Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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The first rays of sunlight spilled across the window. On the bed, Zina’s eyelashes fluttered, and after a few seconds, she opened her eyes, a bit dazed as she stared at the sunlight streaming in through the window.
Her head still felt groggy. Zina shook it, trying to chase away the tangled thoughts in her mind, and only then did she slowly sit up.
Half an hour later, a car pulled away from Lambert Villa and headed straight for the outskirts of Jorvellan.
Meanwhile, inside the Base, Chris stood with his whole body tense, shooting a cold look around at everyone. His gaze finally settled, taking on a steadier, more composed edge.
“You all know what Boss is like. If this mess isn’t handled by the end of today, you’re on your own,” he said.
His voice was icy, and everyone around him immediately dropped their heads, not daring to even look up at him.
From the crowd, someone suddenly spoke up.
“Mr. Yeast, it’s really not all our fault this time. Those guys from Springvale aren’t your average bodyguards. They’re obviously trained mercenaries. It’s only natural we slipped up for a moment…”
Chris’s eyes went ice–cold. “Didn’t the Base teach you that if you cause trouble, you take responsibility for it instead of making excuses? Who just said that? Step outside and accept your punishment.”
“Mr. Yeast…”
A young man stepped out from the crowd, head hanging low and looking like he’d seen a ghost. He looked up, about to explain himself.
But Chris’s face only turned even colder, and the guy swallowed his words, giving up on trying to explain.
Just as he was about to step outside to face his punishment, a crisp voice called out from outside the door.
“What is going on here?”
As the voice fell, a fair, delicate hand pushed open the door, and a charming face peeked in from outside.
17
Zina took in the scene, her brows knitting together as her voice took on a much sharper edge.
“No arguing in the Base. Have you all forgotten the rules?”
“Boss!” Chris hurried over, practically wagging his tail, eyes shining as he looked at Zina.
But when he caught sight of Zina’s icy face, Chris quickly checked himself and rushed to explain, “It was just a minor dispute. I was scolding them about the last mission.”
Zina knew exactly what the last mission was. She turned her head slightly to glance at Chris, took a deep breath, and continued.
“And then?”
“And then you walked in,” Chris said, giving a sheepish scratch to his head and sneaking a look at Zina.
Seeing Zina lower her gaze in thought and ignore him, Chris felt a bit disappointed.
The next moment, her voice sounded clearly in his ears again.
“Alright, let bygones be bygones. There are other things to handle now. The rest of you can leave. Chris, stay.”
As soon as Zina finished speaking, the people in the center of the room looked at each other, then resignedly walked out.
The room quickly emptied, leaving only Zina and Chris inside.
Only then did Zina turn to Chris. “I want you to go over everyone in the Base again, and make sure you check thoroughly.”
“Boss, are you worried the Base isn’t safe?”
“Not really. It’s just that since I got back, we haven’t done a full sweep of the Base. Might as well take this chance to see if anything’s been overlooked.”
Zina’s gaze stayed calm, but Chris got the message and nodded solemnly.
Zina sat back down in the main seat, her lowered lashes hiding the thoughts in her eyes. Her voice seemed to drift in from far away.
“How’s Jacob been these past few days? If you can make good use of him, he’ll be a real asset to you in the future.”
At the mention of Jacob, Chris’s expression turned hard to read. After a long pause, he sighed and said slowly, “He’s useful, but he doesn’t really like to follow orders.”
Chris didn’t even want to think about how many times he’d been outsmarted by Jacob. The guy was not only skilled but also a smooth talker, and sometimes Chris just felt helpless.
Seeing Chris like that, Zina could tell something was up. She stood up again. “Let’s go check on him.”
In the dorm, Jacob had just lain down and barely had a chance to rest when a sudden knock sounded at the door. He sprang up from the bed in a flash.
But when he opened the door and saw who was standing outside, Jacob was stunned.
“Boss?”
“Yeah.” Zina wore a faint, gentle smile. Her eyes quickly scanned Jacob up and down before settling on him again. “I want you working by my side from now on. What do you say?”
“Me?” Jacob blurted out, his eyes going wide as he stared at Zina in utter disbelief.
“And then you walked in,” Chris said, giving a sheepish scratch to his head and sneaking a look at Zina.
Seeing Zina lower her gaze in thought and ignore him, Chris felt a bit disappointed.
The next moment, her voice sounded clearly in his ears again.
“Alright, let bygones be bygones. There are other things to handle now. The rest of you can leave. Chris, stay.”
