The situation was different now.
They were no longer involved with the Island of Despair. They were constantly
investigating the organization. Moreover, the Island of Despair was an underground
organization, making it difficult for them to gather intelligence.
That was why there was a need for extensive pre-preparation. Otherwise, the later rescue
efforts would be challenging.
After Rain left, Luke picked up the document again. Having already memorized it, he found
it unnecessary and tore it into pieces. Then, he tossed the shreds into the ashtray,
watching them succumb to the flames until they were all but ashes.
Only destroyed information was truly secure.
Luke took the matter of the Island of Despair seriously because it affected him and Luca.
Therefore, he was meticulous in every detail.
A message notification came from his phone.
Luke checked his phone and realized it was a message from Luca.
It was a simple text explaining that Nina would be staying with them, along with her
current situation. It ended with a reminder to eat on time.
A faint smile played across his lips. He appreciated the concern expressed by Luca, even if
it was just a short message.
After replying with a simple 'okay', Luke made an internal call and instructed Jason to bring
him dinner.
He would heed Luca's advice.
...
In the university town, Vivian received a call and quickly excused herself from the evening
self-study session. Carrying her backpack, she rushed out of the campus gate.
She was slightly surprised when she saw a familiar tall figure. She walked toward him and
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtasked, "Aaron, what brings you here?"
Aaron, the one sent by Ray to deliver the document to Luke, wore a shy smile when he
saw Vivian.
A burly man showing such a smile struck Vivian with an indescribable visual impact.
It was quite shocking.
He was a man with ordinary features but a well-toned physique, but he wore a shy smile
that seemed more fitting for a delicate woman. The sight caught her attention...
"What's wrong?" Vivian asked again. Then, upon recalling something, she added, "Is my
brother here?"
"No, Mr. Lacroix didn't come. Actually, I'm here to carry out the task assigned by Mr.
Lacroix. I also came here to see you, Ms. Vivian. Good evening!" Aaron performed a family
salute while they were surrounded by the bustling campus crowd.
Vivian felt embarrassed. There were so many students coming and going. Aaron's gesture
attracted a lot of attention.
There were many foreign students at Capital University, so seeing a foreign face was not
that for them. Still, the salute piqued the curiosity of many students.
"Aaron, we're not in Russia, and this is definitely not a family gathering. You don't have to
salute me. People will gather around us," Vivian reminded him in a soft voice.
Aaron noticed the puzzled look on the students' faces and awkwardly rubbed the back of
his head. "Sorry, Ms. Vivian. I forgot."
"It's okay. Did you deliver the document?" Vivian shook her head. She did not want to put
on any airs of a young lady of a noble Russian family here.
Here in A City, she felt an overwhelming sense of freedom!
There was no need for her to put on the airs of a rich lady in front of these people. No one
would heed her imperious commands. Hence, she remained composed, personally dealing
with every matter that came her way.
It felt a bit strange at first, but now, she was loving the independence. She could manage
everything in her life herself, piece by piece.
"It's been delivered. It's something important, so I handed it directly to Mr. Crawford
before coming to see you," replied Aaron. He was one of Ray's most reliable subordinates.
He was at the top of his game.
"So, it's related to Mr. Crawford," muttered Vivian. Then, she smiled. "It's pretty late. You
haven't had dinner, right?"
"Not yet." Aaron shook his head. He headed straight to T Corporation right after getting off
the plane. The top priority was delivering this important document to Luke. After that, he
made his way to Capital University.
As for whether he ate or not, he had not really paid attention. After all, he often skipped
meals during previous missions.
"You can't be like this. You're only delivering a document for my brother. Did you seriously
forget about eating?" Vivian shook her head, pondered for a moment, and said, "Come on.
Let's go to my apartment first and drop off my backpack. We can grab dinner together
after that."
Her backpack was heavy, filled with books she borrowed from the library today. That was
why she did not want to carry it to dinner.
Plus, her single apartment was near the school. It would not take much time to get there.
"Sure." Aaron had no objections.
Vivian took a step forward and turned to look at the man beside her. "By the way, how did
you get here?"
"I took a cab. I'm not familiar with this area," answered Aaron.
"Oh, my apartment isn't far from here. There's no need for a cab. Can you ride a bike?"
asked Vivian.
Aaron felt a bit awkward as he answered, "I've learned it before, but it's been a long
time..."
"No problem, it's easy. Let me get one for you." Vivian walked toward a rental bike nearby,
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmtook out her phone from her backpack, and scanned the code on the bike.
"This is a rental bike. It automatically deducts money from your e-wallet when you scan
the code. It's convenient. Here, this one's for you." She pushed a bike toward Aaron.
Aaron awkwardly sat on it. He was tall and muscular, and he was a bit concerned about
possibly breaking the seemingly fragile bike.
Vivian scanned another bike for herself. When she saw Aaron awkwardly standing with
both feet on the ground, appearing awkward and restless, she explained with a smile on
her face, "Don't worry. These bikes are sturdy. You won't break it."
Aaron felt embarrassed. He noticed that Vivian still had her backpack and said, "Ms.
Vivian, let me carry your backpack for you."
"No need, it's not heavy. Let's go. I'll lead the way. Follow me,” replied Vivian as she
pedaled her bike toward her apartment.
Aaron clumsily caught up, pedaling a few times. After realizing the bike could handle his
weight without breaking, he quickly caught up with Vivian.
After they arrived at the apartment, Vivian said, "Wait here for a second. I'll go upstairs
and drop off my stuff. I'll come right back down."
Aaron thought about going upstairs too, but considering it was Vivian's personal space and
him being a subordinate, it would not be right to tag along. Hence, he nodded and waited
patiently downstairs.
After watching Vivian go upstairs, his gaze sharpened as he turned to look in a certain
direction.
A man, completely covered, stood there.
Since Vivian left the campus, the man had been following closely behind them. Aaron
knew about it, but with Vivian around, he was reluctant to say anything. He did not want
to scare the young lady.