Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Black Hair Tie

"..." That rendered Lily Hart speechless, but her powerful social skills kicked in instinctively. "Okay, that’s a good choice."

The two of them walked another lap around the four buildings. Lily had also built a small path and installed streetlights along the outermost perimeter.

’Anyway, she could take them all with her when the time comes.’

On the second floor of the convenience store, Roman Rowe was busy scrubbing away when he caught a glimpse of two people strolling leisurely down the path through a crack in the window.

He pressed his face against the glass, eyes wide, trying to get a better look. Good grief, it was Lily Hart and Stan Sterling! And they were talking and laughing.

His first instinct was to take a picture and send it to Frost Shaw, but for some reason, he felt a pang of bitterness.

Roman Rowe waved his hand, shaking off the feeling. He snapped several pictures with his soapy hands and fired them off to Frost Shaw.

He quickly rinsed himself off, threw on his pajamas, and had just opened the bathroom door when he saw Frost Shaw heading downstairs, his face completely devoid of expression.

"Wait, wait for me~" Roman Rowe called out, fumbling with the buttons on his pajamas and frantically waving for him to slow down.

Frost Shaw paid him no mind, storming ahead. He was already out the convenience store door by the time Roman Rowe managed to catch up, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

"With that look on your face, anyone who didn’t know better would think you were going to hack Stan Sterling to pieces!" Roman Rowe protested.

"That’s exactly what I’m going to do," he said, pulling out a gleaming kitchen cleaver. Under the streetlight, the glare flashed across Roman Rowe’s face.

Roman Rowe’s heart leaped into his throat. He quickly forced Frost’s hand down and hissed, "Hey, hey, hey! That’s enough! Don’t be rash. They’re just talking. Look at yourself. You think you can control what Boss Hart does?"

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head, snapping Frost Shaw back to his senses. He tried to explain, "That Stan Sterling is no good! What if—"

"What’s this about good people and bad people?" Lily Hart had seen the two of them scuffling from a distance and had followed the path over with Stan Sterling, just in time to hear the last sentence.

Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe froze, still locked in their struggle.

Roman Rowe had one hand clamped on Frost Shaw’s knife hand and was trying to pull him back with the other, while Frost Shaw held the cleaver in one hand, the other clenched into a fist.

The pose was rather bizarre, looking for all the world like they were in the middle of a fight.

Lily Hart’s eyes swept over them, catching a flash of white light. She frowned. "Frost Shaw? What are you going to do with that cleaver?"

"CLANG—" The cleaver fell to the ground.

Luckily, Roman Rowe dodged quickly, or it would have landed right on his foot. He shoved Frost Shaw away, yelling, "What are you trying to do, murder me?!"

As he spoke, he shot Frost a meaningful look. ’Go, go, go! Let’s get out of here. Stop making a fool of yourself.’

Frost Shaw was still in a daze. His gaze drifted past Lily Hart to Stan Sterling, who stood behind her.

He was shrouded in darkness, his silhouette blurry, yet Frost Shaw could somehow see his eyes perfectly.

They were filled with provocation.

Frost Shaw took a deep breath, bent down to pick up the cleaver, and tossed it in his hand twice.

The reflected white light danced across Roman Rowe’s face. He watched Frost Shaw with alarm and uncertainty, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.

"This cleaver is for cutting down dishonest people," Frost Shaw said, running a fingertip along the back of the blade, his eyes fixed squarely on Stan Sterling.

Lily Hart gave him a baffled look and started walking. "Alright, let’s all get to bed early."

The convenience store entrance was already very close to her RV. A few quick steps and she was back inside, closing the door and heading up to the second floor to wash up.

Meanwhile, the three men were locked in a tense standoff. Stan Sterling remained hidden in the shadows, his narrow, fox-like eyes gazing at the two opposite him.

"Move aside," Stan Sterling said.

