On a quiet, unlit street, a blue car pulled up in front of a dark alley. The driver leaned her head out of the window as she saw a man carrying a bespectacled woman who appeared unconscious. She quickly got out of the car and opened the back door.
"Sheila, let's go to the debate venue." Klaus placed Alexa in the back passenger seat.
Seeing the CEO unconscious and in pain, Sheila furrowed her brows in curiosity. "Boss, what happened?"
"It's nothing. She's alright. Just a minor issue."
His response only fueled her curiosity further. Observing their condition, Sheila knew they were involved in some kind of trouble. She wanted to ask why, but if her boss had spoken, she could only nod and carry out the given task.
The car left the dark area. During the drive, Sheila discreetly glanced at Klaus, seeing him through the rearview mirror's reflection. He was staring out the window without saying a word. However, his face revealed a trace of worry.
As the car arrived at their destination, Klaus quickly got out.
"Wait here for a moment. I want to pick up Sylvia," Klaus said.
"Uh, Sylvia is here too."
Klaus walked away before answering her question. Meanwhile, Sheila pouted inside the car.
The atmosphere was quiet as he entered the hall. A few hours ago, this place had been bustling with people and noise. Now, there was no one in sight except for the cleaning staff and building security.
Quickening his pace, Klaus headed towards the guest room. He was worried that something bad might happen if he left Sylvia alone for too long.
"Hope nothing happens," he murmured.
And what he feared had indeed happened.
Klaus heard a faint commotion in the corridor. As he entered the guest room, a burst of energy hit him. He saw Sylvia bathed in white light. Her hair floated in the air, and anger was clearly etched on her face. Standing in front of her was Richard, looking disheveled. There was a bit of blood on his lips. The room was in disarray, with various objects strewn around. Jonathan bit his lip as he hid behind a broken sofa.
"Damn it! What did you do to me!" Sylvia fumed. One of her hands had a bloodstain.
"I've told you many times. Klaus brought you here. You're sick. Something's wrong with your head!" Richard was just as furious. But he was beaten up. Blue bruises covered his entire face.n0VeLUsb.c0m
Seeing a brawl unfolding in front of him, Klaus quickly jumped in between them without a second thought.
"Stop! Stop fighting!" he shouted.
They were startled as Klaus suddenly appeared. Sylvia lowered her hand, and so did Richard. However, tension still hung heavily in the room.
"Klaus? You're here?" Sylvia furrowed her brows.
"Calm down, Sylvee. He's telling the truth. We came to this place. Did you forget?" Klaus lied. He acted like he didn't know what was going on.
"But, how can it be?" The white-haired woman twisted her face in confusion. She had no memory of coming here.
"See! Now do you believe?" Richard gritted his teeth. His annoyance was painted on his face.
Walking slowly, Klaus drew close to Sylvia, trying to calm her down. She seemed completely disoriented. After he embraced her, the overwhelming energy emanating from her body began to subside.
She looked at Klaus. "Why am I here, Klaus?"
Klaus didn't give her an answer; he just gently stroked her back. Gradually, she seemed to relax in his arms. A sense of tranquility began to bloom within her chest. Meanwhile, Richard snorted, his gaze still fixed on her. He was still angry, but at the same time, he wished this would all end.
The atmosphere grew calm, and Jonathan emerged from his hiding spot, relief on his face.
"Phew, I thought we were going to die," he mumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Klaus heard it. From here, he could deduce that Sylvia had thoroughly beaten up the Guild Master from the House of the Blacksmith. His bruised look explained how overwhelmed he was by her rampage. Klaus wasn't surprised that his subordinates could defeat Richard. He was more surprised that Richard was still breathing at this point.
"I should have come sooner," he thought.
Quietly, Klaus used [Sleep Waves] on Sylvia. The white-haired woman lost consciousness in his embrace. Richard and Jonathan saw what happened, but they didn't know Klaus had put Sylvia to sleep.
"I hope you can control your subordinates better. She's crazy. Literally crazy. How could you bring her here? Luckily, she didn't cause any trouble during the debate." Richard, now tidying himself up, vented his anger at Klaus.
