Claire hadn't sensed any imminent danger.
After all, she wasn't a trained professional.
But Hillary was.
She immediately sensed that someone was watching her and Claire.
It was exactly as Hanson had warned; these people saw Claire as their ultimate
prize and would not let her slip away easily.
Without breaking her stride, Hillary walked Claire back to her apartment.
Once inside, they began to analyze the day.
"Did anyone deliberately try to get close to you today?"
Claire shook her head, then remembered something. "There was Professor Vance's daughter. I checked, she's who she claims to be."
"Why did she approach you?" Even if Claire had cleared her, Hillary still had to ask.
She needed to evaluate the threat level with professional scrutiny.
There couldn't be a single oversight.
If anything happened to Claire, the fallout would be catastrophic for everyone.
As her personal bodyguard, Hillary would be the first one to face the firing squad.
Failing to detect a threat was her ultimate dereliction of duty!
"It wasn't really an approach. She just chatted with us about some campus gossip."
Claire relayed the entire encounter to Hillary.
Hearing the drama surrounding Norris, Hillary wasn't surprised in the slightest. "Your cousin is still as cold as ice to women, I see."
"Hillary, you know Norris?"
Hillary nodded. "Your cousin was a massive celebrity on campus back in the day. Even I..."
Hillary actually blushed, a rare sight.
Everyone had their youthful phases, right?
"Oh, I get it. We all crushed on the popular kids in middle and high school. Anyone who gave speeches, performed on stage, or hosted events had a massive fan club!"
Claire was nothing if not empathetic.
With a smooth redirection of logic, Hillary was instantly downgraded to a harmless fangirl.
Hillary's embarrassment vanished, and she slapped her thigh in agreement. "Exactly!"
"I was definitely just one of his many fans."
Next time Hanson brought up her childhood crush on Norris, she was going to use this exact defense!
"I'm just his fangirl, but you can't tell anyone!"
Hillary knew Hanson was well-acquainted with Norris and the others.
Since Hanson and Claire likely
crossed paths privately, she was et
terrified Claire might accidentally spill the beans and knock over that massive jar of jealousy again.
"My lips are sealed." Claire was excellent at keeping secrets.
That night, bonding over shared gossip brought the two women much closer.
They stayed up chatting so late that their stomachs began to rumble.
"How about I boil some instant noodles for you?"
If Claire's current security situation wasn't so fragile, Hillary would have just taken her out for fate-night. snacks. FindNovel.net
SWO
Born and raised in Cabinda as a third-generation elite, Hillary knew every hidden culinary gem in the city.
She was a bit of a wild child growing up, which explained why she ended up joining the military.
"How about we just order takeout?"
Claire had already suffered through Hillary's boiled noodles once and immediately vetoed the idea.
Don't assume that working in a cafeteria miraculously bestowed someone with culinary skills.
At least, it definitely hadn't worked on Hillary.
"I suppose that works." Hillary placed an order for delivery.
However, the delivery guy wasn't your average courier.
"Is the food here, Hillary?"
Half an hour later, Claire stepped out of the study upon hearing the doorbell ring.
Hillary didn't bother checking the peephole; she simply glanced at her phone and opened the door.
"Just leave it at the door. Hillary, it's not safe to just open—"
Before Claire could finish, she saw a familiar face.
"Hillary!" she yelled, immediately looking around for a weapon.
The operatives from Sundara were far too well-informed. They even
y to disguise the "ven as Kon Patton to deliver takeout!