Chase Shaw felt something was off about Zoe Pierce.

But Zoe Pierce was certain her glands were fine, and she had a suppression patch on the back of her neck, so he had no excuse.

So he could only chalk it up to exhaustion. She hadn’t gotten any rest and had been dragged out to train; that must be why she was acting this way.

"I’ll take you back." After storing the mecha in its Space Button, Chase Shaw hung it around Zoe Pierce’s neck. It never even occurred to him that she might not want it.

After all, she had just agreed.

The Space Button was as light as a piece of jewelry, but hanging around Zoe Pierce’s neck now, it felt like a heavy stone.

Chase Shaw had already taken out his helmet, put it on, and was waiting for her.

Zoe Pierce licked her dry lips and walked over.

Chase Shaw was already on the motorcycle. His broad back exuded a reassuring strength. Zoe Pierce put on her helmet and sat down behind him.

It was almost the same as the ride here. At this hour, there was no one lingering on the streets they passed.

The whistling wind was left in their wake.

Zoe Pierce pressed close against Chase Shaw. He couldn’t see her face from inside his helmet. She suddenly asked, "Chase, what kind of Omega do you like?"

Her resolve to test him had peaked. She decided to be direct and stop hiding her intentions.

Chase Shaw kept his eyes on the road ahead. This was the biggest difference between a motorcycle and a Hovercar: a Hovercar could fly on autopilot, but a motorcycle was deliberately designed to be manually operated, requiring the driver to keep their eyes fixed forward.

He didn’t realize Zoe Pierce was testing him. After a few seconds of hesitation, he chose to tell the truth.

"Someone like you would be nice."

Chase Shaw had grown accustomed to speaking the truth as if it were a joke.

Zoe Pierce’s heart sank, but she pressed on. "I’m not like an Omega at all. What’s so good about me?"

She tightened her grip on the drawstring of Chase Shaw’s jacket as she heard him say, "Just the way you are. It’s great."

"You don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else, Zoe Pierce."

’You’re the only one who lets me sleep peacefully, the only one who can put my heart at ease.’

’It’s not just a physical longing, but an emotional one, too.’

’I’ve never dared to show these complicated feelings. I just have to wait a little longer...’

’The Pierce Family’s problems are solved. Now, the only thing standing between us is the joint exam.’

’Once the joint exam is over, the shackles binding her will be gone. That will be the perfect time.’

But even before then, Chase wanted her to feel that she was special to him, rather than waiting until the last moment to reveal everything.

When Zoe Pierce heard this, her expression grew even more strained. It was all becoming painfully obvious.

It was just like when they’d asked her about her ideal partner. She had given only vague, generic descriptions that didn’t point to any specific person.

But when Chase was asked a similar question, he described one person with crystal clarity.

’Psychologically, that could only mean one of two things: either he was strongly attracted to that person, or he was in love with them.’

’And judging from Chase’s past actions, it was clearly the latter.’

’If it were just an attraction, would he...’

’...have gotten into a fight with Miles Sherman?’

By the time she finally got home, Zoe Pierce felt like her feet weren’t touching the ground, as if she were walking on clouds.

Especially when she saw Nathan Lockwood approaching the main gate.

Zoe Pierce froze. "What are you doing here?"

Nathan Lockwood glanced at Chase Shaw, who had just taken off his helmet. "I saw you two leave earlier," he replied.

Zoe Pierce was somewhat thankful that it was dark, so her expression wasn’t clearly visible.

"Where’d you go? Have fun?" A simple bit of reasoning was all it took to know the Pierce Family was out of trouble, which meant Chase probably didn’t need Zoe for anything serious.

Now that the pretense was dropped between them, no one was bothering to hide anything. Chase had just taken Zoe out on a whim.

Nathan Lockwood had to admire his ability to come up with an excuse.

Chase Shaw looked at Nathan Lockwood, his voice just as cold. "Zoe’s mecha is outdated. I got her a new one."

Nathan Lockwood’s brow twitched.

’My mistake.’

’I forgot about that.’

He turned to Zoe Pierce. "Do you like it?"

’If she doesn’t like it, I can always have a few more made. But that would be childish. Nathan Lockwood wouldn’t challenge someone else’s strength with his own weakness.’

’Competing with Chase over mecha would just make me look petty.’

Zoe Pierce suppressed the strange feeling rising in her chest. This sort of scene wasn’t exactly new; she’d been through it a few times before.

’The more I look at this, the more it feels like I’m being caught cheating.’

’I’m the unfaithful wife, and he’s the husband who caught me.’

’Oh, wait.’

’It seems I’m always the cheating wife, and these guys take turns playing the role of the wronged husband.’

Zoe Pierce had never been one for corny soap operas, but now, she felt like her own life was becoming one.

’And what’s worse, I’ve been living in this environment the whole time without even realizing it.’

"Zoe." Suddenly, Zoe Pierce heard Chase Shaw call her name.

She looked up at him.

Chase was sitting sideways on the motorcycle, one long leg bent. "As a thank you," he said, "you can cook a meal for me."

’That’s a provocation.’

Nathan Lockwood’s expression immediately turned cold as he glared at Chase Shaw.

The man’s eyes burned like torches. His gray irises were visible under the streetlight, and his sharp, layered hair was still slightly tousled from the helmet.

Chase only spared Nathan a sidelong glance, but Zoe could feel he was doing it on purpose.

’He wanted Nathan to hear.’

"Alright," Zoe Pierce replied, her face impassive.

She looked at the two men, who now seemed locked in a standoff, and finally let go of any lingering wishful thinking.

’Sometimes, like right now, this all feels so absurd.’

’To be clear-headedly watching Nathan Lockwood and Chase Shaw "vying for my affection" right in front of me?’

Zoe Pierce had no desire to deal with either of them right now. After saying that, she bid them both goodnight and went inside.

’I can’t just spell it out for them.’

Lying on her soft, large bed, Zoe Pierce covered her eyes with her arm.

’If I do, we won’t even be able to be friends anymore.’

’Maybe it’s better to just keep pretending I don’t know anything.’

’Maybe if I wait a little longer, they’ll come to their senses. Right now, it’s probably just because we’re on a team together that they’re being affected like this...’

’Later, they might understand that a teammate is different from a lover.’

’I can be a good teammate, but I can’t be a good lover.’

Zoe Pierce let out a heavy sigh, suddenly moving her arm and staring up at the ceiling.

’No, I’m just being too greedy.’

’I’m greedy for the warmth they bring, which is why I don’t dare, and don’t want, to lose any one of them.’

She curled herself into a ball.

’Because I never want to be alone again. That’s why when they extended their olive branches, I clung to them like pieces of driftwood.’

’And now, to let go and go back to how things were before... it’s just too hard.’