恶霸鲁尼 奖学金

[ At Stephen\'s Place… ]

Aiden was running in the hallway, heading to Phantomflake\'s ward. Stephen and Cherry were both inside, watching over Phantomflake. The two were patiently waiting for Phantomflake to open her eyes again.

According to Stephen\'s father, Dr. Zhou, Phantomflake\'s condition was improving each day. She became more stable than ever before. But he couldn\'t tell precisely when Phantomflake would regain her consciousness.

BAM!

Aiden pushed the door open and entered the room, catching Cherry and Stephen\'s attention.

Stephen: "Aiden? What\'s wrong?"

Cherry: "What are you doing here?"

The two spoke in unison, wondering why Aiden came rushing to the room. He was even panting, a sign that he ran so fast just to get there.

"Have you heard the news? Nathan left the Sparks Mansion together with Ethan and Abigail. Chairman Xu couldn\'t find them." Aiden spoke exasperatedly, informing the two.

Stephen and Cherry exchanged glances with one another. This was the first time they heard about this. Nathan and Abigail didn\'t mention anything.

"Chairman Xu collapsed because of stress!" he added.

"What? Uncle Xu collapsed?! How did you find out? Where is he?" Worries and concerns resurfaced in Stephen\'s eyes. He assumed that Nathan and Old Man Xu fought and had some arguments.

"Butler Li called me. He asked me if I knew where to find their Master Nathan." Aiden stepped forward, moving closer to Cherry. Aside from searching for Nathan, he came there to see her.

"Hmm. I think he is just faking it. Uncle Xu is very healthy. He won\'t collapse so easily." Stephen finally calmed down. He could guess that Old Man Xu was pretending to be sick so that Nathan would visit him together with his grandson, Ethan.

"Eh? What if he is not faking it? We have to tell Nathan about this. Do you agree, Cherry?" Aiden turned to Cherry, asking for her support.

Cherry could only shrug her shoulders. She didn\'t want to get involved with this.

"Fine. I will try contacting Nathan." Stephen picked up his phone.

"I already tried. But he is not answering." Aiden informed him.

Stephen sighed deeply. He mused to himself why Nathan left the Sparks Mansion together with Ethan and Abigail.

"Let\'s wait. I think Nathan will drop by and visit Jane today." Stephen patted Aiden\'s shoulder.

Aiden bobbed his head, feeling a little bit relieved.

"I will just contact my father and confirm whether Uncle Xu is really sick. Besides, my Dad is their family doctor. He will know for sure if Uncle Xu is just faking it."

When Stephen left, Cherry and Aiden got their privacy.

"Cherry, are you free tonight? Let\'s go out! I\'ll treat you to dinner," Aiden invited her. A few days ago, Cherry finally agreed to give Aiden a chance to get to know her better.

"I\'m sorry. But I can\'t leave her side. I\'m still waiting for her to wake up." Cherry glanced at Phantoflake with her hopeful eyes.

The enthusiasm and excitement in Aiden\'s eyes disappeared when Cherry rejected his dinner invitation.

"Okay. I understand." Aiden looked at Phantomflake and heaved a deep sigh. \'Why do I feel like this woman is my greatest rival when it comes to Cherry\'s attention? Sigh.\'

Cherry noticed Aiden\'s dejected expression. She didn\'t mean to disappoint him. It\'s just that she wanted to be there once Phantomflake woke up. She didn\'t want Phantomflake to freak out once she woke up without seeing a familiar face.

She had to be there to let her know she was alive… that someone survived that night aside from her. Cherry didn\'t want Phantomflake to blame herself and feel sorry for the deaths of their fallen comrades.

"Aiden…" Cherry called his name, making Aiden look at her.

"Yes?" There was a hint of anticipation in Aiden\'s eyes. It was seldom for Cherry to call his name like that.

"This woman lying in this bed… is very important to me. I can risk my life for her… She is my only friend, my mentor… my sister. I won\'t be at ease without seeing her waking up. I missed her a lot." Cherry began to express her feelings to Aiden. She tried to open up with him.

Aiden became conflicted when he heard that. The woman lying in that bed whom Cherry considered her sister was the same woman his best friend Nathan hated. Cherry wanted to protect Phantomflake, yet his best friend, Nathan, wanted to get his revenge and punish Phantomflake for killing his beloved woman, Monica. What would be his stand on this?