As soon as Zina finished speaking, the people in the center of the room looked at each other, then resignedly walked out.
The room quickly emptied, leaving only Zina and Chris inside.
Only then did Zina turn to Chris. “I want you to go over everyone in the Base again, and make sure you check thoroughly.”
“Boss, are you worried the Base isn’t safe?”
“Not really. It’s just that since I got back, we haven’t done a full sweep of the Base. Might as well take this chance to see if anything’s been overlooked.”
Zina’s gaze stayed calm, but Chris got the message and nodded solemnly.
Zina sat back down in the main seat, her lowered lashes hiding the thoughts in her eyes. Her voice seemed to drift in from far away.
“How’s Jacob been these past few days? If you can make good use of him, he’ll be a real asset to you in the future.”
At the mention of Jacob, Chris’s expression turned hard to read. After a long pause, he sighed and said slowly, “He’s useful, but he doesn’t really like to follow orders.”
Chris didn’t even want to think about how many times he’d been outsmarted by Jacob. The guy was not only skilled but also a smooth talker, and sometimes Chris just felt helpless.
Seeing Chris like that, Zina could tell something was up. She stood up again. “Let’s go check on him.”
In the dorm, Jacob had just lain down and barely had a chance to rest when a sudden knock sounded at the door. He sprang up from the bed in a flash.
But when he opened the door and saw who was standing outside, Jacob was stunned.
“Boss?”
“Yeah.” Zina wore a faint, gentle smile. Her eyes quickly scanned Jacob up and down before settling on him again. “I want you working by my side from now on. What do you say?”
“Me?” Jacob blurted out, his eyes going wide as he stared at Zina in utter disbelief,
“Next time, before you do something like this, can you tell me in advance?” Tobias’s words were both an order and a plea.
Kaia frowned, feeling the other person’s heartache, and reached out to pat Tobias on the back.
“Okay,” she said.
Tobias felt much better after receiving Kaia’s comfort.
He then asked, “How did you end up like this?”
Kaia hesitated, “I……”
“Tell me the truth.” Tobias stared at Kaia, his eyes fixed on her.
Kaia found it hard to make up an excuse when facing a man like him.
She blurted out the truth. “Well, that’s the way things are. I took Gideon’s money to kill myself.”
Tobias was filled with doubt. “Are you with the SR Alliance?
“Don’t tell me you’re not. Even if you aren’t, your relationship with the SR Alliance is not a simple one. The person who fought Joel to a draw in the hospital that day was Jack, SR Alliance’s top fighter. Whoever can have Jack follow him is no ordinary person.”
Kaia thought, ‘This man is indeed smart.‘
She said calmly, “I am not with the SR Alliance, but as you analyzed, my relationship with the SR Alliance is indeed not a simple one. That’s all I can tell you.”
Kaia did not tell Tobias about Wilson’s identity, not because she didn’t trust him, but because Wilson’s identity was extraordinary.
The SR Alliance undertook missions throughout the year, offending people worldwide. So, the fewer people who knew Wilson’s identity, the safer it would be.
Tobias nodded. “Okay, I won’t ask any more questions.”
He probably guessed it. “I want to know what you plan to do next. Gideon is not to be trifled with. Aren’t you afraid he will come after you for scamming him out of three billion dollars?”
Kaia smiled confidently, “He wouldn’t dare.”
“Are you so sure?” Tobias was curious, wondering what the basis of her confidence was.
Kaia was firm. “If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.”
Kaia didn’t say anything, and Tobias didn’t ask.
“Can you take care of it? It pains me to see you dressed like this.” Tobias knew that Kaia’s injuries were fake, but he still couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
For a split second, Jacob seriously wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him.
But Zina just stayed perfectly calm, giving him a gentle smile and a nod.
Jacob thumped his own chest in shock, his foot slipping so he nearly toppled over.
The ache spreading from his chest made Jacob realize that everything just now was actually real.
“I’m willing! I’m willing!” he blurted out, his voice full of sincerity.
Seeing how earnest Jacob looked, Chris just curled his lip in mild annoyance.
His fingers, which had been hanging at his sides, suddenly clenched into fists. Chris turned away, refusing to spare Jacob another glance.
But Zina nodded in satisfaction, clearly not planning to leave. Chris could only trail after her, head drooping, looking thoroughly downcast.
Zina spent a long time talking with Jacob, and even when she finally left, she looked like she still had more to
say.
