"Lady Summers, you should take it. Everything's under control right now," Alistair suggested.Xena stepped aside and answered the video call. "Grandpa, what—"She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening in shock as the screen showed not Curtis, but a short elderly man with dark spots all over his face."Lady Summers, it's an honor to finally meet you," the man said, instantly triggering Xena's anxiety."You're Sonny Balcom!" she exclaimed.Indeed, this was Sonny, ranked second-to-last among the Thirteen Aces in the Super S-rank wanted criminals list, and the creator of Bloom Seeds. When Sonny's name was mentioned, Alistair rushed over and immediately recognized Sonny too."Well, well, Lady Summers seems to have quite a memory of us Thirteen Aces, recognizing me so quickly." Sonny chuckled.Forcing herself to stay calm, Xena exchanged a glance with Alistair, who quickly left. She asked, "What do you want, Sonny?""Oh, nothing much—just want to play a game!" Sonny smiled. "Since
"You recognized him quickly! Yes, it's your boyfriend Felix. I'm not wrong, am I? This guy solved my Bloom Seeds, and you took care of him for quite a while. Can you really say there's nothing between you?" Sonny taunted.Xena's mind went blank. That explained why Felix's phone was unreachable. Sonny had kidnapped him, too.She demanded, "What are you trying to pull here?"Sonny stepped in front of Curtis, giving her a smug look. "I told you, it's just a game. Now, let's start. Watch closely, Lady Summers."After removing Curtis' gag, Sonny asked, "Should I kill you or him? One of you must die while the other lives." Curtis remained calm, glancing at Felix before responding, "Kill me. I'm old and have lived long enough." Then, he turned to the phone camera. "Xena, live a good life with Felix—he's someone worth trusting."Xena screamed hysterically, tears streaming down her face, but she was helpless to do anything."Well done, Mr. Summers Senior. Such noble thoughts—no wonder y
Nevertheless, Alistair understood Xena's emotional state. When one's family was involved, all rationalities seemed to go down the drain. Hence, he decided to wait for another opportunity to share his thoughts.…Felix went to Yardley Dining for his four-hour training session the next morning. He noticed Vivian wanting to say something and said, "Am I that scary? Just tell me what's on your mind." Vivian nodded and explained, "The Martial Alliance asked me to visit them. I'm not sure if it's related to Andrei's situation."After some thought, Felix responded, "Then, go. Don't let Dragon Alliance appear weak."When Felix returned home, he found both the gate and the front door wide open, as if someone had broken in. Rushing inside, he was puzzled to find Xena sitting in the living room, her face ashen as if something serious had happened."Xena, what brings you here?" Felix asked.Xena stood up and examined him with ice-cold eyes. "Keep acting! Everything ended safely, and now, y
Felix's face darkened with concern. He pressed, "Ryan, are you sure you want to take responsibility for what you said?"After a pause on the other end, Ryan replied, "Nothing happened, so what do you want me to say? This is ridiculous!" Then, the line went dead, prompting Xena to let out a cold laugh. "Can't even find someone to back you up. Felix, I finally understand everything now. You're a failure as a person, but at least you can brag about fooling the Warlady once," Xena said before walking away.Her understanding of "everything" meant she believed Felix's rescue of those dozen kids was just an act to impress her. None of this would have happened if she had not been so moved by that moment. Especially since Felix admitted that saving those children would not have cost him his life—he would only lose his fighting abilities. Then again, none of that mattered. Any fool would know it was worth trading combat skills for Xena's affection. After all, being known as the Warlad
Of course, there had always been people who cared about nothing, like Madam Spring, who poisoned Curtis with Phantom Poison. As a lone wolf with only revenge on her mind, she did not care about the consequences or who was involved.However, those with families or organizations had to be more careful. When the government stepped in, everyone involved would pay the price, and they could not just offer up a scapegoat to make it all go away. Still, these were just Felix's theories. Whether the Elders' Council had other reasons for keeping him and Xena apart remained a mystery for now."Mr. Zeller, I can see you're a reasonable man," Ryan said. "I really wanted to help you, but my hands were tied! I even told my grandfather about your true identity, but he still insisted I lie."Felix suddenly chuckled. "Let me guess—he said something like 'Dr. Hoffman is a legendary master healer who saves lives. He wouldn't wipe out an entire family, so the choice is obvious,' right?"Ryan's awkward
Without her trench coat, Michelle stood there in a black bodysuit with fishnet stockings and straps that created an alluring yet tastefully suggestive appearance."Michelle, what are you doing?" Felix asked helplessly, but Michelle walked toward him with a blush spreading across her face."Felix, I... I like you, and I don't know how else to express my gratitude. This is all I can offer."Michelle was undeniably attractive, and most men would have lost control by now. But Felix, having seen his fair share of beauty, found her merely average in comparison. Besides, even if she were stunning, he could never act on it—she was family to Karina, after all. "Don't do this, Michelle. I really only see you as a sister. Please put your clothes back on," Felix said as he reached for a robe, but Michelle suddenly lunged at him. Felix's brows furrowed. Even without his fighting abilities, his body was still far superior to an ordinary person's. He should have been able to dodge that predict
Felix looked surprised. "You know about Madam Spring?""Only by reputation. She's an old-school troublemaker you don't want to mess with. Good luck with that—I got what I came for, so I'm out," Averill replied, but as she stood up, she sensed something wrong and quickly turned to Felix. "Damn it! She was carrying poison!"Though Averill was not a medical expert, her heightened abilities allowed her to detect it. The fact that it took over a minute to notice meant this was no ordinary toxin.Sure enough, Felix was now grinning at her lustfully. "Averill, you like me, right? I'm feeling really hot and bothered right now." As Felix grabbed her and started kissing her wildly, Averill felt conflicted. "Stop it, Felix. You're poisoned! Try to fight it and see if you can neutralize it yourself."The woman's seductive entrance made the poison's purpose clear. When Felix looked up, Averill noticed his eyes were already bloodshot."What poison? Come on, Averill. Didn't you want to play la
"You'll do it instead?" Averill sized up Zara, silently musing to herself. While Zara was a little ugly, Averill figured all that mattered was if she could save Felix's life. If Zara hadn't shown up, Averill would have done it, even though she cherished her own first time. After all, Felix's life was the most important.However, she had to admit Felix's charm. Zara might not be much to look at, but she was still a woman. Since she volunteered herself, it meant she was at least somewhat willing. What other reason could there be?"Don't get the wrong idea. I-I'm not suggesting anything like that!" Zara stammered, waving her hands as Averill stared at her. She figured that she'd gotten the wrong impression."What do you mean?""I mean, I have a special acupuncture technique that can remove the poison in Felix's body. However, I'd need you to get that other woman out of here first. The poison's coming from her, and if I try to block it, I won't be able to concentrate on the treatment