had access to, so the journey was completely quiet.
Just as the man had said, the top floor was a suite.
The large doors at the top of the staircase opened into a living room that was well over a hundred square meters.
The decor was pure Jovitas—the height of luxury. Bas-reliefs, oil paintings, white stone pillars, gold fixtures, and gemstones filled the space, evoking the decorative style of medieval Europe.
Having seen far more extravagant displays in her past life, Paige Summers wasn’t impressed. She had no interest in any of it, giving the room a single glance and treating the opulent decor as if it were nothing more than blank walls.
Sean Raines, on the other hand, was secretly blown away. ’Holy cow, where did they even find all this stuff? I’ll never understand the world of the ultra-rich! If you traded all this for Crystal Cores, you could probably fill half the room!’
Of course, on the surface, he maintained a relatively calm expression.
This earned him a silent, convoluted compliment from the man leading the way. ’As expected of the boss’s woman’s friend! Truly out of the ordinary! I just hope his medical skills are as impressive!’