After walking for quite a while, Zina suddenly realized that Chris, who usually followed right behind her, was nowhere in sight.
She turned to look back and saw Chris still standing at the dorm doorway, head hanging low, looking utterly crushed.
Zina frowned in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Boss… Am I just totally useless sometimes?” Chris asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked eyes filled with sadness.
up,
his
It was a look Zina had never seen on him before.
Zina was taken aback, but Chris just kept rambling, almost talking to himself. “I must’ve been messing things up lately. That’s why you’re looking for someone else. Boss, I swear I’ll work on my efficiency from now on. Please don’t replace me, okay?”
Zina was genuinely stunned. “I never said I was going to replace you. What’s wrong with you?”
“I thought… I thought…” Chris bit his lip, his voice trembling a little.
Even though he didn’t finish, Zina glanced back at the dorm and suddenly understood. A faint smile appeared on her face.
“You misunderstood. I just need someone to keep an eye on Springvale, so I reached out to Jacob to see if he’s got what it takes. As for you, of course you’re staying with me. There’s an art exhibition in a couple of days, and I’ll need you there.”
“Seriously?” Chris’s eyes sparkled, all his gloom vanishing in an instant.
Kaia nodded. “Okay, I’ll go wash up now.”
After Kaia entered the bathroom, Tobias turned back to Joel, who was about to leave, and called out to him.
He asked, “You seem to care about her a lot?”
Joel pretended to be calm and replied, “My job is to protect her. Caring about her is within the scope of my duties.”
“But judging by the way you looked just now, it seems she is very important to you. Did you know each other before?” Tobias’s eyes were deep, filled with a wise light.
Joel replied without a second thought, “No, we didn’t.”
Tobias didn’t buy it. “Are
you sure?”
Joel swore, “Mr. Moreno, I swear, I, Frank Hester, have never met Miss Bennett before! If I were lying, I would go to hell.”
Joel thought to himself, ‘Anyway, I’m not Frank Hester, and the real Frank Hester doesn’t know Kaia.
Tobias stared at Joel intently before finally saying, “You can go now.”
“Yes, Mr. Moreno.” Joel turned and left, breathing a sigh of relief with his back to Tobias.
He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Did I get away with it just now? But why did I feel like Tobias didn’t believe me? But if he didn’t believe me, why would he let me leave so easily?‘
Kaia, who was taking a shower, was unaware of what had happened between Tobias and Joel. And by the time she finished her shower, more than half an hour had passed.
After quickly drying her hair, she dragged her tired body to the bed, pulled back the blanket, and immediately sat up, looking at Tobias in the blanket with surprise.
She nearly screamed, “Why are you in my bed?”
“Protecting you,” Tobias said in a matter–of–fact tone.
Kaia twitched the corner of her mouth speechlessly. “No need, thank you. It’s late. You can go back.”
Tobias continued to lie in bed as if he hadn’t heard.
Although Tobias’s previous performance moved Kaia, she couldn’t dedicate herself just because of that.
She said coolly, “Hey, Tobias, if you don’t leave, I will.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll go.” Tobias lifted the blanket and sat up.
Kaia wondered, ‘He’s not wearing clothes?‘
After Kaia noticed that, she quickly reached out and covered Tobias with the blanket again.
…
Zina just shook her head helplessly and led Chris toward the car.
…
Tobias hooked the corner of his mouth slightly, his eyebrows and eyes curling up with laughter.
He teased, “Are you reluctant to see me leave?”
Kaia really wanted to kick Tobias off. “Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”
“Who said I wasn’t wearing any? I’m wearing them on my lower half. Believe it or not, see for yourself.” As Tobias spoke, he reached out to lift the blanket for Kaia to see.
Kaia had only seen that Tobias’s upper body was bare, and the blanket blocked his lower body, so she didn’t know whether he was wearing them or not.
What if he isn’t wearing them? What if he is deliberately letting me see?‘ she wondered.
Kaia didn’t want to gamble, so she quickly reached out and pressed down on Tobias’s restless hand.
“You want to hold my hand? You should have said so earlier.”
As he spoke, Tobias took Kaia’s hand in his palm.
His hand was large and wide, and his palm was thick. Kaia’s hand was soft and slender, wrapped in the large palm, tightly and completely embedded inside.
Kaia tried to pull it out, but couldn’t.
She snapped, “Let go.”
Instead of letting go, Tobias fell onto the bed with Kaia.
With a pull, he brought Kaia into his arms.
