Chapter 331: Chapter 228: Dominant
Upon arriving at Silvanus Base, Paige Summers felt so exhausted that she couldn’t be bothered to utter a single word.
Sean Raines, understanding her poor condition, arranged a room and urged her to rest. He told her that Marcus Monroe and his team had arrived and that he would handle the explanations.
Paige Summers nodded. With no energy to spare for anything else, she entered the room and collapsed onto the bed.
’So incredibly tired.’
’Sheldon Reid is dead. The man I considered my enemy is finally dead!’
’From now on, no one will be relentlessly pursuing me, hanging over my head like a sword, forcing me to be constantly vigilant, forcing me to plot and scheme... I should be happy about this.’
’But I can’t bring myself to smile at all.’
’Andy and Nadia are still missing, and Marcus... he’s become so cold and indifferent.’
A bitter expression crossed Paige Summers’s face as she buried it in the bedsheets.
’Andy and Nadia... Sheldon Reid’s men said they escaped. Marcus didn’t comment, but I’m inclined to believe it’s true.’
’Those two grew up in harsh environments. They’re both shrewd survivors with their own tricks for staying alive. Since Sheldon Reid didn’t intend to kill them at first, they would have had no reason to provoke him and should have been traveling with his group. But now they’re gone, so they must have escaped.’
’As long as they got out, we’ll find them eventually.’
’Marcus’s situation, though... is completely different.’
’It would probably be better if he just had amnesia. At least then, I could stay by his side. I wouldn’t even mind telling him everything from the very beginning, bit by bit! It’s better than this... where he remembers everything and can recount it all, but without a single shred of emotion!’
The moment she thought about his recent behavior, Paige Summers felt as if someone had her heart in their hand, squeezing and toying with it at will.
It wasn’t just the pain. There was also a sense of helpless confusion, of not knowing where to even begin.
’When it comes to romance, I really don’t have any experience.’
’In two lifetimes, Marcus Monroe is the only man I’ve ever loved.’
’And I wasn’t even the one who pursued him. It started with him treating me so, so well, and before I knew it, my heart was captured. Then we just... naturally got together.’
Paige Summers managed to roll over, staring up at the ceiling.
’So, is it my turn to take the initiative now? To win back that love?’
A moment later, she let out a self-deprecating laugh.
’I’m overthinking this!’
’The way Marcus is now, he probably doesn’t even need me to approach him. In his eyes, I’m probably not even as reliable as the members of his Orange Team!’
’What a completely awful thought!’
She let out a silent sigh. ’But no matter what, I have to try!’
As she lay there, lost in thought, she assumed she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but her body was simply too exhausted. The slight backlash she’d suffered while transferring energy to Marcus Monroe hadn’t been serious, and she had taken medicine for it, but it wouldn’t heal so quickly. In the end, she drifted off to sleep.
When she woke, the room was still silent. For a moment, she was disoriented, with no sense of what day or time it was.
But the reality of her situation quickly came flooding back.
She took a deep breath and sprang out of bed.
’My body seems to be fine now.’
’Even though I’m no longer being tempered by goodwill energy, my body has already formed an optimal circulatory system. In terms of recovery, I’m still stronger than other Superpower Users.’
As her physical strength returned, she felt her confidence flooding back as well!
’So I have to take the initiative. What’s so scary about that?’
’Marcus put so much effort into this relationship. Why can’t I do the same when it’s my turn?!’
’Haven’t I given him the cold shoulder before?’
’Wasn’t he upset back then?’
’Besides, this current situation isn’t even his fault!’
’So, not only do I have to save our relationship, I also have to help him recover the emotions he’s lost!’
Having made her decision, she suddenly felt a great weight lift from her shoulders.
’Right. Backing down just isn’t in my nature!’
After quickly freshening up, she pushed the door open and stepped out.
"What are you doing here?!" Seeing Sean Raines leaning against her doorframe, her heart sank. "What happened?"
Sean Raines straightened up abruptly and gave her a small smile. "Good news." He didn’t beat around the bush. "We’ve found my junior sister and the others!"
Paige Summers was overjoyed. "Really? Where are they? We’ll go right now!"
But Sean Raines shook his head. "They’re just a little injured, but with Andy there, it’s not a problem. The news came from some people in Jovitas. They’ve already sent them to rendezvous with my junior brother and your people from Bloodfall. They’ll be escorted back, so you don’t have to worry."
Paige Summers let out a huge sigh of relief.
’That’s right. Now I really don’t have to worry.’
She didn’t know what Sean Raines’s junior brother was like, but the person leading the search party from Bloodfall was Brother Young. He was cautious and experienced, with considerable prestige on the team. With him there, their group should be able to reach Central City safely.
"That’s great..." A smile finally broke through on Paige Summers’s face.
Sean Raines pursed his lips. "But there’s one more thing... and it might be bad news."
"What is it?"
He shrugged. "I’d love to tell you, but unfortunately, I don’t know the specifics. You’ll have to ask the one inside." He jerked his chin toward the room next to Paige’s.
Paige Summers realized at once that he must mean Marcus Monroe.
She hesitated for a second, but then said, "I’ll go ask him right now!"
"That’s what I was waiting to hear. Go on."
Paige Summers’s lip twitched. Ignoring Sean Raines, whose face was practically screaming, ’I want to know, I really, really want to know,’ she walked straight to Marcus Monroe’s door and knocked.
"Come in," a voice responded from inside almost immediately.
Paige Summers took a breath and walked inside.
Marcus Monroe was sitting at a table, seemingly lost in thought.
Unsurprisingly, his face was cold. Paige maintained a neutral tone and said softly, "I heard that Andy and Erin Quinn are safe and on their way back. Thank you for making sure they’re okay."
"You heard?" Marcus Monroe tapped his finger on the tabletop, tilting his head up slightly. "From that guy outside?"
Paige Summers froze for a second, then nodded.
’I couldn’t help but remember what Sean Raines said.’
’He said that getting close to me could provoke Marcus. Does that mean he hasn’t completely lost his emotions?’
’But why do I still sense nothing but silence from him?’
Just then, Marcus Monroe suddenly stood up and walked over to her.
The distance between them closed in an instant, leaving them mere inches apart.
Paige Summers, looking up at him, could feel his breath on her cheek, making her heart pound.
’This felt so strange.’
’This was Marcus, the man I knew better than anyone. But this aggressive attitude, so different from the Marcus of the past, made it feel like I was facing a complete stranger.’
Paige Summers felt as if her mind had been split in two.
One part of her wanted to get closer to him, to hug the man she knew. But the other part, faced with this stranger, had the urge to throw a punch!
’Throw a punch?!’
She thought it was just a passing notion, but when Marcus Monroe used his height advantage to look down on her, reaching out with a flippant, almost mocking gesture to grip her chin... Paige Summers’s fist didn’t even have time to consult with her brain about a more tactful approach. It just flew.
