Shawn Monroe had no real intention of forcing himself on Paige Summers. Although he was interested in her, he wasn’t that classless. He just wanted to scare her a little and use the chance to get closer.

Too bad Paige was completely in the dark.

Her predecessor in this body had been a throwaway character, collateral damage in the main couple’s story. As such, Paige had absolutely no faith in his character.

So, after catching him off guard and subduing him, she took no chances. To prevent a counterattack, she efficiently trussed Shawn Monroe up like a dumpling, so tight he couldn’t even wiggle a finger. Then, she bolted.

Though she was desperate to leave right away, she knew she couldn’t make it out on her own.

Never mind finding the main gate; with her unfamiliar face, the chances of being stopped and questioned were just too high.

Thus, she went to find Nola first.

She burst through the door and found not one person inside, but two. Jayden Yeats and Nola were sitting at a table, speaking in low voices. They both looked up in surprise when they saw her.

Paige froze.

’Are they just... chatting? Or has Nola thrown in her lot with the Citadel?’

After a moment of internal debate, the urgent need to escape won out. Taking the plunge, she spoke first. "Hello, Brother Mills. I need to speak with Ms. Nash about something urgent. Could you possibly..."

Nola glanced at the man across from her, who gave an imperceptible nod. Only then did she rise and walk over. "Here, let’s talk over here."

The exchange was subtle, but Paige still caught a hint of it. Her heart sank a little, and she held back as she spoke. "Ms. Nash, I have to leave immediately for something urgent. I’ve already cleared it with the Young City Lord. Can you take me out now?"

Nola faltered, stammering, "I mean, yes, I can. But..."

"You can’t?" Paige put on a disappointed expression. "I just hate to part with you, Ms. Nash... Well, in that case, I’ll just go find Luna. I assume the Young City Lord probably informed her as well."

Seeing Paige’s perfectly composed expression, Nola felt a little baffled.

’From what I’ve seen, the Young City Lord is clearly smitten with Paige. How could he possibly let her leave so easily? But Paige doesn’t look like she’s lying. Could it be that since he’s leaving the city tomorrow for an indefinite period, he’s planning to pick things up when he gets back?’

Just as she was hesitating, the door suddenly opened, and Jayden Yeats cut in. "Since that’s the case, we’ll see you out together."

Paige reacted instantly, smiling and nodding. "That would be wonderful! I’ll have to trouble you then, Brother Mills and Ms. Nash."

Led by Jayden Yeats, the three of them began walking out at a leisurely pace.

Paige pondered silently. ’Shawn Monroe won’t be able to struggle free anytime soon. By the time someone finds and rescues him, I should be long gone. As for what comes next... I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. A man like that surely has no shortage of women. He wouldn’t raise a huge fuss just for me, would he? But if he’s really the type to hold a grudge, then my only option is to leave The Dead City.’

’It’s a step I was going to have to take eventually. The timeline has just moved up, but I can’t afford to worry about that now.’

’The main problem is that I’m too weak. Whether I can even make it to another base is a huge question mark. I wonder if the boss has any contacts who could help me out.’

The Citadel had been converted from a large temple in the Southwestern Region of Astoria. It was massive, full of winding corridors. As she walked through them, Paige kept her head slightly bowed, lost in thought, and failed to notice two people approaching from around a bend.

By the time they were nearly upon them, it was too late to get out of the way.

She heard a voice and snapped her head up, her eyes wide with undisguised shock.

’It’s the boss?!’

If she was shocked, Woody Warren was even more so. He looked more stunned than she did. In a few quick strides, he moved past the person in front of him, as well as Jayden Yeats and Nola, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Kid! What are you doing here?"

Paige stiffened for a moment before managing an awkward smile. "What a coincidence."

Woody Warren’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning dangerous. "Coincidence, my foot! Weren’t you supposed to be outside the city hunting? What are you doing in the Citadel? Don’t tell me you’re..."

"No! I didn’t lie to you!" Paige, desperate to avoid any misunderstanding, bit her lip and explained, "I was injured and they rescued me. That’s why I’ve been staying here to recover."

"Injured? Where are you hurt?"

A warmth spread through her chest, and the look in Paige’s eyes softened. "I’m fine now, don’t worry. Actually, I was just on my way out."

Woody Warren breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, the man accompanying him cut in. "Boss Warren, aren’t you going to introduce us? This young lady is..."

"Haha, my apologies, my apologies. I lost my composure there. Young Master Monroe, this is my..." The word "partner" was on the tip of his tongue, but he paused, suddenly realizing it wasn’t right. He was only at the Citadel because the City Lord had seen and greatly admired the Wine Pourer Paige had created, and had summoned him to commission another one. He didn’t want to cause trouble for the kid, but revealing her as the creator probably wouldn’t be good for her, especially since she had no one to back her up. The words changed on his tongue, and he forced himself to say something else. "This is my young apprentice! She’s still a kid, always trying to run off and play. Please excuse her behavior, ha ha..."

Paige blinked. She guessed her boss was saying this to protect her, so she went along with it, nodding politely to the man.

’Still, ’Young Master Monroe’... could he be related to Shawn Monroe?’

’That would be very bad.’

She snuck a peek at him. The man was exceptionally tall, at least a full head taller than her. While not as classically handsome as Shawn Monroe, his thick brows and sharp eyes gave him a more masculine air. He had a powerful, cold aura that seemed completely innate, one that inspired a natural sense of fear. Next to him, even Jayden Yeats looked a little immature.

’He’s no ordinary man... But he doesn’t look much like Shawn Monroe at all!’

’Maybe it’s not as bad as I’m imagining?’

’But whatever the case, I need to get out of here first!’

She tugged on her boss’s sleeve. "Do you have more business to attend to? If so, maybe I should head back first..."

Woody Warren nodded. "Alright..."

"Boss Warren."

"Yes." Woody Warren’s words were cut off again. Even he found it strange. He’d met this Young Master Monroe once before, and the man had said a grand total of one sentence the entire time: "Did you make the Wine Pourer?" Why was he suddenly so chatty today?

"Since she’s your apprentice, have her come along."

"Huh?!" Woody Warren and Paige both wore expressions of surprise and reluctance. For a master and apprentice, as they appeared to outsiders, they couldn’t have been more in sync.

"She’s coming with us."

The man ignored their silent protest and made the decision unilaterally. He glanced at Jayden Yeats. "I’m keeping her. You can go back."

"...Yes." From start to finish, aside from his initial greeting, that was the only word Jayden Yeats had been able to utter. As he turned to leave with a strangely quiet Nola, he shot Paige a look, his gaze complicated.

Paige was stunned. ’Why is every single one of them acting so bizarre?’

’Jayden Yeats and Nola I can almost understand, but this Young Master Monroe is completely baffling. He not only strong-armed me into staying, but that sentence of his... it felt like it had a hidden meaning!’

’Was it a simple statement of fact, or was it a warning?’