Drake Chwe hurriedly went down from the rooftop, impatiently staring at the floor number in the elevator as he descended, eager to personally meet Eleanor."Cedric did well at protecting her," he muttered to himself."Pardon?" Aunt Ling asked from behind Drake, accompanied by security guards."He looked beaten up, but Eleanor looked fine," Drake said, recalling the image that flashed in his mind due to his tribute. He vividly remembered Eleanor and Cedric sitting in the mall's park, with Eleanor physically unharmed while Cedric's face was a mess."You already saw them?" Aunt Ling asked, feeling puzzled by Drake's statement. She avoided looking directly at Drake's empty eye socket, noticing the dried blood on his cheeks."Nevermind," Drake responded, tapping the floor impatiently as they approached ground level. He prepared to sprint out of the elevator, but Aunt Ling stopped him."What?" he yelled, irritated."S-sir, Eleanor might get scared if she sees you looking like that," Aunt Li
Drake Chwe's throat dried as he couldn't believe what was happening. The health potion, renowned for its ability to heal almost anything, couldn't improve his sister's health at all. It seemed to have no effect whatsoever."What's going on? Why isn't anything taking effect?" he trembled, his voice filled with desperation.He was relieved that his purchase limit had been restored even before the reset, thanks to his offering of a tribute. But the purchase limit wasn't the problem anymore. No matter how much he purchased, no matter how many times he tried, Eleanor's illness remained unchanged."Weak lungs, weak immune system, weak heart—what's going on?" he muttered as the system assessed his sister's state. The system couldn't pinpoint the cause of her illness but it could detail all the effects it had on her body."This isn't a curse, but what is this? What did those bastards do?" he said, frustration evident in his tone.Drake felt like he had hit rock bottom again.He felt like he w
Eleanor Chwe continued to feign illness, her guilt mounting as she heard her brother sob. She heard him desperately want her illness to vanish, especially as she felt like her brother was nearing breaking point. However, a call from White strengthened her resolve to maintain her act, using her illness to keep her brother away from further trouble."Where are you going?" Eleanor weakly tugged at her brother's clothes as she felt Drake moving away from her side."Oh, Ely, you're awake. How do you feel?" Drake asked, his worry evident as he gently patted her pale skin to check her temperature."Where are you going?" Eleanor repeated. She hadn't heard the entirety of the conversation, but she had caught Drake mentioning Sundial and Zack while she was faking sleep. It led her to assume that Drake was heading out to deal with something dangerous once again."I'm just going to check something at work. I'll be out just for a moment," Drake assured her with a smile, though he knew he was lying
Drake's eyes didn't waver, even as Eleanor's gaze locked onto his, and he didn't flinch when she asked why Lucille suddenly hated him."It's a misunderstanding, Ely. She's certainly angry right now, but she doesn't hate me," Drake confidently stated, believing that once he brought Marianne to Lucille and explained everything, it would all be fixed."Are you sure it's just a misunderstanding?" Eleanor pressed."Of course. So, can you allow me to go catch her?" Drake asked, considering dealing with Lucille's issue quickly so he could take the time to fix other things. But, to his surprise, Eleanor continued to cling to him."Of course. I'll stick with you," she said."Stick with me?" he asked, surprised by her determination."Yes. Don't tell me you're going to leave me again. I thought you promised," Eleanor pouted."I did, but..." Drake hesitated, contemplating how he could show Eleanor his brutal side, as he planned to confront Marianne in front of Lucille to make amends."Why? Is the
Drake wasted no time, immediately summoning a maid to stay with Eleanor in her room. He carefully moved her hands away from him and instructed Cedric to beef up security around her while he was away."Let's gather everyone for a meeting," Drake said as he settled into his car."When do you want it scheduled?" Attorney Lunes replied, stifling a yawn. He sat beside Drake, unable to conceal his annoyance at being roused from sleep.The Royal Eleanor Hotel boasted a five-star rating, a perk Attorney Lunes enjoyed as Drake’s employee. However, he despised the expectation of being on call regardless of the hour or his own activities."Now," Drake insisted, motioning for his driver to hasten their departure."At this hour?" Attorney Lunes protested, checking the time on the car's dashboard."What's the matter?" Drake inquired brazenly, though he knew it was unusual to summon one's team at 2 a.m. He endeavored to treat his employees well, understanding the challenges of toxic work environment
The meeting concluded once they assigned each member's role while Drake was away. They couldn't delve into the finer details, as Drake needed to hurry before Eleanor discovered his absence."Are you absolutely sure about this?" Attorney Lunes inquired as they returned to the hotel together."Why? Can't I trust you?" Drake replied."I mean, what's so urgent that you need to leave the country immediately?" Lunes questioned. From his perspective, Drake was steadily ascending in status in Magrao, so he was puzzled by the sudden departure."Just because," Drake reluctantly responded. "Don't worry too much. It's not like I'll lose contact with all of you. You'll need to report to me daily.""That's the exhausting part," Lunes groaned."Just fulfill your duties," Drake said with a smile, patting Attorney Lunes on the shoulder before entering first."Drake! Where did you go?" Eleanor's voice rang out as she rushed toward him."Oh, you're up early," Drake awkwardly remarked, caught off guard.
Drake and Eleanor sat together for breakfast, surprisingly calm despite their earlier argument. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the table.Eleanor poured herself a cup of coffee, taking a sip before glancing at Drake. "You agreed that Sophia would be my maid?" she asked, her tone softening.Drake nodded, stirring his tea. "Sophia? Cedric's sister, right?""Yeah," Eleanor confirmed."Do as you wish. There's nothing urgent happening in Jamila anyway," Drake shrugged.They ate in silence for a while, the clinking of utensils being the only sound. Despite their differences, they fell into a comfortable rhythm, each lost in their own thoughts.Finally, Drake broke the silence. "So, are you all packed up?"Eleanor set down her fork, replying, "I'm ready to go. We can leave now if you want."Drake smiled, relieved to see Eleanor excited. However, his expression quickly turned serious as the tool he accessed from his system before its suspension ale
With Eleanor safely asleep inside their barrier-covered car, Drake leaped out, his gun poised and ready.Zanjo White emerged from the other vehicle, his expression contorted in fury as he aimed his own weapon at Drake."You'll regret taking advantage of me, Drake," Zanjo spat, his voice laced with venom.Drake remained calm, his focus solely on Zanjo."What did she say to him?” he said as he wondered why Natasha Ling's words seemed to have fueled Zanjo's anger further. Glancing at his system screen, Drake noted that Natasha Ling had been added to his meter."I bet you're not aware yet and just thought of me as a random person with a tribute system," he casually said to Natasha Ling."What?" Natasha responded, but Zanjo stood between them, his eyes narrowed and his finger tightening on the trigger. "Don't ignore me," he growled."Oh, sorry. I'm desperate to save my sister; that's why I did that. You know how it feels when you lose a sibling, right?" Drake said, returning his attention