"Damn it, they're too close—can't shake them off at all!"

Leena gritted her teeth in silence, the prickling tension on her back refusing to fade.

Years of living in the underworld told her this was no illusion—the undercover traitor chasing her was one of the ruthless ones.

Anxiety stirred in her chest. Lumina Square was still far ahead, and in her current condition, there was no way to shake off Jane's pursuit.

In truth, the only reason she'd managed to last this long after fleeing into Lumina Square was because that undercover agent was holding back—

On one hand, the agent didn't want to reveal too much in public. After all, mystery was the best camouflage for an undercover operative.

On the other, there was the high-concentration Ether bomb nestled in Leena's arms. But she wasn't some suicidal lunatic—the bomb would only be used if death was certain.

Right now, she couldn't even pull out her phone to warn her boss. She had no doubt Jane would strike her dead the moment she made that move.

After all, compared to the risk of mission failure, being exposed in public was a small price for an undercover.

She believed that in the instant she reached for her phone, even the Ether bomb in her arms would no longer pose a threat before that lightning-fast operative.

At that thought, Leena's hand pressed tighter against her lower left rib. The weapon there could flatten everything within a hundred meters—a terrifying power, and yet barely enough confidence before that monster of an agent.

But Leena knew well this state wouldn't last long. That undercover would never allow a bomber to roam through the city. It was very likely that Public Security officers were already being dispatched in this direction.

Her thoughts spun rapidly. From within the crowd, Leena glanced toward several nearby alleys.

Heading for the shadows would give Jane a chance to silence her quietly—but it might also offer her a path to survive.

All she needed was one or two hostages in hand to use as bargaining chips for escape.

Heh. She knew those Public Security fools all too well.

Those self-proclaimed righteous officers always went soft when criminals held hostages.

And thanks to that weakness, she still had a chance to live.

Suddenly, Leena's eyes fell upon a couple walking ahead.

The man was strikingly handsome—so much so it made her want to toy with him—and the woman was the type she most hated: a white-haired, airheaded little vixen.

They seemed to have just come from the cinema, whispering and laughing as they entered a small alley.

Love that sweet… made her want to destroy it.

"Another damn white-haired fox… and she's wearing green just to mock me, huh? Disgusting." Leena muttered gloomily, memories flashing through her mind.

But soon, her lips curled into a smile—because that fox would be dead soon.

Leena licked the corner of her mouth and laughed darkly. "What I hate most in this life are those lovey-dovey couples."

Truthfully, she felt a bit regretful—if not for the critical situation, she'd have taken her time enjoying that handsome man first.

Leena slipped through the crowd, adjusting her direction toward the alley where Sol and Anby were walking.

"She's really troublesome."

Jane followed closely behind Leena's steps.

As a criminal psychologist, she could roughly guess what Leena was planning—

Take hostages, find a chance to flee.

She'd handled cases like this more than once, but this time was definitely tricky.

She was sure Leena didn't watch TV—or she would never have chosen that man as a hostage.

Crude as it sounded, Jane would honestly rather Leena had picked an ordinary citizen.

As a seasoned criminal psychologist, one look at Sol's file had been enough for her to understand what kind of man he was.

Partly from her deep theoretical background and extensive field experience—

And partly because Sol's unhidden nature laid everything bare.

A profit-driven, mocking, self-pleasing wanderer—one who wanted to experience everything, with a superiority that looked down upon the world.

Though they'd never met, Jane could conclude this much without hesitation.

From the limited intel, she could read even more: he acted purely on his own whims, ignored opinions he didn't want to hear.

And indulgence like that always led to destruction—it was almost a law of nature.

Therefore, this Sol Mercer possessed a distinct destructive impulse—toward himself, the world, or perhaps both at once.

Even if he'd done plenty of good recently, Jane was convinced of that truth.

Years of undercover work had exposed her to countless similar types—crime bosses driven by obsession, whether for mountains of gold or utopian dreams.

They were all madmen—the kind that gave Public Security the biggest headaches. And Sol, in her eyes, wasn't far from them.

Which was why she completely agreed with the higher-ups' warning: Don't get close to him lightly.

"What a pain… let's just hope she doesn't go overboard."

Jane sighed again and stepped into the alley after Leena.

If she had a choice, she'd never want to deal with a character like that.

But now that fate had forced it, there was no turning back.

…

At that moment, Sol and Anby were walking through the narrow alley.

Compared to the bustling streets outside, this alley was calm and quiet—almost peaceful. There were no crowds, just the two of them.

Anby walked on the left, Sol on the right.

"Did you have a good time today?"

Sol leaned a little closer to her.

"Mm, very much." Anby nodded, her eyes distant, wistful. "Undercover agents work silently in the dark, risking everything to bring light to others. They're truly admirable."

"I think so too." Sol nodded in agreement, moving another small step closer. "So… shall we watch another movie like this next time?"

Sensing something, Anby glanced at him curiously and quietly shifted left. "Of course."

Then, as if recalling something, she added shyly, "But next time, don't feed me again."

When lost in the story, it had felt as natural as a breeze.

But once the movie ended, the faint warmth lingering on her lips from his fingertips left her oddly adrift.

"If I don't listen, will you still come watch with me?"

Sol smiled faintly and gently clasped her hand.

Bang!

"..."

Anby didn't dodge—she couldn't have even if she tried.

The alley behind Lumina Square wasn't narrow, but only just wide enough for three or four to walk side by side.

They had only made it halfway through when her left side met the gray wall—leaving nowhere to go.

She looked at Sol, their joined hands radiating warmth between them, and said seriously, "I still would."

And once again, she silently apologized to Nicole.