Love At The Wrong Table

Emmanuel smiled again. “Of course, you’re someone very important to me.”

“How important?” Claudette suddenly asked, catching him off guard.

Emmanuel hesitated, momentarily stunned. Before Claudette regained

consciousness, he could easily speak his mind. But now, he found himself

unsure of what to say.

“Hehe, just kidding. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Claudette

said with a lighthearted smile. “I know you just became a father; you must

love your missus dearly. So, you should maintain boundaries and keep your

distance from other women.”

If anyone else had said those words, Emmanuel wouldn’t have given it much

thought. But hearing them from Claudette gave him a strange sense of

melancholy, as if the world had changed overnight.

“You should rest,” Emmanuel said after a moment, unsure of how to engage

with this version of Claudette. The woman in front of him no longer seemed

08:50 Tue, Oct 22

Shadows in the Woods

like the Claudette he once knew.

“Goodnight!” Claudette smiled warmly, her expression soft and endearing. But

once Emmanuel left, her smile gradually faded, and she let out a soft sigh.

“Even if I’ve forgotten my past, you’re still my type. Six feet, strong, gentle yet

tough, powerful, respected by all–what’s not to like about him?

“Sigh, just go to sleep, Claudette. He’s married with a kid now. Maybe I’ll stop

having silly thoughts after we don’t see each other anymore.”

At that, Claudette lay down, pulling the covers over her head like a child,

trying to push away the lingering feelings.

The next morning, Emmanuel prepared to lead the Blade Battalion toward

Eldoria.

“Emmanuel, when you find Roselynn, make sure to let me know right away. I’ll

take good care of Caden while you’re gone,” Mackenzie said softly, holding

his hand as they said their goodbyes.

Shadows in the Woods

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“I will. If anything happens, make sure you tell me right away too,” Emmanuel

responded seriously. With his mother gone, his wife and child were now his

entire world.

“Don’t worry, the Wolf Warrior Unit you left behind isn’t here just for show, and

your wife isn’t helpless either! Once I’ve recovered, I’ll take charge of the

Quillen family again, purge Yeringham and all of Nuthana of any remaining

threats and turn the Quillen family into an unbreakable fortress!” Mackenzie

declared with her usual confidence and authority.

Emmanuel smiled, knowing his wife’s capabilities. Plus, with Rhett ensuring

her safety, he felt comfortable leaving for a while.

Meanwhile, deep within the forests of Eldoria, Ashton led the way while

Roselynn helped Julian, who lagged behind.

“I can’t go on anymore!” Julian said, panting, but still took the opportunity to

snap a photo. The scenery was beautiful, and with his fiancee nearby, he

couldn’t resist.

Shadows in the Woods

3

#t

“You’re so weak! And you call yourself a man?” Roselynn teased, realizing why

Julian hadn’t been able to win a fight even against Jaxton.

“Hehe, sorry! I’ll hit the gym when we get back,” Julian said, chuckling

awkwardly. Losing to his police officer sister was one thing, but being outdone

by his civilian fiancee? That was embarrassing.

“Let’s rest for a bit,” Ashton said, glancing around the area before throwing

her brother a look of disapproval. “It’s pretty embarrassing for a man to be

outdone by women.”

Julian grinned, unfazed by the criticism. “But Roselynn is Emmanuel’s sister.

It’s normal for me to lose to her, and I heard she’s beaten him 17 times

without losing once! Could you do that?”

“You!” Ashton huffed, clearly annoyed. “You’re good at nothing but arguing!”

“At least it’s better than being completely useless. And I can take photos,

can’t I?” Julian grinned as he snapped a shot of his sister’s irritated

expression. But after the click, his face turned serious as he stared ahead.

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Shadows in the Woods

“What’s wrong?” Roselynn noticed the sudden change in his demeanor.

“I think I just caught a shadow of someone in my photo,” Julian said with a

frown, quickly checking his camera.

Though no person appeared in the photo, the movement of the tree

branches suggested that something–or someone–had indeed been there.

The three of them had ventured into the Ancient Woods of Eldoria to escape

being hunted…