Chapter 406 - 288: Harsh Words
The man who made the move was young and handsome.
They didn’t know that Paige Summers only *looked* like a little girl. With two lifetimes under her belt, she was practically an old woman. There was no way she’d fall for some random pretty boy. Instead, they figured that in the apocalypse, people matured quickly. She must be at that age where she’d get a crush, so the person they sent was... unique.
The man was in his early twenties, dressed neatly. It was hard to tell if his face was natural or a Postnatal enhancement, but either way, he was exceptionally handsome and had a friendly air that instantly put the male members of Paige Summers’s team to shame.
He first pretended to be a customer, then struck up a conversation with Paige Summers while the shop owner was in the back getting something.
In truth, the moment he walked in, Paige Summers had keenly sensed he was there for her.
Since she wasn’t sure what he was after, she decided to play along and chat with him. But they had barely exchanged a few words before the owner came out and called her into the back.
Inside, Paige Summers laid out the requirements for the people she needed to hire and paid a small deposit. The owner promised to have a reply for her within three days, so she came back out, satisfied.
And just as she expected, the man was still there.
She gave a knowing smile.
The man, however, saw her smile and mistook it for genuine interest, becoming even more attentive.
As they were leaving, he even went so far as to hover his arm behind her waist.
On the surface, it was a gentleman’s courtesy. In reality, however...
The moment they stepped outside, a cloud of smoke erupted behind Paige Summers, obscuring her team. The young man seized the opportunity, trying to grab her and make a run for it.
Paige Summers understood immediately. ’They’re trying to kidnap me.’
She was done playing games. Just as she was about to act, a foot shot out even faster than her, kicking the man and sending him flying several meters away!
"Causing trouble here? You got a death wish?!"
The person shouted at the man, who was so frightened he scrambled away in a panic.
By then, her team members had reached her side.
They could have been faster, but she had just signaled for them to hold back, which was why they were a step behind.
"Are you okay?"
Paige Summers shook her head. ’Today has been way too dramatic! To think I’d be underestimated this much just because I look younger. Did they really think sending some B-list pretty boy would be enough to abduct me?’
The person who had intervened now spoke up. "Little miss, you need to be careful in a place like this!" It was a woman in her forties. Her build was... formidable. She was about three times as wide as Paige Summers, and her short hair gave her a feisty look. A real tough broad!
Right now, though, her face was full of goodwill.
Paige Summers looked at her, thanked her politely, and then asked, "Do you know that man?"
The woman’s expression turned to one of disdain. "You bet I do! That guy uses his pretty face to prey on newcomers to the city, boys and girls who don’t know any better. He tricks them and sells them off. He’s bad news! Don’t you fall for his act!"
"Is that right..." Paige Summers raised an eyebrow. She instinctively felt there was more to it than that.
Seeing Paige’s noncommittal response, the woman opened her mouth as if to say more, but then seemed to think better of it. In the end, she didn’t say anything else, just bid farewell and left.
A member of Bloodfall remarked casually, "That woman was pretty helpful."
Paige Summers just smiled. "Let’s go. It’s time to head back."
’The appearance of both of them was too coincidental. Was it a genuine chance encounter, or was it all arranged? Hard to say.’
’I’ll just have to wait and see.’
Things on their end were just a minor incident, but things weren’t so easy over on Claire Chapman’s side.
He had wanted to go straight to Leo Joyce to make things clear. ’If May Joyce doesn’t have the courage to hear my rejection, then her older brother can relay the message. Besides, I need to see what Leo Joyce’s attitude is.’
But as luck would have it, Leo Joyce wasn’t in his office. His adjutant, however, enthusiastically invited him into a car, saying he would personally take him to see Leo Joyce.
Once the car started moving, Claire Chapman took one look at the route and his heart sank.
They were heading straight for The Citadel.
’Doesn’t that mean I’m going to have to see May Joyce?!’
’Is this my karma?’ he grumbled to himself. ’If I’d known it would come to this, I never would have done it! All I did was borrow some of his troops, and I even trained them for free. I really didn’t get that great of a deal!’
But it was too late for regrets now. He could only bite the bullet.
He just hoped May Joyce wouldn’t throw a hysterical fit. He was truly terrible at handling that kind of drama.
But in life, what you fear most is often what you get...
Claire Chapman arrived at The Citadel. While he was waiting for Leo Joyce in the living room, May Joyce appeared before him like a whirlwind.
Her eyes were red-rimmed and she was out of breath. "You... you... do you have to be so final about this?"
Claire Chapman stared, dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"
"Come to my room and we’ll talk!" May Joyce said, gritting her teeth and reaching for his arm.
Claire Chapman sidestepped her grasp.
"That’s not necessary. We can say what needs to be said right here. I’m waiting for City Lord Joyce."
’Are you kidding me?!’
’A private room is a recipe for disaster, especially when Leo Joyce could walk in at any moment. I’m not about to get caught in a situation so compromising I couldn’t talk my way out of it if I had a hundred mouths!’
Tears immediately welled up in May Joyce’s eyes. She shouted, "What is that supposed to mean?!"
"How can you treat me like this!"
"You’ve been using me all along, haven’t you? Before, when you needed help, you’d sweet-talk me, using me to get an audience with my brother. Now that your base is established, you don’t need me anymore, you don’t need Southreach anymore, so you think you can just give me the cold shoulder and avoid me!"
A woman in the throes of jealousy and anger often loses all reason, saying whatever is most hateful. This was especially true for someone like May Joyce—the City Lord’s sister, who had always been pampered and never had to suffer. But it was also possible that, deep down, she had truly believed these things for some time...
However, her words did succeed in completely extinguishing the last flicker of guilt Claire Chapman felt toward her.
It was true he had used her, deliberately affecting a gentle demeanor. But he had never crossed the line or given her any false hope. It was just that when they first met, May Joyce had been in a difficult position, and so she had unconsciously magnified his "kindness."
When she truly developed feelings for him and returned to the safety of Southreach, that was when she grew dissatisfied, feeling his attitude toward her wasn’t enthusiastic enough.
In reality, Claire Chapman had only ever feigned gentleness; he had never feigned affection.
The moment the words were out, May Joyce knew she had misspoken. She froze for a moment, a look of regret flashing across her face. Forgetting to cry, she began to stammer, trying to take it back.
"I... I didn’t mean that. I meant, we..."
"Let’s leave it at that."
Claire Chapman cut her off, his face calm but his tone absolute.
As the long-standing Captain of Bloodfall and one of Central City’s top High-level Superpower Users, his voice naturally carried an imposing weight when he lowered it. He gave May Joyce a single, indifferent glance, then sat back down on the sofa and ignored her completely, as if he were the only person in the room.
May Joyce’s lips quivered, but she couldn’t force a single word out.
She knew in her heart that if she left now, it would be well and truly over between her and Claire Chapman. But if she stayed, she had no idea how she could possibly explain herself. For a moment, she was completely at a loss.
Just then, Leo Joyce walked in.