Chapter 261: Chapter 261: A CP Fan Ships NP
Early in the morning, Zoe Pierce arrived at the clinic specializing in Omega checkups, accompanied by several people.
Councilor Rhodes wasn’t there today. In her place was an Omega whom they didn’t recognize.
Upon seeing Zoe Pierce and her group, the Omega’s eyes lit up with delight.
She walked over. "I’m Yvonne Hughes. I’ll be in charge of recording your checkup today."
She didn’t look much older than Zoe Pierce and her companions.
Before long, she was chatting comfortably with them. "It’s just a formality. We’ll be done in two hours."
"Could you guys give me an autograph later?" She giggled. "And a photo? Then I’ll have something to brag about."
This was a refreshing change. Ever since Nathan Lockwood’s outburst at school, most Alphas had been too embarrassed to crowd around Zoe Pierce like they used to.
Plus, Zoe Pierce always left right after her classes and rarely lingered on campus, so she had been enjoying a relatively normal life lately.
It had been a long time since anyone had asked for autographs in front of her.
Zoe Pierce looked at Yvonne Hughes’s beaming face. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse, so she just smiled and nodded.
These checkups were routine for Zoe Pierce; it was just a matter of visiting a few more departments.
Miles Sherman and the others followed behind in silence, causing Yvonne Hughes’s attention to drift unconsciously in their direction.
Zoe Pierce noticed this too, but she realized Yvonne’s gaze wasn’t just on Miles Sherman. She would also stare at Zoe from time to time before breaking into a baffling smile.
It was a little unsettling.
Once inside a room accessible only to Omegas, Zoe Pierce, separated by a glass partition, could no longer hold back. "Yvonne, is there something wrong with us?"
Yvonne Hughes jumped, startled for some reason.
Then she gave a sheepish smile. "No... I just couldn’t help myself..."
Zoe Pierce still found it odd. Already suspicious about this checkup, she couldn’t ignore Yvonne’s strange behavior.
"Couldn’t help what?"
Seeing Zoe Pierce’s insistence, Yvonne Hughes finally gave in. "It’s just... You know what a ’shipper’ is, right?"
Zoe Pierce froze for a moment.
She knew the term from her time on Earth.
"It’s just... I’ve always really shipped you and Miles Sherman..." Saying this to their faces seemed to make her awkward, and she quickly added, "Don’t be mad! I just genuinely think you two are a great match."
Zoe Pierce hadn’t paid attention earlier to whether Yvonne’s gaze lingered more on Miles Sherman or on the others.
"I haven’t done anything, really." She gave another sheepish smile.
But her words lacked conviction.
In fact, she felt guilty about the whole thing.
’She wasn’t just shipping Miles Sherman and Zoe Pierce; she was shipping Zoe with *everyone*—a full-on reverse harem.’
’Honestly, who could be so cold-hearted? To see four distinct, handsome Alphas and a beautiful Omega together and not let their imagination run wild?’
’Yvonne had only seen them in holographic projections before, and even then, she was blown away by their looks. Now, seeing them in person, even though their interactions were subtle, her shipper-dar was going off like crazy, accurately sensing how much these Alphas cared for Zoe Pierce.’
’The hand that instinctively moved to shield her from a sharp corner, the eyes that followed her every move—it was enough to send her into a shipping-induced bliss.’
’And Zoe Pierce played her part, too. After every test, she would shoot the Alphas a reassuring look and a faint, gentle smile.’
’God-tier. This was absolutely god-tier shipping material.’
’Finding sweetness in the smallest details was the most intoxicating thing of all.’
Zoe Pierce was completely thrown by Yvonne’s words and had no idea how to react.
She instinctively glanced outside and met the serious expressions of the Alphas.
They couldn’t hear the conversation, but they could see Yvonne’s apologetic expression and Zoe’s stunned silence.
Seeing them look like they were about to open the door, Zoe Pierce quickly shook her head to signal that everything was fine.
When the checkup was finished, Miles Sherman and the others walked over to Zoe. "What happened?" he asked.
They still thought the two Omegas’ expressions were strange.
Zoe Pierce hesitated, glancing at the other Alphas, and decided against telling the truth. "We were just talking about... Omega things."
’She couldn’t tell them the truth.’
’Her relationships with all of them were already complicated. If what Yvonne said got out, the others would undoubtedly stir up some new drama.’
’Especially Chase Shaw.’
They could all tell Zoe was hiding something, but based on her and Yvonne’s expressions, they would never in a million years have guessed what the topic was.
Seemingly aware that Zoe had noticed her odd behavior, Yvonne was much more reserved for the remainder of the checkup.
She professionally led Zoe through the rest of the tests, keeping her eyes downcast. "The results will be ready shortly," she said. "I’ll email you a copy, and the official report will be sent to your records."
The whole process did seem perfectly normal.
No extra tests.
Zoe Pierce smiled at Yvonne. "Thank you for your help."
Yvonne waved her hand. "It’s no trouble. You all can go now."
Watching them board the hovercar, Yvonne thought nothing of it and sat down to wait for the report.
「In the surveillance room.」
A figure sat before a bank of monitors, watching the various camera feeds.
All the monitors were currently muted, but for every location Zoe Pierce and her group had just been, a red light blinked in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Proof that the audio recording system had been active the entire time.
He leaned back in a simple chair, appearing to be nothing more than an ordinary, amiable middle-aged Beta.
But as the door opened, a Beta doctor in a white coat approached him.
"Sir, all the data has been collected. We’ve also obtained a hair sample from Zoe Pierce."
Quentin Ford, who had worn a cold expression all day, finally allowed a small smile to grace his lips.
"Well done. Thank you for your hard work, Leo."
He turned his gaze to Justin Lewis, who was standing nearby. "Justin, go get everything packed."
Justin Lewis, who had been standing silently in the shadows, stepped forward and smiled at the Beta doctor.
The two of them left for a few minutes.
Justin Lewis returned, respectfully carrying a small case less than half a meter long.
"Sir, it’s all packed and ready."
Quentin Ford finally pulled his gaze away from the monitors. As he stood, his chair made a soft SCRAPING sound.
No one paid it any mind.
"Let’s head back," he said, and walked out of the surveillance room.
Justin Lewis followed close behind.
They didn’t use the main entrance, instead taking a back exit that had no cameras.
A hovercar was already waiting at the exit. After they got in, Quentin Ford gave an order. "Confirm in a moment that there are no records of our presence at the hospital."
Justin Lewis immediately responded, "Yes, sir."
He was still holding the case. Quentin Ford’s eyes lingered on it for a few extra moments.
"Deliver this to James Jarvis."
Before Justin Lewis could reply, Quentin Ford suddenly placed a hand on his arm.
Justin Lewis immediately looked up at him.
"Justin, this is too important. I don’t trust anyone else with it. I need you to deliver it personally. Do not let it out of your sight."
They were so close to their goal. Even if the final results weren’t to his liking, Quentin Ford wasn’t about to take any chances.
Justin Lewis had personally confirmed the contents, and now he would personally deliver them.
Justin Lewis looked at Quentin Ford, whose expression was completely grave. The middle-aged Beta’s tone of voice was nearly the same as always, but the aura he exuded was entirely different.
His gaze fell to the case in his hands. He said in a low voice, "Rest assured, sir. I will deliver this into Engineer Jarvis’s hands personally."
Quentin Ford removed his hand from Justin’s arm, his tone softening considerably. "I know. You’ve always been dependable. For the time being, take a vacation. Go and relax."
It was a vacation in name only. Both men understood, without a word, what the real task was.
