Chapter 177 - 111: The Engagement (Part 2)

Catching him here would be much harder than in the apartment buildings of the Fourth District.

’He must have given Nora Lowell and her people some of the data in exchange for protection...’

Paige Summers sneered to herself. ’This minor obstacle isn’t enough to stop me!’

After listening intently and hearing no movement from within, she used the cover of night to retrieve a Hook Claw she’d made in her spare time from her storage space. She quickly lodged it on top of the wall. With a light step, she scaled the wall with the agility of a monkey and dropped silently into the courtyard.

Pressing herself against the back wall of the house, she heard faint sounds coming from inside.

She quickly realized Evan Pierce wasn’t alone. Footsteps, whispers... ’There are three others!’ But there was no sign of Nora Lowell or Shawn Monroe. ’They must not be back yet. These are probably just their underlings.’

This was going to be a problem.

She wasn’t afraid of a fight, but it would be a headache if they screamed and attracted the residential area’s guards. It wasn’t about their strength; the key was that they were all stationed here by The Government!

In a situation like this, she needed to wait.

She calmed herself and lay in wait behind the house.

About twenty minutes later, her chance came.

The door creaked open, and someone came into the courtyard alone.

He seemed to be in a foul mood, making a considerable amount of noise. He muttered, "What is this crappy smoke! A bunch of damn hicks!"

While Paige Summers wasn’t intimately familiar with that tone of voice, she definitely recognized it.

It was her target for this trip: Evan Pierce!

Paige Summers silently bared her teeth. ’He’s just asking to die.’

She didn’t act immediately. By now, Evan Pierce had slowly made his way to the side of the house and leaned heavily against the wall. Soon, the smell of cigarette smoke drifted over.

Only after confirming his exact position did Paige Summers tighten her grip on her Short Sword. She became a black shadow, lunging from around the corner!

Evan Pierce took a drag from the cigarette he’d bummed off someone, his mind filled with discontent.

Nora Lowell had taken the data but hadn’t paid him the full amount of Crystal Cores, saying she needed to have someone verify it first.

He knew this was reasonable, but he still felt deeply uneasy.

Still, given her status as the daughter of the Norgate City Lord, there seemed to be no reason for her to cheat him...

He and Nadia had only stayed in Norgate for a short time while on the run, so he had no idea that Nora Lowell’s status was just that—a title. She wasn’t a favored daughter, nor was she as wealthy as he imagined.

While verification was a legitimate excuse, the truth was that she simply couldn’t produce that many Crystal Cores at the moment!

It wasn’t that Evan Pierce hadn’t considered selling the data to The Government or the military. He just knew his status was too low; he had no way to connect with the higher-ups.

Using a middleman was too risky.

If they decided to backstab him and take the data for themselves, he’d die a truly meaningless death!

So, dealing with Nora Lowell had been a choice born of necessity.

This just made him feel even more frustrated.

This wasn’t the first time he’d wanted to betray Nadia.

Back when they first fled to Norgate, he had tried to sell the data to the City Lord, but unfortunately, the man didn’t recognize its value and threw him out. Of course, it wasn’t a total loss; that was when he met Nora Lowell.

He’d only taken a single drag from his cigarette, but a thousand different thoughts were already racing through his mind.

But he never, ever expected that someone would be bold enough to lie in wait in the courtyard!

A shadow flashed in his peripheral vision. The next moment, a hand covered his mouth and nose, and a Sharp Blade was pressed against his neck!

His eyes flew wide open as he stared in horror at the person before him.

A familiar face from under a hat looked up and smiled at him, but those bright eyes were filled with a murderous intent so real it was almost tangible.

Evan Pierce felt a sudden, sharp pain in his neck. Before he could even make a sound, he passed out.

Satisfied, Paige Summers grabbed him by the waist, hoisted him up, and quickly retreated behind the house.

She threw her Hook Claw back onto the wall. Since she’d modified it, the claw made no sound as it hit the earthen wall.

She successfully carried him out of the courtyard.

The area was mostly residential. Even though they were single-family homes, there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t come out. Paige Summers didn’t plan on taking Evan Pierce far. In one swift move, she dragged him into a patch of bushes on the far right.

’Thank goodness for the pleasant living environment in the Third District, thinking to decorate the place with these plants!’

When Evan Pierce came to, he found himself lying on the ground, his hands and feet bound tightly. That same Short Sword was still pressed against the major artery in his neck. With just a little pressure, he would never open his eyes again.

Suppressing his terror, he looked at Paige Summers. "What do you want?"

Paige Summers was in no mood to waste words. She got straight to the point. "Did you give Nadia’s data to Nora Lowell?"

"You know her! What are you to her?" He hesitated, suddenly uncertain. ’They know each other... Was selling the data a trap?!’

Paige Summers suddenly tightened her grip. The pain in his neck snapped Evan Pierce back to reality.

"You just need to answer my questions! Yes or no!"

"...Yes."

"Good. All of it, or just a part?"

"All of it."

’Idiot!’ Paige Summers cursed inwardly, then continued, "And what about Nadia’s identity? Did you leak it?"

Evan Pierce hesitated for a moment before answering, "No."

Seeing her expression darken at his hesitation, he quickly added, "Really, I didn’t."

It wasn’t that he’d had a change of heart. Since he’d already chosen betrayal, he didn’t mind being thorough.

He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. Agreeing to stay with Nadia in the first place had been a moment of foolishness on his part. Cruel reality had made him see the truth.

This life on the run and Nadia’s naive dependency had completely worn him out.

’With my looks and abilities, I’m destined to make it big sooner or later, as long as I get the chance!’

’But with Nadia, that chance will never come!’

As for Nadia’s identity and location, he was just planning to tell Nora Lowell before he left, after the current trouble had blown over.

After all, it was his most important bargaining chip for his own survival.

He didn’t think Paige Summers could possibly know any of this, so he looked at her with what he hoped was a sincere and earnest expression, trying to win her sympathy. "Nadia must have told you how hard things have been for us. I only did this because I wasn’t thinking straight. Please, don’t—"

A torrent of blood spurted from the artery. Even though Paige Summers withdrew her hand quickly, she couldn’t avoid being spattered by a few drops.

Staring at Evan Pierce’s face, his eyes wide open in death, she curled her lip in distaste.

Betrayal was betrayal. Excuses and justifications were just pathetic.

’If you choose to walk this path, you have to have the courage to accept the consequences.’

’Consequences like death!’