"Nora?!" Woody Warren shot forward with a speed that belied his large frame and grabbed the girl’s arm. "What are you doing here?"

Nora Lowell looked dazed for a moment. She turned her head and studied him for a long time before asking hesitantly, "Uncle?"

"It’s me!" Woody Warren pulled her into a tight hug, overcome with emotion.

The moment Shawn Monroe finished speaking, a scene of a family reunion unfolded in the hall.

Paige Summers’s expression had turned to one of shock.

Back then, when her boss had mentioned his niece, he had seemed so dejected that she had just assumed the girl was no longer alive. But that wasn’t the case at all.

Not only was she alive, but she was also the female lead from the original novel...

For some reason, she felt a pang of disappointment.

’What the hell is going on! Why is everyone I know connected to the female lead in some way? Is it really that hard to escape the shadow of the original novel?!’

’Damn it!’

’Maybe the only way to get the peaceful life I want is to get far, far away from this place...’

The hall fell silent for a moment before Graham Monroe suddenly broke into a faint smile. "It seems Miss Nora Lowell has come to the right place."

Woody Warren was still lost in his excitement and didn’t quite hear what the man said. Nora Lowell, however, had already composed herself. She patted her uncle’s back firmly, signaling for him to let her go. Once she was standing properly, she offered a polite smile. "Yes, please forgive our behavior. It’s been so long since we last saw each other, I thought my uncle..."

Shawn Monroe quickly chimed in from the side, "Don’t worry about it. We’re all happy for you!"

Graham Monroe glanced at his son, naturally understanding the boy’s intentions. He didn’t object.

A Thunder Ability was powerful in combat, but exceedingly rare. You could count the number of them in The Three Great Bases on one hand, let alone in The Dead City.

While Fourth Rank wasn’t particularly high, her potential for growth was immense.

If she could be convinced to stay, nothing would be better.

Thus, he said warmly, "Indeed, it’s not easy to reunite with family in the apocalypse. You two—uncle and niece—must have a lot to talk about. I’ll have Sean arrange things for you first. We can discuss everything else later."

Though they each had their own thoughts about the City Lord being so considerate, Woody Warren and Nora Lowell were both grateful. They quickly followed Shawn Monroe out.

Paige Summers was completely forgotten where she stood.

She had expected as much, so she didn’t feel too awkward. She was just about to ask to return to the furniture shop when Marcus Monroe spoke first. "Father, the matter of opening a furniture shop in the Inner City still requires planning. Why not have Paige Summers help? After all, she’s Master Warren’s apprentice. She’s sure to have a better understanding of her master’s preferences."

"Fine. You can take her with you."

A single sentence decided Paige Summers’s fate. As a nobody, she was deeply unwilling to have more contact with Marcus Monroe, but she could only follow him out in silence.

Outside the hall, Marcus Monroe paused for a moment before saying, "I have something to tell you. Come with me."

"...Alright."

Instead of returning to the small courtyard, Paige Summers was led to a much larger one, a short distance from the main hall.

This had to be Marcus Monroe’s residence.

Though it was large, it seemed rather desolate. The spacious courtyard had no rare flowers or plants, not even common trees or a rockery—only a ground paved with flagstones. The furnishings inside were as simple as could be, containing only the bare necessities.

Paige Summers scanned the area silently, growing more certain that Marcus Monroe was not held in high regard.

The two sat at opposite ends of a table. She remained silent, waiting for him to state his purpose.

Marcus Monroe unhurriedly poured them both glasses of plain water. He didn’t speak right away, instead clapping his hands lightly.

In the very next moment, a plain-looking, utterly unremarkable man appeared from out of nowhere and stood before them, presenting a leather bag with both hands.

Paige Summers couldn’t help but widen her eyes, both at the man’s strange appearance and at the object in his hands.

She wouldn’t mistake that shape—it was a Crossbow!

Just as she thought, Marcus Monroe waved his subordinate away and took the object out of the leather bag.

It was indeed a Crossbow, but it wasn’t hers. This one was made of metal!

Paige Summers bit her lower lip, restraining the urge to snatch it for a closer look.

Marcus Monroe looked at the Crossbow in his hands with amusement. "You should be familiar with this, being its designer."

"You... you know..." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Paige Summers was momentarily unsure how to respond. She didn’t know if Shawn Monroe wanted the Crossbow’s design as a personal trump card or for The Citadel. If it was the latter, then it would be no surprise that Marcus Monroe knew about it.

Her mind raced for a moment before she asked directly, "What is it you really want to tell me? Does it have to do with this?"

"It does." Marcus Monroe seemed to appreciate her frankness and didn’t beat around the bush. "I want to make a deal with you."

"You mean..."

"The design." Marcus Monroe paused. "Of course, this deal must be kept secret, known only to you and me. As for payment..." As he spoke, he turned and retrieved a heavy-looking bag from a cabinet behind him, pushing it toward her. "I’ll make it worth your while."

Paige Summers stared at the bag, not moving.

She shook her head lightly. "I believe you’re sincere, and it’s not that I’m unwilling, but I have my concerns. You should understand. If I sell one design to two different parties, someone is bound to investigate. My situation would become very troublesome."

Marcus Monroe smiled. "That won’t be a problem. Rest assured, no word of this will ever leak out within The Dead City. And as for other places... his reach isn’t that long."

Paige Summers paused, stunned. ’Other places...?’ she thought. ’Could it be that this man’s power base isn’t in The Dead City?’

She was quite surprised.

’Is it because he failed to become the heir to The Dead City and sought another path? Or was his focus never here to begin with?’

’But regardless, if that’s really the case, then this deal is worth considering.’

’The Crossbow’s secrecy is blown anyway. Why not trade it for some extra benefits!’

’But... can he be trusted?’

Seeing the hesitation on her face, Marcus Monroe continued to up the ante. "How about this? Now that Woody Warren has found his niece, it must be inconvenient for you to live with them. I’ll arrange another place for you. I guarantee it will be quiet, and no one will bother you."

Paige Summers’s heart skipped a beat. His words struck a chord with her.

The last thing she wanted right now was to see Nora Lowell day in and day out. The chance to avoid getting mixed up in the male and female leads’ messy drama was an incredibly powerful temptation!

After a moment of silence, she asked tentatively, "What if I said I want to leave this place?"

Marcus Monroe raised an eyebrow. "You mean, go to one of the other bases?"

"Yes."

Now it was Marcus Monroe’s turn to be surprised. "There are indeed teams that travel to the other bases for various reasons, but you have to understand—with your level of strength, going anywhere outside The Dead City would be an extremely difficult journey. After all, I can’t exactly assign a special escort to protect you the whole way."

"I understand. My life is my own responsibility. I just want to know if you can arrange an opportunity for me to leave, should I choose to."

"I can." Marcus Monroe looked at her and said meaningfully, "However, now is not the time."