This Time, I'll Be the Villain's Favorite Daughter novel Chapter 357

Chapter 357 I’m Not a Coward

That would be a terrible business deal.

“I know.”

With the serious matters finished, Maya’s attention began wandering.

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She stood up and looked around the office. The more she looked, the more she felt Iris had a point.

There were heavy blackout curtains, harsh white ceiling lights, and mountains of paperwork. The whole place looked exactly like the lair of some horrifying monster.

Taking advantage of the pause in conversation, Maya walked to the window. She grabbed a corner of the curtain. Without hesitation, she yanked it open.

Sunlight flooded into the room.

It lit up the desk that was buried under paperwork and several empty coffee cups on the side table. Ned’s face immediately crumpled in pain as the light struck him.

“Uncle Ned, why does your office look like the hideout of some creature that fears sunlight?” Maya asked, turning around.

Seriously. Why does his office look exactly like the secret headquarters of a cartoon villain?

Ned raised a hand to shield his eyes. The sunlight slipping through his fingers made him sink another inch into the chair.

His black shirt made his skin look almost translucent. His naturally attractive features were twisted into a squint under the bright light. He narrowed his eyes and answered, “Because… after spending so many years as a creature of the shadows, I don’t really want people seeing me anymore.”

The number of people who wanted him dead probably wasn’t much smaller than the number who wanted Somalie dead.

“If you never get sunlight, you’ll grow mold.” Maya used to keep her curtains tightly shut as well.

But every time she came home, her mother would open them all again, claiming that her bedding needed sunlight.

“I smell nice,” Ned replied, rejecting the accusation with a trace of stubborn dignity.

Maya chose not to pursue that topic.

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13:04 Mon, Jul 13

Chapter 357 I’m Not a Coward

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Instead, she remembered something else and switched topics.

“Oh, right. You got rid of some of our coworkers recently. Everyone has been wondering why.”

Ned’s expression changed for a split second. A trace of coldness flashed through his eyes before exhaustion buried it again.

“Those useless subordinates are always bothering me with stupid problems.”

He muttered complaints for quite a while, pressing his fingers against his temple. His voice dropped lower, as if he were talking to himself.

“Someone set fire to one of our weapons depots recently. After investigating, we found out an insider had been bribed. Just identifying the mole took two weeks. And then there was the idiot who sent internal organization documents out as part of a resume because he wanted to change jobs.”

Ned sneered in disbelief. Leaning back, his expression turned icy. “Trying to leave an assassin organization is one thing, but using classified documents as job application materials?”

The level of stupidity was almost impressive.

No wonder that idiot could become an assassin.

Then again, people with normal brains generally didn’t become assassins.

Ned had been exposed to so much stupidity that he couldn’t even get angry anymore.

At that time, he’d simply smiled gently and nodded.

As for the resignation paperwork, he’d personally processed it out of the goodness of his heart.

Afterward, he’d personally arranged that idiot’s burial.

Ned held his head. Every movement radiated exhausted irritation.

Anyone who worked long enough eventually lost a little bit of their sanity.

Ned was no exception. Those idiots had pushed him far beyond his limit.

His desire to see every last one of them dead had become alarmingly strong.

Once upon a time, Ned had been one of the few genuinely normal people in the family.

He liked joking around with children. He sympathized with people. He was sociable and always gathering friends around him, carrying a touch of youthful innocence.

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13:04 Mon, Jul 13

Chapter 357 I’m Not a Coward

Now, he could go an entire day without speaking a single word.

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Occasionally, chatting with his niece was one of the few social activities left in his life.

After several seconds of silence, he looked up. His tone returned to normal. “Did I scare you?”

Maya shook her head. “No. I’m not a coward.

“Oh, right. Could you restore this month’s perfect–attendance bonus for Iris and me?” She pressed her palms together in a prayer pose, looking exactly like someone making a lucky draw. Her eyes were wide and earnest. “Please. Be a little kinder to underage assassins who are still attending school.”

Looking at her over–the–top pleading routine, Ned wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be annoyed. “Why do you always bother me with things like this? Doesn’t your brother give you money?”

“That’s completely different,” Maya said. “This is my salary. I’ve earned it. You should respect the fruits of people’s labor.

“After all, I’m just an ordinary citizen. A random extra. A perfectly normal person-”

“Alright, alright.” Ned interrupted her chant. The last traces of his gloomy mood vanished completely. “I’ll add it for you.”

He reached over and casually ruffled her hair. Her airy bangs immediately collapsed. “Now go have fun.”

That was the common move used by every adult man in their family when dealing with children.

Maya tugged at her flattened bangs. “Okay.”

Come to think of it, every direct male relative in the family had their head designated as fair game for her.

Except Ned.

For years, he had remained a somewhat distant elder lingering at the edge of the family. His emotions were steady, his presence moderate, and he had never been close enough to make the list of people she felt free to mess with.

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13:04 Mon, Jul 13

This Time, I’ll Be the Villain’s Favorite Daughter