[Even if our families had some childhood betrothal... you're the one who personally told Grandpa you were rejecting it! So don't you dare use that to trick my sister!]
[Until Serena agrees, that arrangement means nothing!]
[Remember, you can look after her, but if you dare make a move... you just try me!] The last message came with an emoji of a clenched fist and a menacing expression.
Even through the screen, Nicholas could clearly feel how fiercely protective his usually cool and domineering friend was of his sister, and... how much he distrusted him.
Nicholas looked at the long string of warnings and let out a low laugh.
He raised his long, slender fingers and pressed the voice message button, his voice a long, lazy drawl tinged with amusement.
"Don't worry, my future brother-in-law. I'll be sure to take excellent care of Serena.”
"As for everything else... I understand. I will absolutely respect Serena's wishes and will not cross any lines."
"Even if you don't trust me, you should trust... Serena's abilities, right?”
His tone was utterly sincere.
But that “future brother-in-law" and the drawn-out words... gave Julian a very bad feeling.
He listened to Nicholas's voice message with a deep frown.
Didn't that "future brother-in-law" from Nicholas sound a bit too scheming?
He suddenly felt like he had just thrown his precious lamb into the wolf's den.
Had he made a mistake?
But in the entire institute, Nicholas was the only friend he knew through and through and could somewhat rely on.
From what his sister had said, the project at the institute was on a tight schedule. Surely... nothing too dramatic could happen, right?
Having Nicholas watch over her was better than her being alone. She had a tendency to be headstrong and neglect everything else when she got busy.
Julian sighed and sent another message: [Alright, just remember what you said. Take good care of Serena!]
Nicholas: [As you command, my future brother-in-law.]
Julian: [Who the hell is your future brother-in-law? Stop calling me that!]
Before, getting that bastard Nicholas to call him "brother" was practically impossible.
Now, Nicholas was calling him "future brother-in-law" as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His intentions were plain for all to see.
Julian took a deep breath and
continued his instructions:
[Remember; no matter how capable
Serena is, she's still just a
twenty year-old girl.
She's very
delicate, so you'd better be careful with her!]
Reading this message, the smile on Nicholas's thin lips deepened.
He tapped his finger and replied: [As you command, my future brother-in-law. I will
not fail this trust.]
Inside, he couldn't help but laugh.
If Julian knew... that his
"twenty-year-old," "delicate little girl
who needs to be taken care of" wasn't staying at the institute at all,
but was gearing up for a head-on
clash with an international
organization
of assassins
practically itching to tear their whole
operation down, and was as wild as they come...
His expression... would be priceless.
***
Serena followed the navigation system all the way to the west suburbs.
velmet
Nicholas's villa was indeed in a remote location, hidden among dense grove of trees. It was a standalone property offering a high degree of privacy
With a scenic setting by the water and mountains in the background, the environment was serene.
Just by looking at the villa's exterior, Serena could tell... the entire perimeter was equipped with Elyndor's top-of-the-line security systems.
It was insanely impressive.