"I’m warning you: stay away from Boss Hart and get rid of those crooked ideas of yours," Frost Shaw said, toying with the cleaver as he advanced on Stan Sterling step by step.

Roman Rowe chimed in to back him up. "Get rid of them!"

Stan Sterling wasn’t the least bit flustered. He stood his ground and sneered, "You try to control everything under the sun, but can you control Boss Hart’s heart?"

All traces of the gentle, pitiful, and fragile man he was in front of Lily Hart were gone. Now, he was a sly fox with its fangs bared.

Frost Shaw was speechless. He knew it was true—he couldn’t control her. But then—SWOOSH—the sound of something slicing through the air.

The cleaver was pressed against Stan Sterling’s fair, tender neck. Frost Shaw caught a glimpse of his skin; it was so pale it seemed to glow.

He couldn’t resist pushing the cleaver forward a little. He sharpened it every day; it was razor-sharp.

A thin red line appeared on Stan Sterling’s delicate skin. Droplets of fresh blood welled up, quickly coalescing into beads.

The bright red blood against his pale white skin only served to make Stan Sterling look even more alluring.

A bead of blood trickled past his collarbone and down, disappearing into the V-neck of his black pajamas.

Roman Rowe’s eyes followed the bead of blood until it vanished into the pajamas. He slapped his thigh. ’Damn, this kid is so calculating! He’s even wearing a deep V-neck!’

Frost Shaw noticed the little trick as well. His gaze darkened. He only had to imagine Lily Hart seeing that same view during their walk...

The mere thought was enough to make Frost Shaw’s heart burn with anxiety!

Unable to restrain himself, he pressed the cleaver a little deeper. Stan Sterling, who had been calmly observing their expressions, smiled inwardly with understanding.

"Go on. Keep going," Stan Sterling taunted.

He even took a step forward himself, pressing the cleaver in deeper. More beads of blood welled up.

He didn’t seem to care. He casually used his sleeve to wipe at the blood by his collarbone, and the movement of his arm...

...unintentionally revealed a black hair tie on his wrist. His hands were slender and strong, with well-defined knuckles.

Frost Shaw’s expression froze. In his agitation, he dropped the cleaver and lunged for the wrist wearing the black hair tie.

Stan Sterling tried to hide his hand behind his back, a rare trace of panic on his face. He blurted out, "Isn’t holding a cleaver to my neck enough for you?!"

"Shut up!" Frost Shaw snapped, grabbing both of Stan’s hands.

Frost’s hands were large enough that he could encircle both of Stan’s wrists with just one hand. The black hair tie stood out starkly against his pale skin.

Stan Sterling finally panicked, struggling desperately to pull his hands free.

Frost Shaw stared at the black hair tie and asked in a low voice, "Where did you get this?"

"..." Stan Sterling remained silent. Roman Rowe, who was helping to restrain him, pressed the question. "He asked you where you got it. Answer him!"

Stan Sterling lowered his head, his voice low but clear. "Lily Hart gave it to me."

The moment the words were out, he could clearly feel Frost Shaw’s body stiffen. The corners of Stan Sterling’s mouth curved up slightly before he quickly suppressed the smile.

He looked up, meeting Frost Shaw’s dazed eyes, and repeated, "Lily Hart gave it to me. Just now, during our walk."

’Okay, a double critical hit...’

Frost Shaw slowly released his hands. He felt a tightness in his chest, as if he couldn’t breathe, like a ton of cement was blocking his airway.

He took a step back, forgetting all about the cleaver, and stumbled back towards the convenience store in a daze, fleeing the scene in utter defeat.

Roman Rowe hurried after him, feeling miserable as well, but not before shooting one last, vicious glare at Stan Sterling.

"Heh~" The last trace of panic on Stan Sterling’s face vanished, replaced once again by his gentle, slightly broken expression.

He felt a thrill of excitement, like he had just won a major battle. He gently stroked the black hair tie on his wrist, slowly calming himself before returning to the hotel.