And Klaus didn't offer any excuses. He knew this was his fault. He had anticipated this situation, but he hadn't anticipated someone would show up and kidnap Alexa.
"I think we should postpone our meeting," he said.
"Of course. I want to go home since your subordinates broke three of my ribs." After saying this, Richard left the room. He slammed the door shut behind him.
Klaus sighed.
Jonathan was still in this messed room. Unlike his companion, he held no resentment toward Klaus. His face actually conveyed understanding.
"It's okay. He's just frustrated. Tomorrow, everything will back to nomal," he said.
Jonathan patted Klaus on the shoulder before leaving.
...
Whistling, Sheila tried to ward off boredom as she waited for Klaus to come out of the building. Several times, her eyes glanced at Alexa through the rearview mirror, checking on her condition. She was curious about what had happened to them.
When her gaze shifted to the entrance of the building, she saw a battered man exit the building and get into a silver car.
"What's up with him?" Sheila muttered, squinting.
Another man emerged from the building, but Sheila didn't pay attention. Not long after, she saw Klaus coming out, carrying Sylvia. Sheila's eyes widened, and she quickly got out of the car to help her boss. They placed Sylvia next to Alexa.
"Phew, there have been too many fainting people today, huh, boss?" Sheila joked, wiping sweat from her forehead. However, her boss didn't seem to be in a good mood.
"Let's go," Klaus ordered.
The engine started. Sheila stepped on the gas pedal, and the car sped off, leaving the brightly lit building behind.
...
City lights still shone brightly even though the night was growing late. Cars with red and yellow turn signals zoomed down the highway. Among the dozens of four-wheeled vehicles, a silver car traveled at a steady speed. In the back seat, a battered man hissed as he placed a cloth-wrapped ice pack against his face.
"Do you need to go to the hospital, Mr. Richard?" the driver asked, glancing through the rearview mirror.
"No need. Let's just head home."
A moment of silence passed, broken by the ringing of a smartphone. Richard twitched slightly. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his smartphone and held it to his ear.
"Congratulations on the debate. I saw you on television. Your performance was truly exceptional," a man's voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Thank you for your praise," Richard replied. His bruised face showed a smile.
"Why haven't I heard from you yet? Did something happen?"
"Ah, that—Ow!" Richard winced in pain. He had accidentally pressed a bruised area too hard.
"Are you injured?" the voice on the phone inquired.
"Yeah, that's it. After the debate, we were supposed to have a meeting to discuss our plan for garnering voters in Queens. But Klaus came with a sick woman or something. After he placed her on the couch, he left for some business."
"And then?"
Richard sighed in annoyance. "And then, she suddenly woke up like a lunatic. This crazy woman thought we kidnapped her and attacked me. And I have to admit, she's really strong."
The voice from the phone sounded intrigued by Sylvia, asking Richard to tell him everything about her. But Richard knew nothing. He only described Sylvia based on their fight.
"Distorting space and stopping time?"
"Yeah," Richard said. "Besides her extraordinary talent, she has terrifying combat abilities. Her punches are fast, and her movements are agile. Honestly, there's zero chance I could beat her. Unfortunately, I don't have any data on her. She might be an S-Class."
Silence once again filled the car. Richard pursed his lips, waiting for a response from the man on the other end of the phone.
"What happened after that?"
"Nothing," Richard answered. "Klaus canceled the meeting, and I went home. I'm sorry if I disappointed you."
"Okay, it's alright, Richard. You did a good job. Swing by the hospital and treat your wounds."
Richard nodded. "Yes, Mr. Edward."
"Let me know if you find anything from Klaus. Take care."
Beep. The call ended.
Taking a deep breath, Richard calmed his mind. He placed the ice pack on the seat and leaned back. The throbbing pain on his face was persistent, but he ignored it. His eyes were glued to the car's ceiling.
"Is everything okay, Mr. Richard?" the driver asked.
"Yes, it is. Let's stop by the hospital first."
The driver pressed the brake pedal. As the car came to a stop in the middle of the road, he turned the steering wheel and changed direction. The car sped along with the other vehicles, disappearing into the dazzling city of New York that never sleeps.
