Richard and Lisa shared brother and sister moments, with Richard expressing his gratitude for her concern and the food she brought. They sat down in a quiet corner of the workshop, enjoying the meal together.

"If only I could help you in any way brother..." Lisa said somberly "The training that I had when we were still at Oriental, I could still use it and join the frontlines you know?"

"Lisa, how much do I have to tell you that those combat skills you learned are for your protection only should there be circumstances that I won’t be able to come and save you in time? You don’t need to be on the frontline because we have the army and the equipment to deal with the zombie threats. Be it mutated or not."

Lisa nodded, understanding Richard’s concern. "I get it, brother. I just wish I could do more to help." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"You are helping, in your own way," Richard reassured her. "By staying safe and being here for me, you’re giving me the peace of mind I need to focus on the battle ahead. And that’s more important than you realize. If you were on the frontlines, I would have to constantly think about you like, are you okay, are you hurt..." Richard trailed off, his expression reflecting the genuine worry he would feel if Lisa were in harm’s way. "Those thoughts would distract me, and in a battle, even a moment’s distraction can be deadly. I need to be fully focused, and knowing you’re safe here allows me to do that."

Lisa reached out, placing her hand on Richard’s. "Well...if that’s the case brother. But should a zombie swarm where to get into the New Clark City, I would have no choice but to stand and fight. I won’t be the first one to evacuate. I will fight."

Richard smiled, as much as he wanted to say he had to evacuate, he figured this talk would take forever so long as Lisa heard what she wanted.

"Okay, if and only if that happens, you can fight," Richard conceded, though he hoped that scenario would never arise. "But let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that. We’re doing everything we can to keep the city safe."

Lisa gave a determined nod. "I know, and I trust you and the team. I’ll do my part by being prepared, just in case."

Richard stood up, feeling the day’s exhaustion catching up with him. "Alright, Lisa. It’s been a long day. Let’s get some rest. We both need to be sharp for the days ahead."

Lisa agreed, and they both made their way out of the workshop. "Goodnight, Brother. Take care of yourself," she said with a hint of worry still in her voice.

"Goodnight, Lisa. You too," Richard replied, offering a reassuring smile.

Then as Lisa made his way towards the exit, he glanced at the engineering team who were still working on deciphering and reverse engineering the suit.

"How many days do you think it would take for you to reverse engineer it?" Richard asked.

"This technology sir...would usually take a month," the lead engineer said. "The design is just complex and the technology embedded in every inch and fiber of the suit is far beyond what we’re accustomed to. But we’ll do our best to speed up the process."

Richard nodded, understanding the challenge they faced. "Alright, I trust your expertise. Keep me updated on the progress."

The lead engineer nodded, and Richard left the workshop. Of course, Richard doesn’t have that much time to waste so he opened his system and bought the Titan’s Guard Mark II, two pieces of it. One for his main use and the other one for spare.

He made his way towards his unit. When he arrived, he knocked on the door. He heard footsteps coming towards the door, and moments later, it swung open. It was Sara, and she was wearing a white nightgown dress that was made of silk, accentuating her curves. She looked surprised to see him there but quickly recovered.

"Forget your keys again?" she asked with a teasing tone.

"Seems like it," Richard replied with a chuckle. He stepped inside, and Sara closed the door behind him.

"I thought you’d be working late in the workshop," Sara said as they moved into the living area.

"I needed a break," Richard admitted. "The suit is more complex than I thought. The engineering team is working on it, but it’s going to take time."

Sara nodded, understandingly. "Well, you’ve done enough for today. You should rest."

As she said that, Sara walked up to him from behind, her hands tracing the contours of his shoulders, gently massaging away the tension that had built up over the long day. Richard couldn’t help but sigh in relief as her skilled fingers worked their magic.

"You’re right," he admitted, leaning into her touch. "This feels amazing."

Sara smiled, her lips brushing against his earlobe. "I’m here to take care of you, Richard."

As the stress began to melt away, Richard turned around to face her, his hands finding her waist. He pulled her closer, their bodies pressed together. The silk nightgown clung to her figure, and he couldn’t help but be captivated by her beauty.

"You’re incredible, Sara," he murmured, his lips finding hers in a soft, lingering kiss.

Sara responded eagerly, her arms wrapping around his neck as they deepened the kiss. The world outside, with all its worries and threats, seemed to fade into the background as they lost themselves in each other.

Eventually, they broke apart, both slightly breathless. Sara rested her forehead against his, her eyes locked onto his. "You don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Richard. Let me be your refuge."

Richard nodded, his heart swelling with gratitude for the woman in front of him. "I’m lucky to have you, Sara."

Sara led him to the bedroom, and together, they settled into bed. And did what obviously must be done. And by the next morning, Richard found himself exhausted and drained. The night had been intense and physically demanding, leaving Richard and Sara both tired but content. They lay in each other’s arms, the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains.

Sara propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Richard with a playful smile. "I hope you’re feeling more relaxed now."

Richard chuckled, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Definitely. You have a way of making everything better."

Sara leaned down and kissed him gently. "I’m glad I can help."

After a moment of comfortable silence, Richard reluctantly got out of bed. "We should get back to work. There’s a lot to be done."