Chapter 355

The next morning, Molly joined Shermaine for breakfast at the hotel. Over coffee, she mentioned Bruce's request.

“Will this help you?” Shermaine asked.

“Yes,” Molly said bluntly. “He’ll back my bid for power.” The demand seemed suspiciously simple, but a late-night investigation had eased her doubts.

Shermaine checked her watch. “This afternoon, then. We have to fly home tomorrow.”

“Deal.” Molly clinked her coffee cup against Shermaine’s. “Thanks.”

Shermaine returned the toast with a smile.

Molly promptly called Bruce, who gave her a café address for 2 p.m. She immediately relayed the information to Shermaine, who nodded in agreement.

Breakfast continued until Roy and Joshua arrived. Roy, seemingly unfazed by last night’s rejection, slid cheerfully beside Molly. “Morning, ladies.”

“Morning,” Molly murmured into her cup.

Shermaine had only eaten about a third of her pasta. She pushed her plate aside, no longer hungry. Without a word, Joshua pulled the plate to his own place and finished it. Soon, the waiter brought the rest of Shermaine’s pre-ordered breakfast.

After they finished eating, Shermaine and Joshua went shopping, planning to bring some things home. Time passed quickly. After lunch, the afternoon meeting loomed.

Loang’s weather was unseasonably bright, with golden light gilding the old architecture. Pigeons wheeled over bustling plazas, and the streets bustled with people and traffic.

Joshua parked nearby. “Thirty minutes,” he said, his hand lingering at Shermaine’s waist.

Shermaine traced his jaw. “I’ll be quick. Stretch your legs. The square is lovely.” With that, she got out of the car.

Joshua swallowed hard, rolling down the window to track her progress to the café where Bruce waited. Bruce had arrived early and stood as Shermaine entered, pulling out her chair. Once she was seated, a waiter placed a black coffee in front of her.

Bruce studied her for a moment. After a pause, he pulled out an embroidered handkerchief from his pocket. “This belongs to you.”

Shermaine recognized it instantly. The handkerchief she had carried for years, stitched with her surname, was lost during a trip to Eskaria. She never expected the man she had saved years ago would find it, and now, he returned it to her.

Bruce exhaled. Her reaction confirmed that she was his savior. Five years had passed, but finally, he had found her again.

Shermaine took the handkerchief. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Bruce replied softly. “You saved my life. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Shermaine smiled. “Just a small kindness.”

To her, it meant little. But to Bruce, it had been the only light in the darkest chapter of his life. Before that day, no one had ever said those words to him; Shermaine was the first.

Thirty minutes passed with no sign of Shermaine. Joshua remained outwardly calm, though he lit a cigarette to steady himself. Finally, she emerged, Bruce trailing behind her.

“No need to walk me out,” Shermaine said. “My husband is waiting.”

Bruce nodded. “My offer stands.” He had sworn to repay her years ago, and he intended to keep that promise.

Shermaine turned without another word, heading toward Joshua. He took her hand, helping her into the car. “What did you discuss?”

She summarized the conversation succinctly. Joshua’s expression gave nothing away. Bruce’s gratitude was one thing, but he’d better not harbor any other intentions. So far, Bruce seemed respectful.

“You turned down his repayment?” Joshua asked.

“Essentially,” Shermaine replied.

Outside the café, Bruce exhaled smoke, his expression unreadable. Then, his phone rang. The caller’s voice was frantic. “Bruce, the lab situation is deteriorating. Containment’s failing. Many people are infected, and one escaped.”

“He’s a carrier. If the strain mutates during transmission, we’re finished!”

“Any leads on his location?” Bruce asked.

“Not yet.”

“Find him. At all costs.”

Meanwhile, in the car, Joshua’s phone buzzed. The caller’s voice carried clearly in the quiet interior, reporting that unidentified assailants had ambushed their team and rescued Kylie. “Joshua, you and your wife should be cautious. These rescuers are dangerous.” Their motives were unclear, and their identities were still untraceable.

Joshua hadn’t anticipated Kylie’s rescue. Even her family had failed to locate her. Yet these strangers had rescued her effortlessly.

“Any distinguishing features?” Shermaine asked.

The caller answered, “Black robes. Masks. Highly trained.”

“Thanks. We’ll stay alert.”

“Kylie has no threat anymore. We made sure of that. She won’t be useful for much of anything for the rest of her life.”

Elsewhere, the room around Kylie was white-walled and sterile-looking. She lay motionless on a bed, tubes snaking from her body, a ventilator hissing. Before being taken, she had endured hell. Faintly, she heard voices nearby. “She has multiple compound fractures. Her usefulness is minimal. Are you sure we should save her?”

A woman replied, her voice crisp and clinical, “Full recovery is mandatory. Even damaged goods can be repurposed. With modifications, an adequate pawn.”

“Understood.”

“Has the Crystal Sarcophagus been opened yet?”

“Not yet.”

The woman’s tone sharpened. “Make them move faster.”