"As long as you kill Joshua, I won't hold you accountable for what you failed to do before." The man touched Jayleen's face, his lips curling into a smile, his voice soft and slow as he added, "And I'll grant you wealth, prosperity, and everything you desire."Jayleen clenched her hands tightly at her sides, wanting the man dead! The intense pain from earlier still lingered on her body. It was the result of the torture inflicted by this man after she failed to complete her mission and sought protection for her family. Several times during that period, she had contemplated ending her own life, but she was indignant.Why should this man be allowed to live?The man admired the madness and hatred in her eyes, his smile growing even more audacious. "You want me dead?"Jayleen's pupils trembled, and an uncontrollable chill and fear coursed through her body."That's something you can never achieve," the man said, his large palm resting on her cold, drenched face. It felt warm, bu
The next morning in Nexuria, Cynthia woke up early. She had washed and dried the clothes she had changed out of yesterday. Then, she got dressed and waited for Joshua in the living room. Half an hour later, they finished breakfast and set off together.They were heading to a real gun shooting club in Nexuria, where they needed to obtain the appropriate introduction letter and become members. Joshua had already taken care of these preparations, and by the time they arrived at the shooting club, an hour had passed.Joshua was familiar with the club's manager, who greeted him with a smile, saying, "Long time no see, Joshua.""It has indeed been a while," Joshua replied as they chatted.The manager's gaze fell on Cynthia. Joshua's eyes darkened slightly. "This is…"Cynthia interrupted and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you. I'm Cynthia Yates, a friend of Joshua's."Her intuition told her that if she did not interrupt him, Joshua would definitely say something she did not wan
Cynthia was familiar with almost all types of guns, and as she looked at the gun in her hand, that familiar feeling returned. In the end, she simply said, "No, thank you," coldly and distantly. Seeing her cold rejection, Michael did not bother her further.Aside from the two professionals standing by their side, Michael also watched closely, curious to see this cold and distant girl's expression after she lost."Five bullets will determine the winner. Let's see who can hit more bullseyes," Cynthia said, looking at Joshua."Okay," Joshua replied.He held the gun with a standard grip and aimed at the bullseye fifty meters away.Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!Five consecutive shots.Joshua hit the bullseye with all five bullets.Fifty points!The club members and Michael were not surprised by this outcome as they had seen it before. Nonetheless, they still went through the teaching process just to reinforce and follow the rules to prevent any mishaps.Joshua handed the gun to t
"Why are you so stubborn, little girl? Trust me, start with one hundred meters." Michael genuinely hoped that Cynthia could win.Cynthia remained silent, her gaze still fixed on Joshua. She was waiting for his response. If he wanted to start with one hundred meters, she would have to go along with it, one hundred meters at a time.Joshua considered it carefully and decided to tell her, "The difference between three hundred and fifty meters and fifty meters is not just about the distance. Are you sure you want to compete with me at three hundred meters directly?"Cynthia replied, "I'm sure.""Alright," Joshua agreed."Can you be a little fair?" Michael patted him on the shoulder. "Is it appropriate to bully a young girl like this?"Joshua did not say much and picked up the gun again. This was not bullying. It was him giving himself a chance."You go first." Joshua did not want to pressure Cynthia. "No need," Cynthia refused. She wanted to win against Joshua fairly. "Let's f
"Cynthia, are you interested in joining the military? I can have my dad write you a recommendation letter," Michael asked his address, genuinely interested in her, Before Cynthia could answer, Joshua approached. Then, he grabbed Michael's collar and pulled him back. "She's not joining, so don't bother her.""This is a rare shooting talent...""Say one more word, and I'll have Yosef discipline you."Michael glared at Joshua. He was always using Yosef to intimidate him. He truly lived up to being a scumbag!Cynthia stood there without moving. She was not some shooting prodigy. Her marksmanship came from firing one bullet after another.Joshua's gaze darkened. He pulled Michael back, and his deep, bottomless eyes fell on Cynthia. "When did you become so skilled in marksmanship?""I'm not obligated to answer you," Cynthia replied.However, the more she acted this way, the more curious Joshua became.Cynthia glanced at the target again and spoke directly, "Since it's a tie now
Joshua glanced at him coldly. Did this guy have a death wish?Pretending not to notice, Michael continued to wait for Cynthia's response.Cynthia did not care much about how she was addressed as long as it was not too cheesy. Hence, she accepted, "Sure."Joshua's eyes deepened suddenly. He had never called her by any nickname before."Just heard from Joshua that you two are divorced. Is that true?" Michael asked casually as if it were just casual conversation.Cynthia replied calmly, "It's true.""So, you're single now?""Yes.""Well, I'm so handsome..." Michael had yet to finish his sentence when Joshua interrupted.His chilling aura grew even stronger, and his voice was as cold as the Arctic, "Michael!""Let's eat, let's eat." Michael's eyes revealed a meaningful smile. He had figured out that Joshua was reluctant to divorce Cynthia, and maybe their earlier competition was related to their relationship.Tsk, tsk, tsk.Michael scooped a bowl of soup for Cynthia and t
Joshua was someone Alfred admired, and his anger subsided. Michael felt a sudden relief in his heart, knowing he would not be scolded anymore. "After having a meal with them, I'll go back and make sure not to delay anything."Alfred looked at Michael sternly, but he did not say anything. Michael knew that his father had agreed.Michael thought of Cynthia and immediately came to her side with a joyful smile, introducing her to Alfred, "Oh, by the way, Dad, let me introduce you to an amazing person! Earlier, Cyn had a shooting match with Joshua at 300 meters, and she hit the bullseye with a single shot!""She's incredibly talented!" Michael's face beamed with joy, genuinely happy.Alfred followed his gaze and paused momentarily when his eyes met Cynthia's. Was it her? Cynthia's gaze met his, and even though they did not say a word, they expressed everything they wanted to say to each other through their eyes."Are you eager to recruit her to your side?" Michael knew his fath
Moe glanced at the quiet Cynthia through the rearview mirror and asked, "Ms. Yates, is something bothering you?"Cynthia leaned back against the seat, rubbed her weary forehead, and replied, "No, you don't have to pretend to be my boyfriend anymore. I talked to Joshua about it last night.""Alright."Cynthia felt a bit exhausted and closed her eyes to rest. The meeting with Alfred reminded her of some distant memories.She did not belong to the military; she was just a civilian. Hence, she could return when the captain needed her and return to her everyday life when she was not needed. It had been a long time since her last mission.The car continued driving, and Moe noticed that Cynthia seemed off today. Instead of taking her to the company, he brought her back home—the home with Jonathan and Shirley. Cynthia did not say much.Upon arriving, she went upstairs to sleep. Today, only she and Jonathan were home, as Shirley had already returned to school.After handing over th