Black Mirage clung pathetically to the tree trunk, his grim gaze shifting to Nicholas.
When he saw the man's face, his pupils contracted sharply, and the savage expression on his face froze.
"You... It's you..."
His eyes widened as he looked from Nicholas to Serena and back again.
A flash of almost desperate madness crossed his eyes.
He suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahaha, you two... you actually got together! Do... do you know who she is?"
He pointed at Serena, looking at Nicholas.
The man's cool, almost ethereal face was impassive under the cold moonlight.
His long, captivating eyes held a hint of a chill, but his thin lips curved into a smile. "Oh? And who might she be?"
Black Mirage's laugh grew more savage. "You really don't know..."
"Her? Isn't she just my delicate fiancée?" Nicholas's low, lazy voice held a hint of affectionate amusement.
His voice wasn't loud, but it cut off Black Mirage's laughter abruptly. He stared at Nicholas as if he'd seen a ghost.
Nicholas smiled again and held out a hand to Serena. "My lady, time to end this."
Serena was speechless.
She glanced at Nicholas.
Under the moonlight, his sparkling, captivating eyes seemed to shimmer with scattered light, giving him the otherworldly air of a spirit.
He was utterly bewitching.
Finally, Serena's gaze landed on the hand he held out to her.
She paid no mind to this man who was preening like a peacock at a time like this.
Nor did she ask about his relationship with Black Mirage, or what Black Mirage's words had meant.
She had always known Nicholas had another identity, and she wasn't surprised that Black Mirage knew him.
Who didn't have secrets?
He didn't ask about hers. She didn't ask about his. That's how they coexisted peacefully.
Serena slapped away the hand Nicholas offered her, and with a swift movement, charged straight for Black Mirage.
She couldn't be bothered to waste any more time on him.
Close the net, finish the job, and get some sleep!
Nicholas chuckled as he looked down at his rejected hand, then with a move of his own, he followed right after her.
They hadn't even exchanged a glance, but their teamwork was instinctive.
Serena led the attack, her strikes
fierce and aimed at Blacket forcing him back f
vital
the free trunk.
Nicholas, in turn, provided support.
With flawless coordination, they had Black Mirage and his few trusted men completely pinned down by the fountain.
Seeing there was no escape, a vicious glint flashed in Black Mirage's eyes.
He nodded at his men.
He deliberately took a heavy punch from Serena, using the momentum to roll backward violently.
In that same instant, his men lunged madly at Serena and Nicholas, blocking them from pursuing Black Mirage.
As Black Mirage rolled, he threw a small ball to the ground.
"Bang!"
Another cloud of thick smoke exploded.
Black Mirage looked down at the network data on his wrist device, which his
hackers had supposedly breached.
His fingers tapped quickly on the screen.
Using the smoke as cover, he raced toward the loophole in the
network-a temporary disturbance from the cyberattack that had not yet fully closed.
This was his only chance of escaping the villa!
"You still think the loophole you found was really cracked by your team of useless hackers?"
Serena laughed softly as she gave chase. "It was just bait to lure you in. And you think you can run?"
Just as Black Mirage was about to
burst t
alreathe breach in the
yard Serena's figure wa
y on him like a shado