When Blake Morrison heard it was a friend of hers, he hesitated for a moment but still agreed. Over the time they had spent together, his trust in her had grown. He knew she wasnât the reckless type and wouldnât bring anyone troublesome with her.
Paige Summers hung up the phone and patted the large hand Marcus Monroe still had clamped around her arm. "Did you hear that? Letâs go together, then."
Marcus Monroe snatched his hand back as if heâd been burned, even clenching it into a tight fist. He hastily tossed out an, "Iâll be right over," then spun around and hurried away.
Paige Summers froze for a moment, then suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth. She didnât let herself double over in silent laughter until she was back in her room.
âWho would have thought!â
If she hadnât happened to see how red his ears were, she would never have believed that Marcus Monroe was such an innocent man!
âHe blushes just from grabbing a girlâs arm...?â Paige Summers couldnât help but smile.
Marcus Monroe had been in Central City for some time now, and heâd spent most of it by her side, watching over and helping her. Even someone as dense as Paige Summers could have figured out his feelings by now.
To be honest, in a world like this, after seeing so much of the bleak side of human nature, it was touching to have a man treat her with such devotion.
But to be sentimental about it, she didnât think this was love.
She had no experience in this area, nor did she have many examples to draw from.
âHowever, if a man could make me feel the way Artifact Making doesâlike something I never want to give up for the rest of my lifeâthen that would probably, no, *definitely*, be true love...â
After changing her clothes, she looked at her reflection in the round mirror. She stared at her young face for a moment, then suddenly wrinkled her nose.
âForget all this talk about love. Now is not the time to be thinking about that! I have a mountain of problems to deal with. I must have too much time on my hands!â
Back in the living room, both she and Marcus Monroe were acting normal again. The two of them soon headed out the door.
The Mercer Family didnât allow outside vehicles to drive directly onto their property, unless they belonged to someone truly exceptional. Paige Summers obviously hadnât reached that Level yet, so they could only park outside. Of course, the area in front of the gate was also Mercer Family territory, so there were no loiterers around.
She made a point of explaining this to Marcus Monroe, and then the two of them got out of the car to meet Blake Morrison, who was waiting at the entrance to greet them.
Unexpectedly, however, there was another person with him today: Zephyr Mercer.
Paige Summers hadnât seen him for so many days that sheâd assumed he had probably given up on the foolish idea of fulfilling their marriage contract. But here Zephyr Mercer was, and the moment his eyes landed on Marcus Monroe, his entire body went on high alert, as if he were preparing for battle.
As she continued walking forward, Paige Summersâs expression slowly darkened.
âToday, Iâm here as a guest of the Mercer Family. Whatâs the difference between Zephyr Mercer being so hostile to my friend and him slapping me in the face?â
When they were still some distance away from the Mercer uncle and nephew, Paige Summers suddenly stopped. She turned to Marcus Monroe with a frown and said, "My stomach... I donât think it feels very well."
Marcus Monroe had to stop himself from laughing.
âFaking an illness so blatantly, and in such a deadpan voice... is that really okay?â
But knowing she was doing it to stand up for him, he also found her incredibly endearing.
Not that he was particularly concerned about Zephyr Mercer, though.
He couldnât resist reaching out and affectionately ruffling her hair. "Donât worry about little things like this. You love talking about Artifact Making with Mr. Mercer, donât you? So just go. Iâm only here to protect you, not to ruin things."
He wasnât saying it as a provocation, so he spoke at a normal volume, but the Mercer uncle and nephew had sharp hearing and still faintly caught his words.
Zephyr Mercerâs face flushed crimson, while Blake Morrison shot his nephew a sympathetic glance. âSo this must be the legendary love rival... Oh, no, maybe "rival" isnât even the right word,â he thought. âTheyâre not even in the same league.â
For the first time, he found his nephewâs emotional intelligence truly exasperating. âHe clearly likes her, yet he always tries to come out on top, regardless of the time or place.â
âThe other man, on the other hand, was far more seasoned.â
âWhether it was an act or not...â
â...those magnanimous and considerate words sounded completely reasonable even to him, let alone to Paige Summers, the one they were meant for.â
âIn that one exchange, the difference between them was stark.â
He shook his head inwardly. On one hand, he felt it would be for the best if his nephew didnât get in any deeper. On the other, he felt the boy was being utterly foolish, failing to leverage his own advantages and instead just making the situation worse.
With that thought, he stepped forward with a smile, pretending to be oblivious. "Sue, is this your friend? Why not make an introduction?"
The minor disturbance dissipated into thin air, but it left a faint mark on everyoneâs mind.
Paige Summers had assumed that with Blake Morrison stepping in, Zephyr Mercer wouldnât be so relentless... but she was wrong. In certain respects, Zephyr Mercer was blunt and obstinate. He couldnât tear his eyes away from what he liked, but he would never, ever come around to what he disliked.
For instance, her. And for instance, Marcus Monroe.
So when she and Blake Morrison moved from the showroom to the fabrication room in The Mercer Workshop, Zephyr Mercer and Marcus Monroe were nowhere in sight.
Blake Morrisonâs heart sank. âThis is bad,â he thought. But he had to put on a brave face for Paige Summers. "Finn was just startled earlier, thatâs why he acted that way," he said. "Heâs actually a very sensible kid; he wonât do anything. He probably just took your friend on a tour of the rest of the Mercer estate!"
Paige Summers made no attempt to hide her contempt. "Brother Abe, do you even believe that yourself?"
Blake Morrison was speechless.
Paige Summers took a deep breath, but she didnât storm out to find them as heâd expected. Instead, she sat back down at the workstation. "Didnât you say there was a new sword that needs an edge? Are you coming or not?"
Blake Morrison sat down as she instructed, feeling that he couldnât quite see through her.
âWasnât she just upset about Zephyr Mercerâs attitude a moment ago? How can she be so calm now?â
âEven *he* could guess that the two of them had likely gone outside to face off. Surely she must have realized that too!â
âDoes she have that much confidence in that Marcus Monroe fellow?â
âOr is there more to it than meets the eye?â