After punching in the code, Egbert retracted his fingers. At that moment, he noticed the girl in his arms, staring blankly at him.
Egbert arched an eyebrow and inquired, “Hmm?”
It was then that Eileen clutched at Egbert’s collar, her voice a hushed fervor as she bit his ear, demanding, “What in the world is going on here? Are you two having an affair?”
Egbert was speechless.
Frowning at the girl in his embrace, Egbert gently stroked her hair and then whispered in her ear, “It’s a deal.”
His breath was warm against her ear, making her flushed.
Egbert said nothing more. However, Eileen was full of questions, eager for more information.
Meanwhile, the leader of the rebels on the floor below received another call.
He took his smartphone to a secluded corner to talk. When he returned and exited the hotel with NightKing, the glass doors swung open and then shut.
The hotel lobby quickly reverted to a tomb-like silence.
At this point, Egbert patted Eileen on the shoulder and gestured for them to "bug out."
Together, they retraced their steps to the back staircase and ascended to the previously concealed hotel room.
Once back in the room, Eileen immediately pressed, “What’s the real deal with you and NightKing?”
Egbert remained silent, glancing at his watch before calmly suggesting, “We have three hours to rest. Wanna catch some z's?”
But sleep was the last thing on Eileen’s mind. She tugged at Egbert’s shirt, demanding, “Answer me!”
Egbert looked down at the delicate hand pulling at his shirt and covered it with his own, offering a soft reply, “You want answers, fine. But first, I need yours.”
Eileen was taken aback, “What answer?”
Egbert with a serious face, “You’ve always been peculiar about him. Why?”
Eileen faltered, withdrawing her hand to hide it behind her back.
Without a word from Egbert, he simply glanced at Eileen, then removed his jacket and sat on the bed saying, “Your inexplicable aversion to him before and your sudden protectiveness now, you’ve always been unique about him. Why?”
Eileen opened her mouth to speak, but Egbert cut her off, “Skip the excuses. The ‘he looks like a bad guy so I wanted to hit him’ or ‘his identity is too important to waste’ – I know all those aren’t the truth.”
Eileen fell silent.
Egbert made it clear she had no room to fabricate.
She couldn’t very well tell Egbert she was reborn, and that NightKing was her mentor from a past life.
If she did, Egbert would probably send her straight to the psych ward without even offering to cover the medical bills!
After pondering for a moment, Eileen finally hatched a plan and said solemnly, “Ah, you caught me. Actually, there is something between him and me.”
Egbert narrowed his eyes, “Talk.”
Eileen confessed, “He has a crush on me.”
Egbert went silent.
Egbert remained silent.
Eileen pressed on, "Then why were you guys fighting just now?"
Egbert nonchalantly replied, "It was an act."
Eileen was taken aback, "An act for who?"
Egbert shook his head, his gaze fixed on Eileen's eyes, "This is where it becomes classified."
Military secrets are, of course, not to be shared lightly.
But that explained why the fight between her mentor and Egbert ended in a few minutes, and why Egbert...Wait a second...Eileen suddenly froze.
She looked up at Egbert, her eyes wide with astonishment, "Does that mean you never really intended to kill him? So, there was no need for me to save him?"
Egbert replied calmly, "Under normal circumstances, yes. The plan was to fire the gun and shoot the projectiles simultaneously. We'd both dodge, and he'd take the chance to jump out the second-floor window. Choosing the second floor was intentional—it's a fall you can survive."
Eileen was speechless.
Numbly, she raised her hand to her mouth.
At that moment, Egbert stepped closer, gently pulling her hand away from her lips, and said slowly, "However, with you joining in, the performance was indeed much more convincing."
Egbert's gaze grew more intense.
He eyed Eileen's rosy lips, then bent down, his breath grazing her ear as he whispered, "Especially that final kiss, Ms. Lopez. You really showed some skill there, left me wanting more."
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