The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 418

Valerie buzzed with excitement. "We'll just look from a distance, we won't get close!"

Before Nora could even suggest it was a bad idea, Valerie was already dragging her toward the spot where she had seen Michael.

"Where exactly did you spot him?"

Since she was already being pulled along, Nora decided not to ruin Valerie's fun.

Valerie was a die-hard fan, but she was rational. She wouldn't do anything crazy, so Nora wasn't worried about causing a scene.

"Over by the emergency exit. I bet he took the stairs to avoid the crowd getting a look at him."

"I saw him heading upstairs."

Valerie and Nora took the emergency stairs up one level. Before long, they spotted a small group of men.

The man walking at the back had a tall, striking posture, his aura immediately setting him apart from the crowd.

"That's him!"

Valerie was desperate to scream but terrified of startling him. She clamped a hand over her mouth and excitedly whispered right into Nora's ear, "Michael!"

"That back! That head shape! I would never mistake him for anyone else, it's him!"

"That's Michael!"

No matter how hard Nora looked, the man just seemed slightly taller than average.

She really couldn't comprehend how Valerie could definitively identify Michael based entirely on the back of his head.

"Looks like it's a private outing."

Nora scanned the group.

The men surrounding Michael looked like security personnel.

Quinn wasn't with them, and their pace was casual, like they were in no rush.

"Definitely."

Valerie was practically vibrating with joy. Once she calmed down slightly, she started whipping her head around like a Secret Service agent on high alert.

"So, are we going to keep shopping, or are we heading back?"

Valerie linked arms with Nora, beaming. "Keep shopping, obviously! Seeing Michael was incredible, but retail therapy provides maximum emotional value!"

Nora gave her an amused look but didn't argue.

They spent another half hour roaming the mall. Nora couldn't resist picking up a few things herself, and eventually, they walked out of the main entrance loaded with shopping bags.

"That was so satisfying."

Valerie practically skipped out the doors, completely abandoning her polished TV host persona.

"Nora, next time we should—"

Before Valerie could finish her sentence, a dark figure plummeted from the sky and slammed into the pavement right in front of the mall with a sickening crunch.

After a split second of dead silence, pure, terrified screams ripped through the air.

"Someone jumped!"