Aiden was aware that Cherry had no idea about Nathan\'s real identity as the Supreme Leader of the Syphiruz Mafia. His very own best friend was the one who attacked Phantom Assassin Guild and killed her comrades. He wondered how Cherry would react once she found out the truth.

\'She will hate us for sure…\' Aiden thought to himself. \'I don\'t want her to hate me.\' he clenched his fists.

"I will do my best… to protect both of you," Aiden suddenly blurted out.

Cherry was taken aback for a moment. She looked at him with amusement. She wanted to laugh but she stopped when she saw Aiden\'s serious expression. Those were not empty words. He meant it.

When Cherry recovered, she immediately punched Aiden\'s shoulder.

"Ouch!" Aiden winced as he rubbed his shoulder.

Cherry let out a soft giggle and said, "Became stronger than me first, if you really want to protect us. You are still weak, Engr. Wu. How will you be able to protect my friend and me?" Cherry teased him just to lighten his mood. She wasn\'t used to seeing Aiden getting so serious.

Without a second thought, Aiden grabbed Cherry\'s shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. "I can be your shield. I will take the bullet for you. And don\'t worry… I am working on it already. I will be stronger than you…"

Cherry was caught off guard by his words and actions. \'Is he really serious about this? Why is he willing to do this for me?\' Cherry refused to believe it.

Cherry slightly pushed him away as her heart began to pound rapidly inside her chest. She didn\'t want Aiden to notice that her heart was running wild.

"Don\'t just say it. Show it to me…\' Cherry challenged him.

Aiden bobbed his head frantically. "I will!"

Aiden made up his mind. He would try to stop Nathan from hurting Cherry and Phantomflake. Mr. Playboy hadn\'t realized it yet but he was falling deeper into her with each passing day. He had never felt this before. He was never so protective of a woman. Despite the fact Cherry was a strong woman, Aiden still felt the need to protect her.

*****

[ At Country M Black Market… ]

Jack and the Dragon Lord traced the location of the necklace he gave to Abigail. Upon reaching the location, they were surprised to see a store selling different spying devices and weapons.

Alexander motioned Jack to start his interrogation with the Shop Owner. They couldn\'t be wrong. The signal coming from the necklace was coming from that shop.

The Shop Owner entertained them, thinking that they were there to buy something.

"Boss, what do you need? We sell here the best spying devices in the country!" The shop owner flexed on them.

Jack showed him the seal of the Red Dragon Mafia. The owner was stunned when he saw it. The Red Dragon Mafia was also known in this country. They were as strong as the Syphiruz Mafia.

\'What are the members of the Red Dragon Mafia doing here? Are they going to sabotage the Syphiruz Mafia? I can sense a big war…\' The Shop Owner smiled at them, hiding his anxiousness.

"There is something we want to know. Have you seen this necklace?" Jack showed the picture of Abigail\'s necklace.

The Shop Owner\'s eyes widened as he recognized the item immediately. His expression alone already gave away the truth. He had seen the necklace for sure!

Jack immediately grabbed the shop owner\'s collar as he pressured him to confess. "Why do you have this necklace?"

Fear engulfed the shop owner\'s face when Jack became aggressive. The guards inside the shop already pointed their guns at Jack and Alexander. The two men remained calm and unbothered.

"Tell them to drop their guns, or else, I will blow your head right here and right now." Jack threatened the shop owner.

The shop owner obediently followed Jack\'s command, telling his men to drop their guns. He couldn\'t afford to offend them. They were members of the infamous Red Dragon Mafiia. Since the man was holding the organization\'s seal, it only meant they were high-ranking members.

"Boss. Don\'t misunderstand. I didn\'t know that you owned the necklace. Someone sold this to me!"

"Who sold you this necklace?" Jack asked him again.

"A woman! A woman sold this to me in exchange for several weapons and spying devices."

Jack and Alexander exchanged glances with one another. Perhaps, Abigail was the one who sold the necklace.

Alexander already stepped in. He grabbed his phone and showed the shop owner Abigail\'s photo.

"Is she the one who sold the necklace to you?" Alexander was frowning.

The Shop Owner nodded his head vigorously as he answered Alexander. "Yes, Boss! That\'s her! She was the one who sold this necklace to me. Did she steal the necklace from you? You should catch her. This is not our fault. She was the one who brought the necklace here in exchange for those devices and weapons."

Alexander: "..."

Jack: "..."

Abigail sold the necklace! How dare she?!