Zoe Pierce stared at him blankly, only letting out a soft "ah" after a long moment.

Chase Shaw lowered the hand that had been covering his face. He was bent slightly at the waist, but his head was tilted up, his gray eyes fixed on Zoe Pierce as he repeated, "After Nathan Lockwood, choose me, alright?"

Last night, he had lost the first move. Overcome by fear, he had kissed and embraced her in front of everyone, and the memory of her expression as she crouched down seared him.

One thing after another.

He would start awake in the middle of the night, unable to calm his anxious heart.

So much so that when Nathan Lockwood made his proposal, he couldn’t even bring himself to speak.

"Zoe..."

Zoe Pierce didn’t understand. She had already agreed to their arrangement, yet each of them was still acting so cautiously.

Both Nathan Lockwood and him.

If Chase Shaw knew what she was wondering, he would have told her that love gives rise to fear. The more you love someone, the more you fear the outcome won’t be what you desire.

Zoe Pierce took two steps forward and grasped his wrist. "Chase Shaw, has your spiritual power not recovered yet?"

They had been interrupted last night, and she hadn’t even had the chance to soothe him with her spiritual power.

So now she held his hand, checking on the state of his spiritual power.

She didn’t answer his question directly. Chase Shaw’s eyes dimmed, but he couldn’t summon any more courage, terrified of making her cry again.

She meticulously soothed his repressed, agitated spirit sea. Although the discomfort vanished, his heart felt as if it had been torn open, letting a cold wind howl through.

Withdrawing her hand, Zoe Pierce asked him, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Chase Shaw pressed his lips together and finally shook his head.

’He didn’t know what else he could do.’

Zoe Pierce nodded at him. "I’ll be leaving, then."

Chase Shaw silently shuffled from the doorway to the wall, his eyes fixed on her, but he said nothing.

Zoe Pierce stood by the door. She only needed to press her finger to the sensor to open it. Without turning to the side or looking at Chase Shaw, she said, "I’ll think about what you said."

The moment she finished speaking, she felt him move.

He bent down from behind and hugged her tightly, pressing his chest against her spine.

"Zoe, I’m sorry." He was still apologizing for what happened last night, his head bowed and resting in her hair.

Zoe Pierce’s expression was complex, her lashes fluttering like a butterfly’s wings. "Mm."

"Don’t be angry with me," Chase Shaw continued.

"Mm."

Chase Shaw lifted his head, his arms gradually loosening, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying, "Say a few more words."

He couldn’t read Zoe Pierce’s emotions from that single, short word.

Zoe Pierce couldn’t help but sigh to herself.

She turned around, catching Chase Shaw completely off guard. He had to brace his hands on his knees just to meet her gaze.

Zoe Pierce suddenly cupped Chase Shaw’s face, pressing her fingers to his lips. "Shut up."

"I’m not angry. Stop apologizing. It’s annoying." It was the first time she had ever spoken to Chase Shaw in such a tone, and for a moment, he was too stunned to react.

"You’re being more dramatic than I am, Chase Shaw." Even she had managed to sort through her feelings after that chaotic night.

But Chase Shaw had lost all of his usual decisiveness, revealing this fragile side of himself instead.

But Zoe Pierce had heard enough apologies.

What was done, was done. She had agreed to their arrangement yesterday, and she had already made an irreversible start with Nathan Lockwood. So, even if she had to grit her teeth and bear it, she would see it through to the end. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

She couldn’t predict what the future held.

She still had no clear answer for what her entanglement with them would ultimately become.

She just knew that wallowing in the present was useless.

This choice had been made by all of them together.

And they would all have to bear the consequences.

So, Zoe Pierce pressed his lips twice. For a brief second, the pressure drained the color from them before it quickly returned. "Don’t ask that question again."

She looked into the man’s astonished gray eyes. "Understand?"

’He’s so tall, but right now he just looks like a big dog that’s about to start wagging its tail.’

Feeling the warmth of her fingertips on his lips and cheeks, Chase Shaw nodded.

Zoe Pierce let go of him, turned, and opened the door. "I’m leaving now."

This time, Chase Shaw’s expression was blank. Only after Zoe Pierce had left the training room did he raise a hand to touch the spot where her fingers had been.

The police had already gone to see Director Quinn, and the escaped Interstellar Pirates were being systematically rounded up.

Ryan Jacobs calculated the time. Their trip to Planet F187 had already taken nearly a week. Once everything here was concluded, it would take another three or four days to travel to their next destination.

Knowing Director Quinn didn’t want Zoe Pierce’s group to get too much public exposure, Ryan Jacobs and Mr. Troy took on most of the work themselves. Aside from the few times they were desperately short-handed and called for Miles Sherman and Erin Xavier, they had the others stay on the Starship.

Zoe Pierce wasn’t idle, either.

Ian Sullivan’s and Mason Sullivan’s parents had been found. They had suffered minor injuries but were fine after a session in the medical bay. After visiting them, she resumed her daily training.

Chase Shaw and Nathan Lockwood both accompanied her in the training room.

At first, Zoe Pierce didn’t think anything of it. It was just training as usual.

But she soon found out just how audacious Nathan Lockwood could be.

"Nathan Lockwood!"

Zoe Pierce hissed during a break.

On the benches provided for rest, Chase Shaw now sat alone on one, while Nathan Lockwood had brazenly pulled her onto his lap.

Far from letting go at her hiss, Nathan Lockwood only pulled her closer, pressing against her more intimately. "Yes?"

Zoe wanted to turn and glare at him, but as she moved her head, he simply leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Chase knows what’s going on, and this is a private training room," he said with utter conviction.

’No one here is in the dark, and it’s a completely secure environment. So what’s the problem with him showing some not-so-over-the-top affection?’

Nathan Lockwood even glanced at Chase Shaw. "Right, Chase?"

He spoke with a faint, charming smile that softened the cool features of his fair face.

He looked for all the world like an Alpha head-over-heels in love.

’What an eyesore.’

Chase Shaw averted his face, refusing to look at Nathan Lockwood.

Zoe Pierce tried to get up again, but Nathan Lockwood held her hand, keeping her seated on his lap. "Zoe, in four days at most, the training camp will start, and we’ll be separated."

That successfully made Zoe Pierce pause.

"How should we count the time during the training camp? Will it count as part of my month, or should we only count the days we can actually meet?"

At this, Chase Shaw frowned and turned back around. He was second in line; this arrangement would put him at a disadvantage.

"Let’s compromise. We’ll count the two weeks we have together as the full month, hm?" If the training camp lasted any longer, he would lose out on too much.

Nathan Lockwood was negotiating terms with Zoe Pierce.

"There’s not much time left. Just let me hold you." The thought of being separated in just four days was enough to make anyone’s head spin.