The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 847

Payton was Paulina Cheney's last living relative. Having already lost her master, Leilani absolutely refused to lose the only family Paulina had left.

If she couldn't even protect the person her master cherished most, how could she ever face her in the next life?

Because of this, when it came to Payton's safety, Leilani refused to yield a single inch.

"I am not as useless as you think," Payton stated flatly. "And you can rest easy. Even as a blind amputee, I won't hold you back."

He spoke of his severe disabilities with a blunt indifference that made Leilani's chest tight.

Payton wasn't finished. He tilted his head, gesturing slightly toward Abel, who had been standing beside him like an immovable iron fortress this entire time. "Besides, I have Abel."

"Abel will be solely responsible for my safety. On top of that, my practical knowledge of that jungle is vastly superior to whatever map or data packet you're holding. I give you my word: I will not be a burden to the team."

"I've never once thought of you as a burden!" Leilani's brows were knotted so tightly they ached. It had never crossed her mind that he would be dead weight.

She was simply terrified for him. Payton's safety was infinitely more important than the mission itself.

The two of them went back and forth, both digging their heels in, both fiercely convinced they were right. Neither was willing to take a step back.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense as the stalemate dragged on.

Payton frowned, the slight warmth that had entered his eyes vanishing. "So... you're saying you agree with Leilani? You don't want me to go with you either?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. Since neither of you is willing to compromise, why don't you hear me out? I have a middle ground."

Callahan extended a long, elegant finger and tapped a specific point on the hand-drawn map spread across the bamboo table. He laid out his plan methodically.

"The truth is, the most dangerous part of this journey isn't the initial trek through the wilderness. It's the final destination marked on the map."

The coordinates etched into Paulina Cheney's pendant led straight into territories controlled by highly dangerous local syndicates.