Kyle didn't take Vis's words to heart.
Raina, due to her ability to control her thoughts, had a solitary and independent personality. From a young age, she had been tasked with eliminating Imperial Japanese soldiers.
Would she be melancholic? Did she have something on her mind?
Kyle gave a faint smile and walked out of the elevator. However, when he entered the lobby, he suddenly came to a halt.
Raina sat quietly on the balcony, her long dress draping gracefully over her fair legs and cascading gently down to the floor. She tilted her stunning face, her beautiful eyes gazing into the distance. A light breeze lifted her black hair, and sunlight naturally bathed her.
She looked like an independent beauty isolated from the world.
The reason Kyle was stunned was that he sensed not only her elegance and nobility but also an underlying melancholy and loneliness.
Vis hadn't been wrong; Raina indeed had something on her mind.
Or rather, Kyle had never truly understood Raina.
Sixty-odd years ago, he had treated her as a weapon, making her the family's most ruthless guardian. She had protected the Carl Family for nearly half a century.
Now, he had assigned her the role of a secretary and assistant, making her follow orders, and involving her in matters of life and death. She appeared dignified and powerful, yet she also had to perform the work of a maid.
Kyle had never really considered what Raina wanted or what she was thinking.
"Raina," Kyle called out.
Raina heard his voice, turned around, and smiled slightly. Her previously indifferent and melancholic face once again blossomed with a stunning smile.
She stepped down from the balcony's edge, saying softly, "Boss. I already know about last night, and I'm ready to—"
"That's enough!" Kyle interrupted her, and he asked, somewhat inexplicably, "Let other Cardinals handle those matters. Tell me, what were you thinking just now?"
Raina hesitated for a moment, and a hint of panic flickered in her eyes. She lowered her head and fell silent.
Kyle straightforwardly said, "If there's something you want to do, concerns, or ideas, you can tell me. I'll do my best to fulfill them."
His nature had always been like this. Women's minds were too difficult to guess, so he preferred to ask directly.
Given Kyle's current level of power and status, he could achieve almost anything people called ideal. He could ignore most people's concerns.
But Raina, who had always been obedient, remained silent, unlike before.
Kyle thought for a moment and sighed softly. "If you want to regain your freedom and leave the Carl Family, I can agree to it."
Raina had already contributed enough to the Carl Family, and if she genuinely desired freedom, he could make that concession.
However, before he could repeat his words, Raina shivered, her face filled with fear as she raised her head. She was so terrified that even her pretty face turned pale. "Boss, you want to send me away?"
With a loud crash, the floor-to-ceiling windows shattered, and the items on the table and the wall fell.
Driven by Raina's intense emotional turmoil, her powerful mental energy almost lost control and recklessly impacted everything in the lobby.
"I was just saying..." Kyle hadn't had a chance to repeat his words when a shadow passed by, carrying a fragrant breeze. Raina immediately leaped into his arms, her hands gripping his back tightly.
"Boss, please don't send me away. I'm begging you," Raina said, genuinely terrified and trembling all over.
In this fleeting moment, Kyle felt as though he was seeing that young girl who had just emerged from a glass nutrient tank.
"From now on, you will become the blade in my hands."
"Okay."
That one-word promise transcended time.
Kyle realized he had misspoken and quickly reassured Raina, saying, "I didn't say I wanted to send you away. I want you to stay with me. I just want to know what you want to do."
"Really?" Raina widened her eyes, and there were tears in her silvery irises.
"Of course," Kyle nodded.
Raina let out a sigh of relief. After a moment's thought, she hesitated to speak but eventually said with unease, "I want to take you to meet someone."
"Meet someone..." Kyle was momentarily surprised. He knew Raina had no family, so he quickly guessed the correct answer. "A friend?"
Raina nodded eagerly.
This time, Kyle was genuinely taken aback. Raina had the power to read minds, and aside from him, she had never been particularly fond of socializing. It was unexpected that she had made a friend.
It couldn't be a guy, could it?
"Let's go, take me to meet him," Kyle said sternly.
He had to admit that he cared. After all, Raina had been brought up by him. In a way, she was like his daughter, and he couldn't just let someone take her away without reason.
If Raina had spoken up, she would no longer hesitate. She nodded obediently.
In Queens, New York, the Black Rose Bar.
Accompanied by Raina, when Kyle arrived at the bar, he furrowed his brow slightly.
Due to his acquaintance with the playboy Howard, he didn't have a favorable first impression of bars.
"Choosing a bar as the meeting place suggests that Raina's friend isn't a good person." Kyle thought to himself and was a little tempted to set the bar on fire with his powers.
"Boss, it's in here," Raina said as she naturally approached and wrapped her arms around Kyle's.
Suppressing the surging power within him, Vis and Venom, who were lurking within him, sweated nervously for Raina's friend.
The bar was quite spacious, with vibrant, blinking colored lights and energetic electronic music playing. A group of young men and women were drinking and dancing energetically.
However, as Kyle and Raina entered, the hall seemed to fall silent in an instant, and everyone tactfully made way for them.
At the bar counter, there was a punk girl in a leather jacket, seated indolently on a high stool, sipping her drink.
She had striking dark green shoulder-length hair and a slim and graceful figure. She exuded a cold, tough aura as she nonchalantly ordered the bartender to pour her another drink.
"Lorna." Raina led Kyle to her and called out gently.
A woman?
Kyle felt relieved, and at that moment, he felt like he was looking at a Western beauty that rivaled Natasha, but with a somewhat peculiar style.
The girl had exquisite features with a smoky eye makeup, dark red lipstick, and slightly wavy dark green hair that cascaded down. She appeared somewhat lazy and rebellious.
If Raina represented an Eastern beauty, then this girl was undoubtedly a Western beauty. They had completely different styles, backgrounds, ages, and personalities, yet their pairing was surprisingly harmonious, creating a stunning contrast.
"You came."
Lorna was delighted, about to invite Raina to sit, but when she saw Kyle, her beautifully cold face instantly turned as icy as the Arctic, mixed with a hint of disgust.
Although Lorna recognized Kyle's identity at first glance, she was cold and aloof as she said, "Who are you!?"
(End of this chapter)