Donald quickly realized the problem with their plan as he stared at Ronald's unconscious body. What was he supposed to do with Ronald's body? It seemed to be breathing, but Ronald hadn't exactly left instructions on how to take care of it. Well, Donald couldn't blame him since they had to be careful with what they said. They couldn't know who was listening.The fact that Ronald could even tell them the conditions for his power without getting caught was a miracle. Scratching at his head, Donald could only make sure Ronald's body was comfortable as he waited for him to return. Now that he was by himself, his mind wandered to his family. It had been so long since they had last seen or talked to each other.He could still remember what they looked like and what their voices sounded like, but a part of him feared he wouldn't get another chance to see or hear them. So much time had passed, and the dark part of his mind told him that they were probably dead if they were in the city. He trie

Nicole could tell something was up. Even though they hadn't discussed it in detail, she was under the impression that Ronald and Donald would remain in their room until their return. However, they both showed up after Cynthia arrived to check up on them. Her instincts were screaming at her that something was wrong and that she should be prepared for anything.She wanted to ask the two men what happened, but she couldn't when Cynthia was right there. Nicole would have to somehow find a way to speak with them in a place where they wouldn't be overheard. For now, she had to get Patricia on board so she wouldn't be caught off guard when Nicole made her move. Fortunately, Cynthia was giving them the perfect opportunity.Cynthia stopped in front of the showers and said, "I'll wait outside with some new clothes. Please be quick."The two women nodded before stepping inside. However, instead of being quick about it, they made sure to take the time to scrub the smell out. Neither of them could

Donald was actually surprised that his words had been so effective. He would have thought the man would keep pushing at them until they eventually broke him down or were forced to make a choice. It was hard to figure Arthur out. Luckily, he wasn't alone. With Nicole at his side, he was hoping they could get out of the mess in one piece."The deal I'm proposing is that we can act as hired help," Nicole said. "We want your independence. That's all we're asking for."Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You're not doing a good job convincing me. I already have plenty of people working for me. What makes you so special that I should hire you as mercenaries instead of having you join my group or outright killing you?"The way Arthur talked about killing them so nonchalantly made Donald gulp in fear, but Nicole pushed forward despite the threat. "You are enemies with the group we're currently affiliated with. We can help you out before going our separate ways. We have information you can use.""Still

Donald wanted to complain. Why did the boss have to be so strong? It felt like he was fighting against a mountain. Now he was at the man's mercy and was a hostage to keep Nicole in check. If she made one wrong move, it was the end of the road for him. Glancing in her direction, he could see a scowl stretched across her face. He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't with Arthur pinning him down."I'll admit that it was a nice warm up, but I think it's time to end things here." Turning his attention away from Nicole to focus on Donald, Arthur said, "Name."It was obvious what the man wanted. Despite how they had literally fought seconds ago, the man still wanted to force them to be part of his group. He must have been impressed with their powers. Even though Donald didn't want to give his name, he had no choice unless he was willing to die."I'm Donald..." he started.However, he didn't get the chance to finish as a message suddenly appeared before his eyes, cutting him off. He wasn't th

Donald couldn't believe how quickly things had turned. They had the upper hand literally seconds earlier. How did this happen? He didn't even have a chance to react, and now Nicole was being held hostage. Uncertain what to do, he could only watch warily with the books cradled in his arms. He needed to keep calm and access the situation.For now, it looked like Arthur wasn't going to kill her. If he was, he would have already done so. Instead, the man was keeping her pinned in a position that prevented the duo from fighting back. She couldn't probably hit him with her arm twisted, and she was barely able to breathe properly with the arm around her throat. Donald couldn't attack him without going through her first."I'll give you one more chance to change your mind. Joing my group," Arthur said calmly, as if he wasn't choking someone.Something was strange was the only thought in Donald's mind after hearing Arthur's words. Why would he insist on giving them a chance again when they made