Chapter 490
Time flew by when there was work to be done, and before they knew it, the top-twenty tournament had arrived.
From fifty contestants down to twenty—this round would eliminate thirty people.
While Simon lacked the skill to take down Joshua despite having the motivation, he proved more effective once Bronx pointed out which contestants were aligned with Shirley. Forming alliances with others, Simon managed to eliminate several of Shirley’s people in one fell swoop.
By the time the dust settled on the top twenty, only two of Shirley’s faction remained. When the competition narrowed further from twenty to ten, Barrett stood alone as her last ally.
Shermaine naturally secured her spot in the top ten. For someone of her caliber, this level of competition posed no real challenge.
While the pressure mounted for everyone else as the rounds progressed, nothing changed for her. She breezed through each match effortlessly, dispatching opponents without breaking a sweat.
Once she’d wrapped up another easy victory, she headed back to tinker with her fighter jets.
The next stage of the competition–the final ten–would take place once they reached Baykeep.
From those ten, only three would advance, and those final three would face off in one last battle. The winner would claim the title of Baykeep’s new city lord.
Over the past two weeks, Gracie had grown even more adorable, her skin taking on a healthy, porcelain glow. Joshua had been the one caring for her most of the time during this period.
The moon hung full and bright in the night sky. Shermaine still hadn’t returned to their room.
After Joshua got Gracie settled for the night and left her in Jasmine’s care, he headed downstairs to find her.
With additional assistance, the modifications to the fighter jet were advancing rapidly.
Most of the structural changes were nearly complete, and now Shermaine was wrestling with the central control system.
All the modified components needed to sync with the main controls, but the connection sensors kept glitching out.
Anyone walking into the hangar would be absolutely stunned by what they’d see.
The jets were nothing short of magnificent–one gleaming in black and gold, the other a striking crimson red. One embodied the power of a dragon, the other the grace of a phoenix.
Joshua stepped into the lift and spotted Shermaine inside the red fighter jet. As he entered the cockpit, warmth enveloped him–a stark contrast to the freezing warehouse outside.
Shermaine was curled up in a chair, fast asleep and looking completely at peace. The sight made Joshua shake his head with exasperated amusement.
He slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, and perhaps feeling a bit fed up with her stubbornness–since she was clearly exhausted but still refused to go back–he gave her upturned bottom a light tap.
That little smack was enough to wake her up.
Shermaine’s eyes fluttered open, still drowsy. “You’re here.”
“If I hadn’t come, were you planning to sleep here all night?”
Shermaine burrowed into Joshua’s embrace, resting her head against his shoulder. “I’m almost done with this. I want to get the remaining issues resolved before we arrive at Baykeep.”
“What’s the rush?” Joshua wasn’t feeling any urgency at all.
“Once we reach Baykeep, Mr. York, you’ll undoubtedly become the most formidable adversary there. And it’s not like Noah Cruise Ship where things are easier to control–who knows, Judy might find out you’re there and send an entire army after you.”
Shermaine hadn’t forgotten that Judy had her sights set on her man. “Once I finish modifying these fighter jets, I can give her the beating she deserves.”
Joshua chuckled, “Just so you can give her a proper beating, Sheary’s really going all out–working overtime every few days. Is it even worth it?”
Shermaine paused for a moment, mentally calculating the implications. ‘He’s right. After all, staying up late can age a person, and I haven’t been taking proper care of my skin these past few days.‘
She glanced at the time. ‘Oh wow, it’s so late already, and I haven’t even showered yet.‘
Shermaine seemed like she wanted to say something more, but Joshua cut in, “Besides, Sheary, you’ve been neglecting me for way too long.” Hearing the complaint in his voice, Shermaine laughed and said, “Alright then, should I head upstairs and give you some attention?”
“No need to go upstairs,” he replied. “Right here works just fine.”